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Friday, May 15, 2009 | 10:44 a.m.
Sun Coverage
CARSON CITY – The Senate Finance Committee has approved a $592 million annual budget for the university-college system in each of the next two years but there was grumbling that UNLV is getting favored treatment.
Gov. Jim Gibbons has recommended a 37.5 percent cut in state funds for the Nevada System of Higher Educations for the coming two years.
But the Finance Committee agreed to restoring $158.1 million to the system over the next two years. And the budget calls for a 4 percent pay reduction, not the 6 percent recommended by the governor. And money is restored to pay for health insurance premiums for employees.
Senate Minority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, was unhappy that UNLV will receive $10.4 million in so-called “stop loss” money over the next two years compared to UNR, which will receive $1.9 million.
Raggio complained there was an “inequity and a temporary distortion” in the allocation.
But Sen. Bob Coffin, D-Las Vegas, said both campuses are being hurt. “I’m sure the battle will continue,” he said, referring to the north-south fight. The reason, he said, is that “there is not enough money to go around.”
The budget for the higher education system is cut 12.5 percent from its present funding level. Vice Chancellor Dan Klaich said the system determined that the two universities would not be reduced by more than 15.3 percent.
Under the “stop loss” formula, it took more money going to UNLV than to UNR to make sure it did not go beyond 15.3 percent.
Built into the present budget is a 5 percent increase in student tuition each year. And lawmakers want the regents to consider further increases, possibly up to 10 percent a year.
But Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford, D-Las Vegas, said the regents have to be careful because for every percentage increase “you close access to someone who cannot afford it.”
Coffin was the lone dissenting vote on the budget, saying “We could have done more.” He complained about the stance of the governor for no new taxes. Coffin said Gibbons “has refused to recognize the problems. He has no skill in operating government.”
Raggio said he was a “reluctant supporter” of the budget but he thought the Legislature is “short changing” the university system compared to the public schools. “We have not achieved parity on funding,” he said comparing the university-college system with K-12.
The Senate committee approved the budget for support of the public schools showing that the present $5,214 allocated per student will go to $5,251 next fiscal year and then to $5,395 in fiscal 2011.
The budget for the schools, according to legislative figures, shows the total state share presently at $1.436 billion going to $1.483 billion next fiscal year and to $1.559 billion the following year.
Both of these budgets were fashioned by separate subcommittees of senators and assembly members before being presented to the committees.
What a suprise that UNLV got more money than UNR considering the wife of Senator Horsford works at UNLV. Same old Nevada politics, UNR alaways did better that UNLV when Senator Raggio was running the show. Turn around if fair play.
Hard to see there is any basis for grumbling since UNLV by no means got more money than UNR. Moreover, UNLV took a heavy share of the cut, <b>15.3%</b> according to the spreadsheet distributed by the Board of Regents yesterday.
The only institution to get a deeper cut was NSC, whose situation is unique because its not based on enrollment.
Another loss for the Gibbers... higher education will live on in Nevada.
ONLY 12.5%?!
How disappointing, a great opportunity to right this wrong and completely remove 'welfare-ed' from the taxpayer's pocket.
Higher ed adults must be forced to stand upon their own, nonetheless a step in the right direction.
Saw the Luv Gov on Channel 3 the other day, and I must admit that he was not a box of rocks. Just adamant that he will veto anything that has a tax increase. He reminds me of George Corley Wallace standing at Little Rock High School back in the day, oblivious to reality. Gibbons reminds me of that famous ballplayer, Clueless Joe Jackson...
"Just adamant that he will veto anything that has a tax increase."
What a crock. First, he failed to veto the room tax increase (he swore he would veto 'any' and 'all' tax increases), ostensibly because the voters "approved" it via referendum.
And today, on the Washoe County gas tax that also passed via referendum? He says he's going to veto it.
The man is clueless and trying to follow the maze of inconsistencies he calls his 'deep-seated beliefs' is a shell game. No matter which shell you choose, it makes no sense.
So who, exactly (besides Gibbons Cheerleader Nance, of course) is supporting this man? He broke his promise to veto all tax increases, he's vetoing the will of the voters in Washoe County... who still supports this abject failure?
There's a funding formula. A campus gets funded based on what its enrollment is expected to be, not for students they actually have.
UNLV got a bunch of money several years ago for students that never came. Same with UNR, but not as much. So on top of the budget cuts, they still have to give back their extra money, which means that they get hurt more than the campuses that kept growing.
Typically when this happens, the legislature gives the campus a "payment plan", traditionally called a "hold harmless," that allows them to give the money back a piece at a time.
If you check out the NPRI web site, you discover that two years before the cuts, UNR was 26th in the nation in funding, UNLV 190th. UNR was $5,280 above the national average, UNLV was $241 below average. In real terms, UNLV is a huge bargain for the taxpayers of this state.
http://www.npri.org/docLib/20090306_Fast...
Hahaha, this is so wrong that it is funny!!! Unlv is lower ranked than unr and they come out ahead. In my opinion, unr faculty are doing more for less salary and they are suckers. Hehe, I'll stay lower ranked any day so don't brag about how great
...liars..."$1.436 billion going to $1.483 billion next fiscal year and to $1.559 billion the following year" is not a 12.5% cut, plain-and-simple...both the gross expenditure and the per pupil expenditure is set to increase...bold-faced liars...don't manipulate us with formulas, projections, funding level definitions, etc...we may be ignorant, but most of us are not stupid...I suppose our 'statesmen' are free to call it whatever they want, but why lie to us?
Sorry to spoil your party, but the difference between UNLV and UNR in the US News rankings is budget, which is 30% of the ranking points. Equalize the budget, either up or down, and the rankings come out the same. UNLV achieves equal rankings in the other categories with a lot less money.
The $1.436B to $1.483 to $1.559 is for the CCSD and other K12 schools. So is the $5,214 etc.
Those numbers do not include the universities or colleges. The total budget for the NSHE isn't in the article. Would have been nice to see it there.
...thank you #777...as I stated, I may be ignorant, but I am not stupid...I did notice the basic error of my argument shortly after I hit the post comment button -- should have re-read before I commented, not after...as you mentioned, it would be nice if the writer would simply list the numbers instead of "budget for the higher education system is cut 12.5 percent from its present funding level" and other such devices of a wordsmith...we truly are bright enough to calculate percentages in this town...again, thanks for the correction...
dude, rankings aren't just how many dollars a university has, it is also the quality, peer assessments of universities, and lots of other things that go into the rankings
Correct apple slices. And in all of the other categories that US News uses, except budget, UNLV and UNR are equal, including peer assessment, selectivity, etc.
I have no clue which college is getting more, but since Clark County makes almost all the money for the state, I have no problem with the university in the county which is the lifeblood for the state getting more money.
yeah, keep telling yourself that if it makes you feel better.
The universities are actually probably a net drain on Nevada's economy.