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Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2011 | 2 a.m.
Ron Knecht
Sun Coverage
Last August, when he excoriated the university system’s Board of Regents for refusing to cut spending by 10 percent, as then-Gov. Jim Gibbons had asked, Regent Ron Knecht was blunt.
The regents were disconnected from reality, he said. Knecht was the only regent to vote for budget cuts in higher education.
That was then and this is now.
Knecht has changed his position, saying now that the higher education cuts proposed by Gov. Brian Sandoval are too much.
His solution is equally blunt: Take the money from K-12 and give it to higher education.
The Nevada System of Higher Education has nearly 100,000 students spread over eight institutions, including UNLV, UNR, and the College of Southern Nevada.
In current spending, higher education is the third-largest slice of the state pie at about 15 cents of every dollar. K-12 is almost 40 cents, health and human services more than 29 cents.
In a 13-member board, Knecht, from Carson City, stands out.
A former Democrat and fan of Saul Alinsky, the radical community organizer, he is now a libertarian Republican.
As an economist and former state assemblyman, he brings an intense regard for data to his role as the regents’ finance chairman.
Knecht, 61, spoke just before the start of the regents’ budget-review meeting last week. The board voted unanimously to oppose the cuts proposed by Sandoval.
Why were you the only regent to vote for Gibbons’ 10 percent budget cuts in August?
The we-won’t-do-it response (to Gov. Gibbons) seemed to me a triumph of symbolism over substance. Nobody was deluded that the regents were going to get what they were asking for.
Is the Sandoval budget sound?
He put together something that is credible, given the revenue constraint. But it could be improved. K-12 and health and human services have made out like bandits. The average annual growth rate compounded for K-12 is about 8.58 percent over the last 10 years. Health and human services is 8.12 percent. But Nevada’s economy grew by only 5.13 percent.
How could the Sandoval budget be improved?
Maybe it’s time for health and human services and especially K-12 to take their proportionate hits, which they’ve never taken. For the first time, higher ed had spending cuts from fiscal year 2009 to fiscal year 2010. K-12 continued to grow, even as the economy was going down.
Is the Sandoval budget fair to Nevada?
It’s a fair budget for Nevada because in this decade we have had two big tax increases, approximately $1 billion each, and public-sector spending has grown 31 percent faster than one of the fastest-growing economies in the country. It’s fair in the sense that, wait a minute, we can’t take ever more money from the businesses and families of Nevada. We’ve got to stop somewhere.
Is the budget fair to higher education?
It would be a whole lot more fair if K-12 and HHS were finally required to carry the burden. That would free up revenues for higher ed. If 10 is the most fair, this (Sandoval proposal) is about a 4 and I’d like to get to about an 8. There is a real fairness problem that we have to deal with.
How should higher education cope with the cuts?
Believe me, if I had the exact answer, I would tell you. It’s a process now. Now that we’ve experienced year-over-year spending cuts and now looking at an additional $162 million, we have to do something. Before, there was a lot of hype and overstatement. Before I could see how we could get through this. Now, I’m saying: How are we going to get through this?
Is this guy for real?!? Maybe he figures that by cutting even more from K-12 they can eventually cut more from higher education because there will be no one to qualify for it.
How can he possibly hope to have voters who recognize the value of getting a solid education if they don't receive one in the first place?
That said, I don't think that the basic problems we see in K-12 will be solved by just throwing money at them, but I also don't believe that weakening the foundation will allow the larger structure to stand, either.
While I don't like any cuts to education, it is ridiculous to try to make it "fair." All children are mandated to attend K-12.
Is this guy just trying to get some attention or what? Absurd.
Gold mines taking billions and Knecht and Co. protect them year after year after year.
Small food tax and a lottery would bring in enough to bridge the gap.
Nevada has the resources but no will to make everyone sacrifice equally.
Another genius at the Universtiy!!
Provide a high quality education, raise tuition and the students will seek you out.
Our higher ed and lower ed systems aren't providing value for the money they charge.
Improve the quality...everything else will follow.
Donate to The Public Education Foundation @ www.thepef.org
Knecht is the very incarnation of the argument to appoint, not elect, professionally qualified and innovative people to lead the Nevada System of Higher Education. Ideally, Nevada would rid itself of these small-time local politician-regents, and outsource the task of saving higher education to competent, qualified, and dedicated professionals. Yes, this means retaining the option of going outside the boundaries of this benighted state to retain real talent and know-how either from a non-profit or even a private firm. This man has no ideas and no vision. He is just another mediocre bit player in that sad cast of characters known as the Nevada Board of Regents.
If 10 is most fair, why would you only want to get to 8??
Absolutely cut K-12 then be surprised when Nevadan's don't qualify for entrance to the University. How stupid can one person be? This guy needs to go back to California where he came from.
Yes cut K-12 but DO NOT GIVE IT TO HIGHER ED. CUT HIGHER ED--the Nevada Constitution authorizes a university in Reno, not Las Vegas, and NOT community colleges. They can exist but not with taxpayer funds at the state level. The cities and counties must support them.
OPEN YOUR EARS: Nevada overpays K-12 teachers more than Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, Idaho..... They can easily stand a 5% salary cut and contribute to their retirement. Now let's get city, county, school district administrators salary cuts until they're something realistic--about $60K, not $120K a year for an administrator.
boftx: K-12 has NOT BEEN CUT YET. They've been spending on par with prior years plus "inflation" and "COL" increases.
I'm with you Ron! Let's start with Football, move through team sports in general then go after music and the arts. Once parents figure out that they cannot have the same level of product (education) for the same level of payment they might reconsider cuts to education.
why give anything to your crappy system? at least the k-12 kids have a chance.
who the hell wants to go to a school that let's ANYONE in as long as they are a NV resident and have a B average? you think that is a compelling place for a competitive high achiever to aim for?
Give it up, your higher ed sucks, and should be mothballed. it is basically a welfare system for the staff that has made it a mediocre JC that is masquerading as two universities.
Charge $20,000 per year (half of the ivy league) and see how many people are willing to come to your schools. Supply and Demand. If you cannot sell your "product" for 1/2 its cost, maybe you will realize it is a complete waste of money.
Both K-12 and higher education can be cut! The universities are soaking in money right now. Think of Uncle Scrooge's vault. They charge whatever they want and people pay! It's insane! Why are they still getting public money? Every dollar they get, is robbery of the taxpayer.
K-12 is full of worthless kids who don't value an education. It's a waste of time keeping some of these schools open and employing these teachers. Let kids drop out after the 5th grade. Laugh all you want, but the egalitarian approach to education is definitely not working! Just look on Youtube for examples of this. Politicians don't have the guts to try anything like this, but it needs to be done.
@samjung...I agree with kids not valuing an education. I'm a teacher so I see it everyday. Parents don't either. Then they wonder why they have a minimum paying job. They want, want, want for their children, but won't put forth one ounce of effort to help them with their homework or anything else.
@roseanrose...Once again, I really can't stand your ignorance. If you were a teacher, you would want to be paid for the effort you put into your job. I have 7+ years of schooling under my belt and expect to get paid for my hard efforts both in the classroom and out.
@tchm5, hehe, I see you know what I'm talking about. Sorry, I know my "plan" would cost teachers jobs and close schools but after some volunteer work and talks with teacher friends who work in some of these joints, I'm convinced there is no other option. Look at the test scores. Wow. Why not take that $7K a student or so and just throw it in a bonfire, sheesh.
This cretant should have his salary cut. If money is cut from k-12 there is no one going to Nevada's worthless universities and colleges.. Is there really a need for colleges in your state? A 18 year old VALET makes more then an educator with a degree (only in Nevada)..
Maybe I am unqualified to speak on this subject considering I have only been in Las Vegas for 6 months, but I will.
To state the obvious, this is a very difficult situation. The state is really hurting for money. However, I think some people are missing the point on this whole education thing. In order for LV to rebuild and prosper, both the K-12 system AND the higher education system need stability. And the cuts need to be fair to both systems.
I understand many people look at both systems and don't see much promise in them, but to say just cut, cut, because they are not producing is a ridiculous argument. The problem needs to be address. Maybe some people need to be fired, maybe new plans developed. But the problem needs to be fixed.
If an area the size of Las Vegas or the state of Nevada for that matter, doesn't produce a viable educational system, especially in higher ed, Las Vegas' brightest and most promising student are going to take their talents elsewhere and the others will be at a competitive disadvantage compared the children in other Southwestern states. And if this happens, LV is doomed.
@Jon2121114, you know nothing about what goes on in many K-12 schools. The students that care are doing quite well, and the ones that aren't doing well are not doing much at all!
The real problem is wasting money by keeping them in school.
Some other communities are taking the approach of taking these kids out of their communities and putting them in government boarding schools to get them away from the distractions. I don't remember if they were charter operated, but supposedly, they have had success, and I believe it.
Wow, such an embarrassing statement by Kr. Knecht. This individual forgot you have to complete K-12 before you can get to "Higher Education". Statements as these are what keep business diversification from occurring in Nevada.