Long-term shortsightedness

Editorial

Higher education offers a means to literacy, economic success and respect. In a handful of generations, Jewish Americans transformed themselves from green immigrants to Nobel Laureates.

Education enables citizens of every race, religion and ethnicity to come together in a beautiful cultural tapestry. The Arizona Legislature is rapidly unraveling that tapestry. Despite annual tax surpluses in the 1990s, lawmakers failed to adequately fund for higher education. Now facing tax deficits, they are targeting Arizona State University, the University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University for budget cuts.

The repercussions are chilling: The universities are struggling not only to maintain faculty but also to fill vacancies. Student-faculty ratios are rising.

The impact of funding cuts on Arizona's economy and society would be staggering. Our universities offer quality, affordable education for residents and also draw students nationwide, many of whom remain in Arizona after graduation to contribute their expertise to the workforce.

Our schools train students for the new economy, the information age of biotechnology, microelectronics, optics and telecommunications. Slashing funding means doing without the tools students need to participate in the global economy.

Prop. 301, the November 2000 sales tax referendum funneling $50 million to universities, is too little to rectify this crisis. In addition, universities cannot depend upon private donations to make up for lagging public money. And raising tuition would hurt young people already struggling to afford the education they need to improve their lives.

We must push our legislators to learn that balancing the state budget at the expense of education is simultaneously curtailing the potential for an educated workforce, a bustling economy and a higher quality of life.

If a tax increase is needed, so be it. The short-term expense would yield a long-term gain. It will take bold action to fulfill a promise to our grandchildren, as our grandparents fulfilled their promise to us.

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