The land grant universities, of which Washington State University is one, were founded based upon a specific bargain between the federal government and the participating states. The federal government transferred large tracts of land to the states, and in return the states agreed to found and support a university within their state that would meet certain requirements. These requirements included a promise for a certain amount of funding per student and sufficient enrollment space for academically qualified students from the given state.

Our legislature, our surrogates, recently have not even come close to fulfilling the state's end of this bargain. Our senator, Jerome Delvin, was ranking Republican on the Senate Higher Education Committee in 2008. State Rep. Larry Haler is ranking Republican on the House Higher Education Committee. Rep. Brad Klippert is on the House K-12 Education Committee. The usual suspects are close to home.

We should be ashamed. Our Legislature has acted as if this bargain was never made, and we have gone along. We and our Legislature have acted as if this transaction was a treaty with a Native American tribe, and we all know the history of those atrocities.

We can do better, or perhaps we should give the land back.

W. C. Wolkenhauer, West Richland