more than just a stop on the Red lineIt's a well known fact that Massachusetts is home to the finest universities in the country. Harvard, Tufts, Amherst, Boston University, M.I.T., Holy Cross et. al ensure that Massachusetts is a bastion of brain power. But what role do these institutions play off of their campuses? It is my contention that the saturation of private colleges in this state have undoubtedly effected public higher ed. for the worse. With the Ivy League and Second Choice schools at our doorsteps, there has never been an imperitive to create a world class public University system in this state. Public University is the ugly step-sister of higher ed. in this state, generally home to those who either can't compete into the private schools, or far more often, simply can't afford the private schools. Well, if you thought the seamy underbelly of the despicable condition of public education in Massachusetts could fall no further, think again. Campus Press Notes has a good measurement of exactly how poorly funded my University system is: SPENDING ON PRISONS VERSUS HIGHER EDUCATION: For the first time, state spending on prisons and corrections exceeded state spending on public higher education in fiscal 2004, according to an analysis to be released Monday by the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation.And it's not like Massachusetts has seen some kind of spike in criminal activity, or that we've built dozens of new prisons. It's just that, like every other state, we're in a fiscal crisis, and so they squeezed what little blood they could out of us, and now the sisters of the poor are even poorer. It's a crime that little liberal Taxachusetts has entirely abandoned affordable education for her citizens. |
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