UConn's Shameless Appeal for More Tribute

"Resistance is futile!"

After a record tax-increase on Connecticut taxpayers, phony budget numbers that would land a CPA in Leavenworth and welfare fraud perpetuated by those who are supposed to be watching fraud, you might find it difficult to find another depraved example of institutional entitlement.

But then, we have the University of Connecticut to help us see how there is plenty of room for growth in this industry of unaccountability and indifference to the needs of the common folk. Once upon  time,  the goal of UConn was to provide an affordable and vigorous higher education experience for Connecticut residents.  And under Republican and Democrat care, UConn has become a Death Star, consuming and laying waste to every taxpayer and legislator in its path toward the Holy Grail of endless subsidy.

Tuesday, UConn ramped up their public relations campaign to sell another big tuition hike - between five and six percent to pay for more college professors and more bricks and mortar. It's hard to see what piece of grass is left to pave or waterway to suck dry at the Storrs campus. The new UConn President, Susan Herbst, a bright and affable person, told the story of college students weeping in her office over this predicament.

These tuition hikes are need to reduce the teacher to student ratio from 18-1, to 15-1 in the classroom.  Not sure a professor can tell the difference between 18 and 15, or that correcting three more papers or tests is going to cause a work slow down for many of these six-figure professors, but it's still good to plan ahead.

After four billion in tax dollars through UConn 200 and Vision 21st Century, UConn has built itself into a monolith while escaping any serious inspection or oversight.  Meanwhile, the increased tuition costs have made the school unattainable for many Connecticut families.

No act of incompetence or fraud shames the UConn partisans - both elected and appointed.

After $28 million was spent correcting construction of new dormitories to correct 481 code violations 2006, no UConn officials were held accountable. Tuition and fees were used to build the fund to pay  off that foul-up.

And as the big-time college athletic programs fell victim to the predictable scandals of recruitment violations and ethically challenged recruits, UConn supporters simply shrugged and pointed to the National Championship banners and asked Athletic Director Jeff Hathaway to hit the bricks. Hathaway didn't leave because of the violations, but for not vigorously defending Hall of Fame Coach Jim Calhoun in the public eye.

Not one member of the political class seems to care. UConn needs money. Give UConn money and remind the athletic department about those court-side seats at Gampel or the XLcenter.  And more money will be coming with the approval of the Jackson Labs deal at the UConn Medical Center. When all is said and done, or not done - taxpayers will be on the hook for millions in subsidies to support UConn Medical Center, where the 300 research jobs are attained or not. Under any management model, UConn Medical Center would have been closed long ago or sold off to cover its endless deficits. Instead,   the Democrats and some Republicans work out a deal to pay off rival hospitals to keep quiet and nibble at the crumbs of referrals and set asides.

Too bad UConn wasn't a publicly traded stock - I would be long.