Rogers boils over

Chancellor says governor wounds education, won’t return his calls

Fri, May 30, 2008 (2 a.m.)

LAS VEGAS SUN

Chancellor Rogers' Memorandum on Budget Cuts

UNLV building project has shot at funding, even in budget crunch (5-17-2008)
United they stand on education in Nevada (4-16-2007)
Enough already with the cuts to colleges (4-6-2007)

Frustrated by pending budget cuts to education, University System Chancellor Jim Rogers unleashed a fiery tirade Thursday over Nevada’s tax policy and a governor who he says hasn’t returned his phone calls in five months.

Rogers said in an interview that he and Clark County Schools Superintendent Walt Rulffes are just “rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic” as Nevada education sinks from lack of funding caused by bad tax policy.

Instead of looking forward and trying to find long-term solutions to the state’s education woes, he said, Gov. Jim Gibbons is hiding behind an unthinking pledge not to raise taxes — a pledge that translates into budget cuts across public education.

“His position is we’re stuck with the money in the bank and he’s not going to do anything to tax, beg, borrow or steal,” Rogers told the Sun. “This governor is so inflexible he won’t consider a short-term fix. Without a short-term fix, we’re looking at long-term destruction.”

Forcing the state’s public colleges and universities to raise tuition, or eliminating popular degree programs, will only drive top students to cheaper schools in neighboring states. And once those kids leave, “they never come back,” Rogers said. “We’re talking about something that is going to cripple us financially and competitively. The effects will be felt on our economy for the next 50 to 100 years.”

Although Rogers issued a five-page memo to the Board of Regents detailing specific programs that will suffer from the cuts (which he compares to amputating a person’s limbs so he can survive on less food) the clear message was unspoken: Rogers is powerless to stop the budget surgery. His comments amounted to frustration over his inability to carry out the vision he had for higher education when he volunteered in 2004 to serve unpaid as chancellor.

“The employees we have here have done a good job, the regents have done a good job, and we’re still farther behind than we were five years ago,” Rogers said. “It’s discouraging for the whole state.”

Rogers recalled that he opposed Gibbons’ candidacy for governor in 2006 but was assured by the candidate’s most influential adviser, Sig Rogich, that Gibbons cared about education.

In reality, “the governor is supportive of education as long as it doesn’t cost anything,” Rogers said. “That’s an easy promise to keep.”

Compounding his frustration is the lack of communication with the governor’s office. Rogers said he has left numerous messages since the budget cuts were announced in December, offering his help. He said he has yet to hear back from Gibbons.

On a Saturday night in April, Rogers was at home watching a boxing match as the camera panned the crowd and caught a few familiar faces. “I turned to my wife on the couch and said, ‘Isn’t that the governor sitting in the front row?’ ” Rogers recalled. “He has time to go to the fight, but he can’t call the chancellor of (higher) education.”

Although Rogers’ memo details the dire straits of the state’s higher education system, he includes grades K-12 in his concerns. The Clark County School District accounts for 70 percent of the state’s student enrollment, and Rogers said he and Rulffes “are in exactly the same boat. We share the same pipeline — their students are our students.”

In an interview later Thursday, Rulffes said the memo conveyed “the same profound frustration that I feel. We are trying so hard to meet the demands and expectations of the community, but all the forces are working against us.”

Rulffes has had his own troubles getting answers directly from the governor’s office about the budget cuts, and often finds himself relying on secondhand accounts and media reports for the latest information.

Cuts to social services, health care and other important parts of the state budget are also troubling, Rulffes said. Students often struggle academically when basic needs go unmet, but the School District gets blamed when student performance falls short, he said.

“It’s easier at the governor’s level to just say to cut the dollars,” Rulffes said. “And leave the dirty work to Jim and me.”

Last week, the Clark County School Board approved a $2.7 billion operating budget for the 2009 fiscal year, which reflects the 4.5 percent reduction in education funding ordered by Gibbons in December. Gibbons has since told the Clark County School District to expect to cut another 14 percent from its operating budgets for 2010 and 2011, amounting to more than $100 million.

At that point, the district will have no choice but to eliminate staff and vital services, Rulffes said.

And that’s where the analogy in the Rogers memo, though painful, is all too appropriate, Rulffes said.

“We will literally be cutting off our limbs,” Rulffes said. “When that happens, it’s very difficult to survive.”

Discussion: 14 comments so far…

By Stoplying

5/30/08 at 3:39 a.m.

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No kidding....Are you surprised, Mr. Rogers? You had it right in the beginning when you said Gibbons was stupid. Why then did you give him a campaign contribution? Just because someone is anointed dosen't mean he is competent. Never confuse the two.
By seasinger

5/30/08 at 6:21 a.m.

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The governor is arrogant. But Gibbons isn't the only one to blame. Remember the 370 million our legislature rebated to everyone in 2005? If they'd invested that money with even a modest return we be in much better shape to cover this shortfall today.
By henry

5/30/08 at 7:16 a.m.

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Gibbons is too busy chasing the skirts....so we all can imagine where his priorities are. I wasn't impressed with the Clark County School system 20 years ago....and it has been a spiraling decline since.
By jfnance32

5/30/08 at 8:48 a.m.

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Pushing money into the schools systems is pushing money down a big rat hole.

Rogers should get off his butt and start taking a lead in innovation in education.

Public higher education has become a joke across the country. It rarely serves the country needs.

Young people are getting "trained" in stuff that does not serve our country.

For example here in Las Vegas, there are at least 300 high tech jobs that have been and continue to get filled by H1-B foreigners. Those jobs pay between $80 to $110K per year.

Also, executive management across the country has no clue on how to deal with Information Technology field.

If higher education offered better and more productive education then they will be able to get the appropriate revenue outside of the taxpayers’ wallets.
By BringtheRain

5/30/08 at 9:11 a.m.

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They had no choice but to rebate the money in 2005 because Bob "paycheck to paycheck" Beers doesn't believe in saving for a rainy day. Just blow the money while you've got it and live on ramen when you don't.
By joeyg

5/30/08 at 10:57 a.m.

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The Guv is too busy putting out fires in his divorce to return a call? Rogers is right to boil over. It's ridiculous that NV doesn't take the lead on education in our country. Our children are the future. We should invest in our children and have high-quality teachers, books and equipment in EVERY classroom.
By Beezie

5/30/08 at 11:10 a.m.

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Rogers is right. This slash and burn policy of Gibbons is short sighted. Again, Gibbons appears unconcerned with matters of this state or it's future.
By vegasmisty

5/30/08 at 12:31 p.m.

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Gibbons is such a disgrace to the State of Nevada. The only concern he has is his right to womanize and how much money can hit his pockets other than that, he has no concern for our kids, for our cities or for the State.

And this is the same man that said he will run for another term. He needs to come out of fantasy land and see what almost everyone in the State thinks of him even some of the republicans who put him in office wouldnt dare back this man now for fear they would be labled a nut job and never see reelection themselves.
By fred

5/30/08 at 12:38 p.m.

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Unfortunately the collapse of Nevada's Higher Ed is indicative of the state's larger problems. We all welcomed growth and the boom times they brought, now we need to pay for them. Which means increasing taxes, rewriting the State Constitution to have the legislature meet annually, and bringing new industries other than gaming (which is not carrying its share of the weight). Higher ed is an investment, and both parties need to start spending some real money on it or Nevada is going to slip ever further behind the rest of world.
By HelenWeils

5/30/08 at 12:43 p.m.

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Waaaah, I'm a rich boy who isn't getting his way,
waaaaah. Go Jim Gibbons, tell him to KISS YOUR GRITS!!!
BOB BEERS ROCKS!!!!!!
By fred

5/30/08 at 2:18 p.m.

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Well, that is the most intelligent thing I have read on the issue. Good job Helen, really nailed your argument.
By jfnance32

5/30/08 at 3:39 p.m.

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I do not think that Roger's arguments are that intelligent.

He is a big brat with a lots of money and usually throws a hissy fit when he does not get his way.

I really feel for those that work for him.
By NVMojo

5/30/08 at 3:53 p.m.

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Hey, Mr. Rogers! How come the Governor and his traveling willbury can go up to Elko and promise $200,000. to the Elko Airport operations out of next years budget when everyone else in the state is being told to cut costs and services? He's trying to get his whack job fringe base back!

http://www.elkodaily.com/articles/2008/0...
By wrangled

5/30/08 at 6:04 p.m.

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Amen Fred, well said. Quality education and basic public services, like everything else has ever increasing costs through no fault of their own. When times are tuff, services are often blamed for wasteful spending to justify cuts. For that unfounded reason, the SAGE commission will be unsuccessful (if they ever begin).

The recent cuts and the next biennial reductions of 14% are well into the flesh of state services and is already causing irreparable damage as Mr. Ruffles suggests.

What the state needs now is morally courageous leadership just to ensure minimal health, unfortunately, I think its clear that our state's leadership seems devoid of moral courage.