California State University: Wasting Money Because It’s Easy To Ask For More
In part two of a special series, S.F. Chronicle reports:
“History instructor Lillian Taiz taught for 10 years in various college classrooms before being awarded a coveted tenured professorship at the California State University campus in Los Angeles, then worked five more years as an associate professor before securing the rank and salary of a full professor.”
Christine Helwick, on the other hand, is the university system’s top lawyer. She has never taught a college course in her life, but when she leaves her current job as general counsel, she has been promised a full, tenured professorship.
Helwick, who currently earns about $230,000 a year, is also entitled to one year of paid leave to prepare for her entry into the world of college teaching — or she may simply take a job elsewhere while receiving the paid leave. She will have no obligation to return to the university.
“I was evaluated on the merits,” said Helwick, who applied for tenure nine years after she became a CSU executive.
Taiz doesn’t see it that way.
And neither do we, the taxpayers funding the salaries.
Two words: Government squandor. And that concludes today’s lesson in civic studies and the problems with bureaucracy.
“Millions of dollars worth of extra compensation has been handed out to California State University campus presidents and other top executives as they leave their posts — without public disclosure by the chancellor and the university’s Board of Trustees.”
Did someone say “more money for schools?”
Oh yeah, it was the unions.
If only voters’ memories weren’t so short-term.
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July 19th, 2006 at 8:24 pm
I’ve been voting in California for a very long time. As far back as I can remember, there’s been a huge bond issue for the schools on almost every ballot, and they’ve mostly all passed easily.
The result of this largesse has been that California sinks lower and lower in the national standings. There are a few exceptions, like Troy High in Anaheim, but they are indeed the exceptions.
Given all the money we’ve thrown at the school system over the years, every school ought to look like the Taj Mahal, be built of marble, and with fixtures of pure gold.
July 23rd, 2006 at 6:32 am
Great blog. Just another example of how governments across the nation waste our money.