March Madness has ended! More on the Madness here.
It is time then to re-post this from April 2017 ;)
*************************************************
Recall the sound bite "we need more welders and less philosophers" from back when it was the season
of the Republican primaries? I wish we had engaged in a whole lot of discussion regarding that statement from Senator
Marco Rubio. Instead, we collectively shrugged and moved on.
We could, and should, have used that opportunity to engage in discussions on what education ought to accomplish. If we had, then we would have agreed that we need both
welders and philosophers, and that higher education is failing to deliver them.
Public higher educational institutions have suffered from extensive mission creep over the years. It is
best (worst?) seen in how sports-oriented the taxpayer subsidized colleges and universities have
become. Welders and philosophers are apparently way less important than athletics in the mission of higher education!
Countries where people are far more sports-crazy than we are do not waste their taxpayer monies like
we do here in the US. Europeans, for instance, are maniacal about soccer, but they know well that
sports is sports, and education is education. Or, consider my old country, India, where cricket is
practically a religion. Colleges do not waste enormous resources on cricket and its gods.
If only we had continued to engage with the welders/philosophers soundbite, then we would have
ended up talking about the wasteful practices in higher education, with athletics as perhaps the
foremost waste of taxpayer money. But, of course, public institutions do not want us to talk about this,
and the sports-addicted taxpayers are even less interested it seems.
A year ago, journalists in Michigan attempted to understand how much taxpayer money is spent on
athletics by public institutions in their state. It was not an easy project. They “obtained through the Freedom of
Information Act the financial disclosure statements provided to the NCAA from Michigan's 13 public
universities that offer NCAA-level athletics.” Yes, through the Freedom of Information Act!
What they found did not surprise any of us who have been critical of this unholy mix of sports and
academics in public higher education. Not only did the public institutions spend gazillions on athletics,
“students are often "kept in the dark" when it comes to how universities fund college athletics and the
degree to which colleges are subsidizing sports.”
Yet, whenever they cry funding shortage, universities
are ready to cut philosophy before they even think of reducing the sports subsidies. I wish that
legislatures, including here in Oregon with our huge budget deficit, would question the wisdom of public colleges as entertainment arenas.
The university where I have been teaching for fifteen years is no exception. A decade ago, a 25-million
dollar facility was built primarily to meet the NCAA Division II requirements. Such an outrageous expense
would not have been incurred if sports were played at the lower tier National Association of Intercollegiate
Athletics (NAIA,) in which the university participated until the year 2000.
America is exceptional indeed—when it comes to diverting taxpayer money on entertainment, when
that could be spent instead on welders and philosophers. This taxpayer-supported entertainment is
what the Declaration of Independence meant by "the pursuit of happiness.”
Showing posts with label taxpayers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label taxpayers. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 10, 2019
Friday, April 28, 2017
Fuck the welders and philosophers. We need entertainment, dammit!
(Am debating within myself whether I should send this to the editor, and make more enemies when published!)
Recall the sound bite "we need more welders and less philosophers" from back when it was the season of the Republican primaries? I wish we had engaged in a whole lot of discussion regarding that statement from Senator Marco Rubio. Instead, we collectively shrugged and moved on.
We could, and should, have used that opportunity to engage in discussions on what education ought to accomplish. If we had, then we would have agreed that we need both welders and philosophers, and that higher education is failing to deliver them.
Public higher educational institutions have suffered from extensive mission creep over the years. It is best (worst?) seen in how sports-oriented the taxpayer subsidized colleges and universities have become. Welders and philosophers are apparently way less important than athletics in the mission of higher education!
Countries where people are far more sports-crazy than we are do not waste their taxpayer monies like we do here in the US. Europeans, for instance, are maniacal about soccer, but they know well that sports is sports, and education is education. Or, consider my old country, India, where cricket is practically a religion. Colleges do not waste enormous resources on cricket and its gods.
If only we had continued to engage with the welders/philosophers soundbite, then we would have ended up talking about the wasteful practices in higher education, with athletics as perhaps the foremost waste of taxpayer money. But, of course, public institutions do not want us to talk about this, and the sports-addicted taxpayers are even less interested it seems.
A year ago, journalists in Michigan attempted to understand how much taxpayer money is spent on athletics by public institutions in their state. It was not an easy project. They “obtained through the Freedom of Information Act the financial disclosure statements provided to the NCAA from Michigan's 13 public universities that offer NCAA-level athletics.” Yes, through the Freedom of Information Act!
What they found did not surprise any of us who have been critical of this unholy mix of sports and academics in public higher education. Not only did the public institutions spend gazillions on athletics, “students are often "kept in the dark" when it comes to how universities fund college athletics and the degree to which colleges are subsidizing sports.”
Yet, whenever they cry funding shortage, universities are ready to ax philosophy before they even think of reducing the sports subsidies. I wish that legislatures, including here in Oregon with our huge budget deficit, would question the wisdom of public colleges as entertainment arenas.
The university where I have been teaching for fifteen years is no exception. A decade ago, a 25-million dollar facility was built primarily to meet the NCAA Division II requirements. Such an outrageous expense would not have been incurred if sports were played at the lower tier National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA,) in which the university participated until the year 2000.
America is exceptional indeed—when it comes to diverting taxpayer money on entertainment, when that could be spent instead on welders and philosophers. This taxpayer-supported entertainment is what the Declaration of Independence meant by "the pursuit of happiness.”
Recall the sound bite "we need more welders and less philosophers" from back when it was the season of the Republican primaries? I wish we had engaged in a whole lot of discussion regarding that statement from Senator Marco Rubio. Instead, we collectively shrugged and moved on.
We could, and should, have used that opportunity to engage in discussions on what education ought to accomplish. If we had, then we would have agreed that we need both welders and philosophers, and that higher education is failing to deliver them.
Public higher educational institutions have suffered from extensive mission creep over the years. It is best (worst?) seen in how sports-oriented the taxpayer subsidized colleges and universities have become. Welders and philosophers are apparently way less important than athletics in the mission of higher education!
Countries where people are far more sports-crazy than we are do not waste their taxpayer monies like we do here in the US. Europeans, for instance, are maniacal about soccer, but they know well that sports is sports, and education is education. Or, consider my old country, India, where cricket is practically a religion. Colleges do not waste enormous resources on cricket and its gods.
If only we had continued to engage with the welders/philosophers soundbite, then we would have ended up talking about the wasteful practices in higher education, with athletics as perhaps the foremost waste of taxpayer money. But, of course, public institutions do not want us to talk about this, and the sports-addicted taxpayers are even less interested it seems.
A year ago, journalists in Michigan attempted to understand how much taxpayer money is spent on athletics by public institutions in their state. It was not an easy project. They “obtained through the Freedom of Information Act the financial disclosure statements provided to the NCAA from Michigan's 13 public universities that offer NCAA-level athletics.” Yes, through the Freedom of Information Act!
What they found did not surprise any of us who have been critical of this unholy mix of sports and academics in public higher education. Not only did the public institutions spend gazillions on athletics, “students are often "kept in the dark" when it comes to how universities fund college athletics and the degree to which colleges are subsidizing sports.”
Yet, whenever they cry funding shortage, universities are ready to ax philosophy before they even think of reducing the sports subsidies. I wish that legislatures, including here in Oregon with our huge budget deficit, would question the wisdom of public colleges as entertainment arenas.
The university where I have been teaching for fifteen years is no exception. A decade ago, a 25-million dollar facility was built primarily to meet the NCAA Division II requirements. Such an outrageous expense would not have been incurred if sports were played at the lower tier National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA,) in which the university participated until the year 2000.
America is exceptional indeed—when it comes to diverting taxpayer money on entertainment, when that could be spent instead on welders and philosophers. This taxpayer-supported entertainment is what the Declaration of Independence meant by "the pursuit of happiness.”
Sunday, February 05, 2017
I won't watch this Super Bowl, too
"The bag is not even full, and the total is almost 35 dollars?" I remarked with a laugh after the clerk rang up my groceries.
"Yes, eating is an expensive habit" she joined in.
My groceries were nothing compared to another guy's basket. His was a more expensive amount. But, it was not because he was loading up with food as if end times were around the corner. Nope. His high bill came from the beer and wine and party food--it is time for Super Bowl Sunday.
As the only regular reader (hehe!) knows well, I don't care a damn about the Super Bowl. I cannot even recall the last time I watched the game. Even in the years that I did, I was way more interested in the singing of the national anthem--all because of the phenomenal job that Whitney Houston did way back in my early years in this country.
Despite all the news reports on concussions and the taxpayer subsidies, the sport continues to have maniacal supporters. Not only those who voted for this POTUS. A great number of the ultra-left too are rabid sportswatchers. I have always wondered how these lefties deal with the cognitive dissonance--their own ideological views on the political economy, versus the anti-competitive mega-rich owners of the teams sucking on taxpayer teats! I tell ya, it is such unholy combinations that makes politics bizarre, and why truth has no place in politics.
The defense of taxpayer subsidy for sports, especially the stadiums (stadia?), is beyond truth!
Now that we are fully in a post-truth America, who cares, right? A listing--like here--on how all that taxpayer waste can be put to use will appeal only to a few truth-seekers!
I have often commented that sports in America is a wonderful proxy measure for many aspects of the country. American football is highly correlated with jingoism and a militaristic attitude. And more, like these two NY Times reports show:
It is a mad, mad, mad world! :(
"Yes, eating is an expensive habit" she joined in.
My groceries were nothing compared to another guy's basket. His was a more expensive amount. But, it was not because he was loading up with food as if end times were around the corner. Nope. His high bill came from the beer and wine and party food--it is time for Super Bowl Sunday.
As the only regular reader (hehe!) knows well, I don't care a damn about the Super Bowl. I cannot even recall the last time I watched the game. Even in the years that I did, I was way more interested in the singing of the national anthem--all because of the phenomenal job that Whitney Houston did way back in my early years in this country.
Despite all the news reports on concussions and the taxpayer subsidies, the sport continues to have maniacal supporters. Not only those who voted for this POTUS. A great number of the ultra-left too are rabid sportswatchers. I have always wondered how these lefties deal with the cognitive dissonance--their own ideological views on the political economy, versus the anti-competitive mega-rich owners of the teams sucking on taxpayer teats! I tell ya, it is such unholy combinations that makes politics bizarre, and why truth has no place in politics.
The defense of taxpayer subsidy for sports, especially the stadiums (stadia?), is beyond truth!
Federal subsidies are justified for infrastructure projects that provide a public good across states, but local sports stadiums clearly do not meet this criterion.
Indeed, there is little evidence that stadiums provide even local economic benefits. Decades of academic studies consistently find no discernible positive relationship between sports facilities and local economic development, income growth, or job creation. And local benefits aside, there is clearly no economic justification for federal subsidies for sports stadiums. Residents of, say, Wyoming, Maine, or Alaska have nothing to gain from the Washington-area football team’s decision to locate in Virginia, Maryland, or the District of Columbia.
Now that we are fully in a post-truth America, who cares, right? A listing--like here--on how all that taxpayer waste can be put to use will appeal only to a few truth-seekers!
I have often commented that sports in America is a wonderful proxy measure for many aspects of the country. American football is highly correlated with jingoism and a militaristic attitude. And more, like these two NY Times reports show:
It is a mad, mad, mad world! :(
Friday, September 16, 2016
Thus spake the market!
Think about this: Most kids and adults like to be entertained. Most kids and adults alike do not care to invest time and energy into reading and thinking. Are those fair enough generalizations?
Thus, if we had money to spend along with the time, then most of us would shell out our time and money on entertainment. And what better entertainment than sports, right?
If we leave everything to the market, then that is the kind of an outcome we can expect. Which is also what we see increasingly happening in higher education, where students spend their time and money. And with plenty of help from taxpayers, sports rule. The flashier and more exciting the sport is, the more is the money spent on it.
Which is why it is no surprise that this op-ed (in the NY Times!!!) author has taken it to the logical extreme: He (of course it is always a "he" when it comes to such nutcases!) says it is high time universities offered majors in football and basketball and ...: He cites how the market has already spoken in favor of this:
Thus, if we had money to spend along with the time, then most of us would shell out our time and money on entertainment. And what better entertainment than sports, right?
If we leave everything to the market, then that is the kind of an outcome we can expect. Which is also what we see increasingly happening in higher education, where students spend their time and money. And with plenty of help from taxpayers, sports rule. The flashier and more exciting the sport is, the more is the money spent on it.
Which is why it is no surprise that this op-ed (in the NY Times!!!) author has taken it to the logical extreme: He (of course it is always a "he" when it comes to such nutcases!) says it is high time universities offered majors in football and basketball and ...: He cites how the market has already spoken in favor of this:
Last weekend, nearly 157,000 people packed Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee to see the University of Tennessee battle Virginia Tech, the largest crowd ever to turn out for a football game, college or professional.
With popularity comes money, and lots of it. In April, the N.C.A.A. signed a deal with CBS and Turner Broadcasting for an eight-year, $8.8 billion extension of their March Madness basketball TV contract to 2032, while the college football bowl series brings in more than $500 million annually.
Exactly. When was the last time a philosophy match brought in such money?
The author offers more:
Athletic budgets have swelled as a result. Texas A&M is on the verge of becoming the first campus to bring in more than $200 million a year from athletics. The University of Iowa just announced a 10-year, $45 million contract extension for its football coach. In 40 states the highest paid public employee is a college coach.
Oh, I get it now; the high salaries of coaches at colleges is to be lauded as the market speaking loudly. What was I thinking!
The $6.9 million annual salary of Nick Saban, the head football coach at the University of Alabama, is equal to the combined average salary for nearly 100 assistant professors at the school, according to the most recent data available.
Get rid of those faculty in geography and pay the football coach some more, I say.
Oh, wait, except that coaches earning gazillions, and the NCAA being an awesome cash machine, are not the results of the free market. Click here, and in the table sort it out by the final column on "% Subsidy" if you want to puke all over the screen!
And, oh, while the coaches get paid gazillions, the worker-bees, also known as students, do not get paid. Surely that is how the market works. It does not?
And, oh, while the coaches get paid gazillions, the worker-bees, also known as students, do not get paid. Surely that is how the market works. It does not?
It's wrong that taxpayers are forced to subsidize professional sports teams via stadium deals and the like. It's equally wrong that taxpayers and students see their bills jacked up to fund college sports teams, no matter how enjoyable the spectacle. I suspect that if and when the actual payouts to athletic departments for sports programs become better known, this worm will turn.Nope, in this entertainment obsessed world, no worm will turn anywhere. Who cares if 30-year old Johnny can't read and lives in mom's basement as long as he gets screens full of entertainment!
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