• About Us
  • Activity
  • Advertising
  • Books
  • Business
  • Contact
  • Dashboard
  • EB5
  • Entertainment
  • feedback
  • Forgot Your Password?
  • Government
  • Home
  • Home 20723
  • Interviews
  • Login
  • Members
  • Meme generator
  • National
  • Nevada
  • Nevada News and Views
  • Newsmax
  • NN&V Ads
  • Opinion
  • Pick a New Password
  • Politics
  • Polls
  • Privacy Policy
  • Profile
  • Recent comments by me
  • Recent comments on my posts
  • Register
  • Submit post
  • Subscribe
  • Subscription Confirmation
  • Survey
  • Survey
  • Terms of Service
  • Today’s Top 10
  • Travel
  • Travel
  • Travel
  • Welcome!
  • Yop Poll Archive
Nevada News and Views
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • More
    • Opinion
  • Facebook

  • Twitter

  • Pinterest

  • RSS

Opinion

NFA Is in “Real Pain”

NFA Is in “Real Pain”
Chuck Muth
March 10, 2011

(Lori Piotrowski) – In its weekly newsletter dated 3/10/11, the Nevada Faculty Alliance (NFA) sets out to explain to its readership that the state’s legislators don’t understand the “pain” that higher education is experiencing. Presidents Glick (UNR) and Smatresk (UNLV) each sent letters to faculty explaining the plans for cuts, and the Board of Regents is scheduled to meet tomorrow (3/11/11) to discuss the situation.

 There are many questions that the Regents need to ask and much discussion they need to undertake about strategic planning and setting priorities. They also need to take responsibility for difficult decisions about tuition and fees, about whether they intend to preserve faculty rights [editor’s emphasis] during the implementation of cuts when they are made and, above all, about whether there are parts of the NSHE budget not yet discussed or potential sources of revenue or reserves that ought to be included in spending reduction plans…

So, according to the author, maintaining the rights of faculty (bargained for by union reps) is important. But why is it the Board of Regents who must take responsibility for preserving those rights? Where is the union representative in this? Should he or she also be at the table talking about how they can take responsibility?

Although several rallies have been held in Carson City, Las Vegas’ Grant Sawyer Building, and on the Strip, according to the author

 Many legislators have said that they have not yet seen “pain” in the System of Higher Education, and especially its universities. There are some, clearly, who want only to inflict pain; there are even some who seem to think the highest priority at this moment is to authorize concealed lethal weapons to be carried on campus. [Whatever does this have to do with budget cuts? – Ed.] In short, legislators need to take a clear look at what is in front of them. If they have problems with the credibility of the System leadership’s claims in the past about budget impacts, then, by all means, address those concerns with those who made them in the past. But it is simply wrong to visit that issue on current and future students and faculty by pretending that unprecedented cuts of this magnitude do not represent “any real pain.”

First, I’d like to remind the author that persons outside of NSHE are already experiencing “real pain.” A quick drive down any street shows a multitude of empty storefronts—those entrepreneurs and their former employees are in pain. The unemployed and underemployed are in pain. And still the NFA complains about taking a cut in pay. 

Second, the legislature doesn’t have the option of addressing current concerns with past presidents. Whatever past presidents claimed necessary for or past legislatures allotted for higher ed’s budget is not the issue. The current legislators must deal with current figures. To imply that legislators don’t recognize that cutting a budget is painful is, well, absurd. However, to not recognize that fewer employed persons can pay more so that someone else doesn’t feel “real pain” is naïve.  

Following Chancellor Klaich’s penchant for hyperbole, the author concludes that

just as there is no angel that is going to solve the state’s budget mess, there is no one idea, person or action that is going to solve its awful impact on our campus community. We, the faculty, have long been and remain a big part the solution, through our collective and individual sacrifices.

For those of you who won’t click on the above hyperlink, the author has seen fit to reference Smatresk’s steps toward financial exigency for UNLV, which if completed, would eliminate the “preservation of faculty rights.”

Now, that would cause real pain for the NFA.

Prev postNext post

Related Items
Opinion
March 10, 2011
Chuck Muth

Related Items

More in Opinion

Amodei Statement on Debt Ceiling Bill

Chuck MuthJune 1, 2023
Read More

Tark: Trans “Rights” … and Wrongs

Chuck MuthMay 26, 2023
Read More

Stone: The Truth About AB 250: Will Patients Really Benefit?

NN&V StaffMay 26, 2023
Read More

“Ungrateful Miscreants”: Miller, Segerblom Insult Local Small Business Owners

NN&V StaffMay 24, 2023
Read More

Quarter-Million Dollar Ad Campaign Targets Nevada Legislators for Trapping Hispanic Families in Unsafe Schools

NN&V StaffMay 22, 2023
Read More

Nevada News & Views: May 20, 2023

NN&V StaffMay 20, 2023
Read More
Scroll for more
Tap

Subscribe Free By Email

Looking for the best in breaking news and conservative views? Let Chuck do all the work for you! Subscribe to his FREE "Muth's Truths" e-newsletter.

* indicates required
Nevada News and Views
Nevada News & Views is an educational project of Citizen Outreach Foundation, a non-partisan IRS-approved 501(c)(3) organization. It is not associated or affiliated with any political party or group. Nevada News & Views is accessible by the public at no cost. It funds its operations through tax-deductible contributions from donors and supporters and does not accept government money or grants.

TAGS

Featured Article Muths truth

Copyright © 2023 Citizen Outreach | Maintained by VirtualAlly

Higher Business Expenses Means Higher Unemployment
IBEW Proposes “Perfect” Redistricting Plan