The last few days have been the most serious case of bloggers-block that I've faced in the year+ that I have been writing here. I have a lot of professional obligations right now so perhaps thats weighing me down? Whatever it is I'm definitely finding myself with little to offer beyond simple pithy snark and, frankly, you can get that anywhere.
For example, I'd like to offer a detailed opinion and analysis on the Joint Budget Committee's attempt to extort money from Pinnacol Assurance by using our state's higher education system as leverage and our state's college students as some sort of human shield. But I keep coming up empty. This scheme strikes me as a terrible idea but I'm not sure if there are any alternatives. The cuts are draconian but where else can the JBC get a few hundred million in savings? And what about phase II of this adventure, the cash transfer from Pinnacol's rserve funds? It doesn't sit well with me, at all. Perhaps the JBC has an affirmative case they can make for why the state should have access to this money? If they do have such a case it might be wise to make it post-haste because I really don't like the idea of the state raiding a "too rich" company and using the cover of college students to do it. I know there are some good people on the JBC so I'm really trying to withold judgment but this just doesn't look right to me.
1 comment:
I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on this issue. I work in higher-ed fundraising and the College I work for could be looking at a 6 million dollar cut next year. It's a small college in a small town and a cut of that size would be horrific for the community and the region.
Isn't this "too rich company" a state created and state controlled organization that has had the luxury of being exempt for taxes on the millions upon millions of dollars it has made over the years? I'm also curious why you would lean toward protecting the interests of a glorified insurance company over higher education and the communities where they're located.
I'm not questioning you here - I'd just be curious to hear your thoughts on the matter. CU, Colorado College, CSU and some of the larger institutions of learning may be able to brunt a 500million+ state-wide cut in higher-ed, but I don't know how Mesa, Western and Fort Lewis would bare.
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