Tale of two guvs: Washington and Oregon diverge on higher ed funding priorities

Washington’s governor loves community colleges. Oregon’s doesn’t.

Across the country, state governors are proposing dismal budgets for the upcoming biennium. In the Pacific NW, OR Governor Ted Kulongoski and WA Governor Chris Gregoire made their proposals facing deficits of 10% (OR) and 17% (WA). Obviously, both guvs were forced to announce painful cuts in worthwhile programs. Their higher education budgets show that WA Gov. Gregoire values community colleges more than OR Guv Kulongoski.

Some background: State budget cuts are particularly painful to higher ed for two reasons. First, states must balance their budget every year – they can’t run a federal-style deficit. Second, in most states, certain programs are ‘protected’ by federal mandate or state constitution – programs like Medicare and K-12 education.

Excluding protected programs from cuts punishes unprotected programs… like higher ed. Ultimately, governors’ proposals must be approved (and altered) by state legislatures before they become law.

Facing cuts, Oregon’s Kulongoski spared university systems at the expense of community colleges. Washington’s Gregoire did the opposite. Kulongoski lavished Oregon’s universities with 9% increases while saddling Oregon’s CCs with 3% cuts. Oregon’s CCs are not pleased. In WA, Gregoire faced deeper cuts, but favored CCs over universities. CCs will suffer 6% cuts, but universities will grapple with 13% cuts. WA’s CCs are relieved, if not thrilled.

Gregoire’s approach makes more sense. She understands that CC role in retraining workers for tomorrow’s jobs. To be charitable, Kulongoski spared Oregon’s CCs from the much deeper cuts faced by criminal justice, health services, and transportation. But his higher ed priorities are clear, and misguided.

WA 2009-11 budget proposal
OR 2009-11 budget proposal

Gregoire’s 2009-11 Budget: CCs dodge a bullet

Community colleges got off easy in WA Governor Chris Gregoire’s 2009-11 budget proposal. If the governor's proposal is approved by legislature (a big if), CCs will face a 6% cut in state funding, which compares favorably to the 13% cuts imposed upon WA public universities and deeper cuts elsewhere in the state budget. Apparently, the guv deems CCs more vital to WA's struggling economy.

It certainly could have been worse.

Back in November, all public colleges and universities in WA were told to plan for 20% cuts. 20% cuts would have been draconian - college officials discussed closing programs, canceling summer classes, layoffs, furloughs, etc. By threatening 20% then pulling back, the governor was shrewd. She scared everybody silly with a 20% boogie man, then made 6% cuts seem like an xmas present; an excellent tactic for delivering bad news.

CC Presidents across the state breathed a sigh of relief.

• "It could have been worse," Everett Community College President David Beyer said. MSNBC.

• Columbia Basin College President Rich Cummins is breathing a cautious sigh of relief after comparing Gov. Chris Gregoire's proposed biennial budget to the drastic cuts he was asked to prepare for last month. "This is a much less severe scenario than we would have predicted," Cummins said of Gregoire's proposal to cut 6 percent of the funding for the state's community and technical college system. We are hopeful this budget will remain largely intact and be the one that gets passed in the spring," he said. "The college will have to make some pretty substantial cuts, but (less than) compared to the 20 percent scenario." Tri-City Herald

• YVCC President, Dr. Linda Kaminski says she has been planning for the worst case scenario. "We were actually expecting a far greater cut and at 20%, it would have just devastated the college, and would have sent thousands of students away. So this is good news for us, it's still a cut and we will have to deal with it," Dr. Kaminski says. KIMA-TV
  

Conversely, WA universities were grumbling. UW President Mark Emmert was complainer in chief, and he intends to fight the proposal.

• "And while it is clear that she attempted to spread the pain, it nevertheless is substantial for the University. The Governor has proposed a 13 percent cut in funding to the state's 4-year colleges and universities for the upcoming biennium. For the UW, this would mean a reduction of $116 million for the biennium...present our case that protecting the University's fiscal well-being is critical to the future of our state. We have a very strong case, and we will deliver it in Olympia as forcefully and aggressively as possible." Seattle P-I

Cuts are indeed painful, it it's clear that education got off easier than many other areas of the state budget. In choosing where to make cuts least deep, the governor chose wisely in sparing the community colleges.

Community colleges are countercyclical - their enrollment increases when economic times are tough. Furthermore, CCs provide the quick (3-, 6- & 36-month) training that out-of-work adults need to retool for tomorrow's economy. Universities make the same arguments, but Gov. Gregoire agrees with me that the CC case is stronger when times are tougher. Additionally, CCs have less fat to cut off their budgets than universities - particularly well-funded research universities like UW and WSU (sadly, that's less true at regional universities like EWU, Central, etc. They'll be in a tough spot.)

Now, the budget will progress through legislative machinations, and the 6% cut is by no means set in stone. However, for now, WA community colleges are breathing a sigh of relief.