[Vision2020] Raise Our Taxes

Fri Apr 23 11:08:00 PDT 2010

"This is provided that they first cut out the fat at the top. At the UI 
that means Baker, Mues and Daly-Laursen. "  

So Roger, you would cut these three people. SO you get rid of them, do you think the university could function without a VP of Finance and a Provost?  Do you know what the expense is for running executive searches? Two of the three positions would be refilled, probably at a higher salary line, due to market salary increases.  Yes I think that administrators make a lot more than anyone should get paid, but at the same time that is the way the system is set up.  It is not unique to UI.   So your idea to save money would probably end up costing the university MORE money.  

I know that you have ties to the College of Ag, and yes they are in a particularly tough place financially.  But the whole of the UI is hurting. Your ideas seem to have a trend towards take from somewhere else and fix Ag, well when you take from somewhere that has nothing you end up hurting that department or college. Offices across campus are one deep, everyone is doing more and not getting paid for the extra duties.  It is time to be creative about how to raise monies, to recruit students, and create a sustainable working environment. That will not happen if we are all so focused on our own special interest.  

I think there are some folks on this list with such animosity towards UI that they refuse to see any good and only find the negative.  From where I sit, there are wonderful, fabulous, and amazing things happening at this university at ALL levels top to bottom, that some folks just don't see.  Yes money is tight and things suck in a lot of departments and colleges, try and find some positive in all of this.  Living in the negative is a miserable way to live. But hey that's your choice.

-Mo

> Date: Fri, 23 Apr 2010 10:22:13 -0700
> From: lfalen at turbonet.com
> To: thansen at moscow.com; vision2020 at moscow.com
> Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Raise Our Taxes
> 
> I do not think it would be wise to raise the income tax or to increase taxes  on savings of any kind. I would not be that opposed  to a 0.5% increase in state sales taxes if it would go toward saving jobs in higher ed. This is provided that they first cut out the fat at the top. At the UI that means Baker, Mues and Daly-Laursen. There are also several former Department Heads that only took a 15% decrease when they stepped down. The former head of AVS teaches only one class and advises students, but is paid more than the other AVS professors. What a waste  of funds. The Kibbie Dome update was billed as required because of safety issues an paid for by doners. That is what Nellis says about the SBOE approved update of The Jensen engineering Building. I don't believe it. The staff people in the College of Ag will have to have half their salary provided by their PI. If the PI can not come up with the funds they will be placed on half time.Just who can afford to work half time.  A!
>  ny of the
> above cuts would save a lot of staff jobs. There is no need for administrators if there arn't enough  staff people to to run the programs. The students are also hurt when these programs are not adequately staffed.
> Roger
> -----Original message-----
> From: "Tom Hansen" thansen at moscow.com
> Date: Thu, 22 Apr 2010 14:23:51 -0700
> To: "Moscow Vision 2020" vision2020 at moscow.com
> Subject: [Vision2020] Raise Our Taxes
> 
> > Courtesy of the Illinois Issues Blog at:
> > 
> > http://illinoisissuesblog.blogspot.com/2010/04/raise-our-taxes.html
> > 
> > -------------------------------------------------------------------
> > 
> > Wednesday, April 21, 2010
> > "Raise our taxes"
> > By Jamey Dunn and Rachel Wells
> > 
> > Citizens advocating for an income tax increase to avoid deep cuts to the
> > state budget packed the Illinois Capitol today for one of the largest
> > rallies in recent history.
> > 
> > The secretary of state’s office estimated that 12,000 people participated
> > in the march and 15,000 total were in the Capitol complex as part of the
> > rally.
> > 
> > With chants of “We’ll remember in November” and “Save our schools. Save
> > our state,” protesters marched around the Statehouse and then filled the
> > halls. They came to advocate for education and social services, such as
> > mental health care, addiction counseling and in-home care for the elderly.
> > 
> > “We have tens of thousands of people whose well-being is at stake if this
> > state does not act. So I’m here to advocate for responsible decisions, a
> > tax increase to support social services in this state, and I’m happy to
> > join these thousands and thousands of people who have come out here to do
> > this,” said Rev. Bob Rasmus, board member for Lutheran Social Services and
> > a pastor in Urbana.
> > 
> > Jo Ann Woods-Payne from ABJ Community Services on the southeast side of
> > Chicago said she came out today to support HB 174 so her organization can
> > continue to provide programs such as foster care, job training for public
> > aid recipients and a clothing and food pantry. She said the state is
> > behind on its payments to ABJ for the social services it offers in the
> > community.
> > 
> > “We feel possibly that the income tax needs to be raised if that’s what
> > it’s going to take to help keep those programs open for our clients,” she
> > said.
> > 
> > “We have to have a balanced budget, and we passed an income tax over in
> > the Senate, which is now in the House, which provides $4.3 billion. So we
> > hope that they would take a second look,” Senate President John Cullerton
> > said of HB 174. “We passed the bill. And that’s the solution to a lot of
> > our problems.”
> > 
> > However, Republicans in both chambers do not seem any closer to supporting
> > a tax increase.
> > 
> > “I like having [the rally participants] come here because there is not
> > better way for me to explain my position on what’s going in this building
> > and the way I think this state works its way out of its fiscal mess than
> > to talk one-on-one individually with those people,” said Sen. Dale
> > Righter, a Mattoon Republican.
> > 
> > Righter said many of his constituents were at the rally but the message of
> > chants such as “Raise our taxes” did not echo the opinions of the majority
> > of the people he represents. “I don’t know that that kind of theater is
> > necessarily representative of most the people in my district.”
> > 
> > Righter voted against HB 174 last year and said he will not consider a tax
> > increase until there are cuts and reforms to Medicaid, which he says is
> > growing in an unsustainable way.
> > 
> > “If you don’t fix those two things first … it’s all but a guarantee [that]
> > a tax increase comes, you layer a whole bunch, billions of dollars of new
> > taxpayer money, on top of what’s happening here and then it all seeps
> > through the cracks that they’ve created in the last eight years and then …
> > we start over in a couple years.”
> > 
> > Righter said that he doesn’t think the rally will change the minds of many
> > legislators who are opposed to a tax increase. He also doesn't think
> > Democrats are willing to take the political risk to pass a tax increase
> > before the November general elections.
> > 
> > -----------------------
> > 
> > Photos from the rally . . .
> > 
> > http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dYUVdJZjJNw/S893i7auZRI/AAAAAAAAAMQ/nN-JsalFWeA/s1600/rallyshot1.jpg
> > 
> > http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dYUVdJZjJNw/S893zqyGl4I/AAAAAAAAAMY/JTHlLfmJtV4/s320/rallyroof.jpg
> > 
> > -------------------------------------------------------------------
> > 
> > Seeya round town, Moscow.
> > 
> > Tom Hansen
> > Moscow, Idaho
> > 
> > "The Pessimist complains about the wind, the Optimist expects it to change
> > and the Realist adjusts his sails."
> > 
> > - Unknown
> > 
> > 
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