As for higher ed, Paul, the “community college” system you discuss is slowly being built, via Ivy Tech. That was started under Frank O'Bannon, and they're doing a good job training nurses, lab techs, and many other needed professions. Even though IT employs or did senselessly employ leaders like Garton and Bauer, their expansion has been remarkable, and it's a cheap education. Their student enrollment is growing rapidly and their buildings are crowded, so they need more space all over the state.

Indiana's and Purdue's professorial salaries rank seventh and ninth in the Big Ten, respectively. Bloomington is a beautiful place all right, but you can't retain and recruit the best without proper funding. And IU's tuition has risen 17% in the last three years–they haven't published this fall's rates yet, which were dependent on the legislative support. I know this because I pay it for my kids.

As for bonding authority to build facilities–perhaps that can and should be checked closer. But if you check the revenue source for those bonds–it's usually housing fees or tuition, not state support. So, technically, taxpayers are largely off the hook for mot of those.

I know it's popular to bash higher education, but it is a competitive arena, and we're falling more and more behind. That decline cannot be tolerated. Our future depends on a better-educated workforce.

As for higher ed, Paul, the “community college” system you discuss is slowly being built, via Ivy Tech. That was started under Frank O'Bannon, and they're doing a good job training nurses, lab techs, and many other needed professions. Even though IT employs or did senselessly employ leaders like Garton and Bauer, their expansion has been remarkable, and it's a cheap education. Their student enrollment is growing rapidly and their buildings are crowded, so they need more space all over the state.

Indiana's and Purdue's professorial salaries rank seventh and ninth in the Big Ten, respectively. Bloomington is a beautiful place all right, but you can't retain and recruit the best without proper funding. And IU's tuition has risen 17% in the last three years–they haven't published this fall's rates yet, which were dependent on the legislative support. I know this because I pay it for my kids.

As for bonding authority to build facilities–perhaps that can and should be checked closer. But if you check the revenue source for those bonds–it's usually housing fees or tuition, not state support. So, technically, taxpayers are largely off the hook for mot of those.

I know it's popular to bash higher education, but it is a competitive arena, and we're falling more and more behind. That decline cannot be tolerated. Our future depends on a better-educated workforce.

Try just plain smart. I have worked in higher education for ten years, in a position that gives me a good insight on how things work. Sorry, but the waste I have seen is just sickening. I know departments that are top heave in administration. I know departments that will re-model, get someone new in charge, or just change their mind, and they are spending thousands more just to change again. The universities say they need space, yet the new buildings usually have massive atriums that jack up environmental costs and ends up as wasted space…only because someone thinks it looks good.

I can't believe how much the costs for a credit hour has changed at just IUPUI. When I went there for school, it was maybe $120/hour, now it is much, much more, without that many changes as far as I can tell.

The only positive aspect is that the era of entry level managers getting on and moving on up all the way till retirement is ending. Higher ed upper management are jumpers, jumping from one university to another. At least with that aspect, there won't be these decade old friendship bonds that prevent cutting the fat where it needs to be cut.

The Common School fund shall consist of the Congressional Township fund, and the lands belonging thereto;
The Surplus Revenue fund;
The Saline fund and the lands belonging thereto;
The Bank Tax fund, and the fund arising from the one hundred and fourteenth section of the charter of the State Bank of Indiana;
The fund to be derived from the sale of County Seminaries, and the moneys and property heretofore held for such Seminaries; from the fines assessed for breaches of the penal laws of the State; and from all forfeitures which may accrue;
All lands and other estate which shall escheat to the State, for want of heirs or kindred entitled to the inheritance;
All lands that have been, or may hereafter be, granted to the State, where no special purpose is expressed in the grant, and the proceeds of the sales thereof; including the proceeds of the sales of the Swamp Lands, granted to the State of Indiana by the act of Congress of the twenty eighth of September, eighteen hundred and fifty, after deducting the expense of selecting and draining the same;
Taxes on the property of corporations, that may be assessed by the General Assembly for common school purposes.
–Article 8 Section 2, Indiana Constitution