If we underfund the university, we reduce the chance of training our future workers. Unfortunately, Gov. Knowles has few friends who feel the same way in the legislature. This means that you and I, average citizens need to agree that a small step forward is a big symbolic step and we have to vocally and aggressively defend the governor's budget. If you value the university and do not want to see more departments lose accreditation we must tell the legislative leaders that we support the governor's university budget proposal. Funding of education is public policy ground zero.
Education is a constitutional right, the most basic tool to bettering our lives and our state.
Alaskans have been told that we must cut the budget to live within our diminishing means. That means that all state agencies, even the agencies that work to diversify our economy, must cut back. One of those agencies is the University of Alaska. At precisely the moment we need to retool and restructure to create opportunities for ourselves we face cuts that make that planning impossible. Joelle Hall lives and works in Anchorage.