By: Tom Hanson, Chair, Libertarian Party of Orange County
If you ever needed a clue as to why public higher education is slowly dying in California heres a nice big obvious one. In an age with skyrocketing tuition and diminished class offerings, incoming Cal State Fullerton President Mildred Garcia, aside from enjoying a nice 10% pay increase over outgoing CSUF President Milton Gordon, and a yearly car allowance of $12,000. President Garcia will also enjoy the convenience of living in historic C. Stanley Chapman House, located just a scant few miles from campus. Hence the $12,000 dollar car allowance, because you know, gas is expensive now a days!
But all is not well with this arrangement. Sadly, the C. Stanley Chapman house is in disrepair. According to this report by californiawatch.org, CSU Fullerton will pay $300,000 to modernize and refurbish stately C. Stanley Chapman House to its former palatial opulence, to that which is befitting a campus president who is part of a public university system that advocates a tax increase in order to meet student needs.
I’m sure the average Cal State Fullerton student is empathetic to this situation and understands that Dr. Garcia will require these amenities to recharge her batteries. Especially after long press conferences and meetings with concerned students explaining why the CSU system is unable to meet the needs of its students due to a lack of funding.
The Libertarian Party of Orange County, being the cost conscious parsimonious bunch of lovable lugs we are, recommend the follow measures to assist President Dr. Garcia (or is it Dr. President Garcia) in meeting her mission of providing the best possible educational environment to the students of CSU Fullerton, and just as importantly come across as someone who lives in a world guided by the principles of reality, that her students can RESPECT.
1) She refuse to live C. Stanley Chapman House, and insist the CSU Board of Directors put the house up for sale. Dr. Garcia should either rent or buy a place of her own in Fullerton, there are many fine places available that she can readily afford with her salary.
2) That Dr. Garcia forgo her $12,000 car allowance, especially if she is going to live a scant few miles from campus.
3) Dr. Garcia, recognizing the terrible fiscal condition that the CSU system is in, should refuse the 10% pay increase and all future increases in pay, until such a time that the CSU system is in better condition to meet the demands of its student population.
Dr. Garcia enters into her new position at CSU Fullerton on June 11th , 2012. She is still performing her duties as the President of CSU Dominguez Hills, if you would like to contact her and share your feelings, you can reach her office here.
El Dorado Ranch AKA C. Stanley Chapman House is located at 225 West Union Avenue in Fullerton CA.
Many libertarians have attended public schools and universities. Such institutions have both fueled and questioned our small to no government desires. But when we engage in dialog with people who question us on why we believe what we do, we can site the lunacy of the governance of the CSU system as to why many public institutions are doomed to failure. Because they refuse to make the changes needed to function in uncertain times. When families have to make do with less, new graduates struggling to find entry level positions and pay off their student debt, and honestly run private enterprise invoking pay freezes, the CSU system and its cabal of administrators and bureaucrats demand more and then give less.
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