Editorial: Money should go back to the state
Friday, April 13, 2001 | 9:29 a.m.
State agencies that overestimate their caseloads typically must return excess money to the general fund to help eliminate wasteful spending. If this were not the case, we fear many agencies would purposely fudge their estimates, leading to bloated budgets. The real losers would be other agencies that had to serve more customers than initially calculated, leaving them starved for needed funds.
In order for the state to maintain sound budgetary policies, we believe the University and Community College System of Nevada ought to return $9 million to the general fund. This surplus was generated for students that never entered the system. Sun reporter Jennifer Knight informed us that the miscalculation was based on old enrollment figures. More specifically, there was lower-than-expected turnout for a union apprenticeship program at the Community College of Southern Nevada, as well as a reduction in free classes that were counted toward enrollment. The result was a decline of about 2,000 students.
There is no question that higher education could use the excess money for salaries or other programs. But allowing universities and community colleges to keep money based on overestimated student enrollment figures would be unfair to other state agencies that return money to the general fund based on similar miscalculations.
It would set a dangerous precedent for our system of higher education to keep the $9 million because other agencies are sure to take note and overestimate their caseloads if they know they would not get penalized.
archive
- Most Read
- Discussed
- Most E-mailed
- Judge’s divorce filing follows arrest of her husband, a lawyer
- Two years after Sports Illustrated feature, Bellfield says gamble paid off
- Task force taking down mortgage scammers, one at a time
- Martha Stewart has no business criticizing Palin
- Contractors make another bid for Fontainebleau
- Shooting in parking lot of CVS leaves man dead
- UNLV zaps Holy Cross, 80-59
- Man, 26, dies in collision with truck traveling at 100 mph
- Las Vegas expecting more visitors this Thanksgiving
- Holiday shoppers skip turkey for Strip stores
Blogs
The Kats Report
Could a savior of shuttered Las Vegas Art Museum be ... Peter Max? (4 Comments)
For Paul Stanley and KISS, rock and roll is not over (3 Comments)
Twenty years ago today, Human Nature took root on the farm (1 Comment)
Robin Leach's Las Vegas Celebrity Watch
Photo Gallery: Donny Osmond’s triumphant return to the Flamingo
The Kats Report
'DWTS' champ Donny Osmond still deft afoot in return to Flamingo (8 Comments)
Politics: The Early Line
Meeting of GOP governors draws challengers, not Gibbons (3 Comments)
Politics: Ralston's Flash
Oscar loves forcing developers to sign labor peace agreements, Culinary loves the city's downtown plans and all is forgiven (7 Comments)
Calendar »
- 27 Fri
- 28 Sat
- 29 Sun
- 30 Mon
- 1 Tue
-
Bill Cosby at Treasure Island
Treasure Island Theatre
-
The Las Vegas Locomotives vs. the Florida Tuskers
Sam Boyd Stadium
-
Papa Roach at the House of Blues
House of Blues | 6:30 p.m. to 11 p.m.
-
Tuff-N-Uff at the Orleans
Mardi Gras Room | 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.
-
David Spade at the Venetian
The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino
The Sun
Locally owned and independent for more than 50 years.
Technorati










