Writing on the SeattlePI.com site, David Horsey makes a strong case for preserving higher education funding, through increased tuition if needed. Discussing the budget cuts proposed last week, Horsey notes:
The only way to make it work is to cheapen the education the students receive, to embrace mediocrity and let Washington’s higher education system settle to the level of Mississippi. What we have right now is a half dozen diverse universities spread around the state that, over the last decade, have become better and better, thanks, in part, to more adequate funding from the state. The University of Washington, in particular, has achieved a level of excellence that has earned it recognition as one of the top research universities, not just in the country, but on the planet. As smarter people than I have observed, the UW is one of the biggest engines we have to drive our economy. Do legislators really want to shut that engine down right when we need it the most?
The entire piece, which is well worth reading, is here.