Letter: Taxpayer support necessary for expansion of WSU Tri-Cities, other campuses

Regarding the editorial on growth of WSU Tri-Cities (New WSU president must look beyond Pullman, March 6). As an emeritus professor at WSU, I fully support the expansion of WSU Tri-Cities as well as all the campuses.

However, from the editorial, one takes the idea that we only need a “WSU president with the vision and courage to see beyond Pullman …” Further, that “the state’s higher education system, as structured, is failing.” The record shows that presidents Smith, Rawlins and Floyd all supported vibrant and vigorous growth in the Tri-Cities, Pullman, Spokane, Vancouver and recently Everett.

It is the Legislature and those who vote for them that has limited the growth of higher education across the state. No recent president has limited their vision to Pullman. We spend a small and decreasing percentage of our state budget on education and the people’s representatives in Olympia cannot agree to fund the needs of our youth and society.

So thank you for your support of WSU, but the sole limiting factor to higher education quantity and quality in this state has been, is and will be the support we get from the taxpayers across the state.

This story was originally published March 9, 2016 at 4:50 PM with the headline "Letter: Taxpayer support necessary for expansion of WSU Tri-Cities, other campuses."