Hartford Courant Letters to Editor 10-12-2021

[coachcap]

Roger Kern of Essex: Stop Subsidizing UConn Football (advocates a return to FCS status & moving games back to Storrs)
David Travisano of Rocky Hill: References a Page 1 story from Oct. 3rd-feels that routine maintenance wasn't done at the RENT & water is leaking into electrical junction boxes (Don't now how I missed THAT article)

To Mr. Kern-No Thanks
To Mr. Travisano-based on your letter alone, I agree but am not surprised

 

[CL82]

Roger Kern of Essex: Stop Subsidizing UConn Football (advocates a return to FCS status & moving games back to Storrs)
David Travisano of Rocky Hill: References a Page 1 story from Oct. 3rd-feels that routine maintenance wasn't done at the RENT & water is leaking into electrical junction boxes (Don't now how I missed THAT article)

To Mr. Kern-No Thanks
To Mr. Travisano-based on your letter alone, I agree but am not surprised

Mr. Kern,

1) Where exactly are they going to play these games in Storrs?

2) How does the move to FCS actually save money given that the infrastructure for FBS us already built and the scholarships are essentially an intra company chargeback. (The university subsidizes the athletic department so that the athletic department can pay the University for the cost of scholarships at an artificially inflated rate.)

 

[huskymedic]

David Travisano of Rocky Hill: References a Page 1 story from Oct. 3rd-feels that routine maintenance wasn't done at the RENT & water is leaking into electrical junction boxes (Don't now how I missed THAT article)

Here ya go Coach…

The RENT is due for upgrades

Millions in upgrades at Rentschler Field even as UConn football struggles? Officials say it’s time. "UConn Athletic Director David Benedict said the university intends to renegotiate its lease at Rentschler Field -- a venue built specifically for the football program -- and will continue...

the-boneyard.com

 

[giddyup]

Mr. Kern,

1) Where exactly are they going to play these games in Storrs?

2) How does the move to FCS actually save money given that the infrastructure for FBS us already built and the scholarships are essentially an intra company chargeback. (The university subsidizes the athletic department so that the athletic department can pay the University for the cost of scholarships at an artificially inflated rate.)

Mr. Kern and most don’t get your second point, which is really important… UConn wants to drive its paper expense up, not down to put more pressure on the legislature to increase funding support.

 

[CL82]

Mr. Kern and most don’t get your second point, which is really important… UConn wants to drive its paper expense up, not down to put more pressure on the legislature to increase funding support.

?

 

[uconnbill]

Maintenance is one of the biggest issues when it comes to public state facilities. They band aid everything and never fix the actual problem.
This is happening to a number of state or town buildings they ignore them in the budgets or they monies put aside are used for other things.

It should have never come to this.

 

[John Greene]

Maintenance is one of the biggest issues when it comes to public state facilities. They band aid everything and never fix the actual problem.
This is happening to a number of state or town buildings they ignore them in the budgets or they monies put aside are used for other things.

It should have never come to this.

Public infrastructure maintenance has always competed with public employee salary & benefits. It will always lose since, unlike public employees, buildings, roads and bridges do not vote.

 

[giddyup]

?

Government entities need to spend more or their budgets decrease in the next fiscal year. So, if you can paper expenses to run at loss through cost accounting, that’s what you do.

 

[CL82]

Government entities need to spend more or their budgets decrease in the next fiscal year. So, if you can paper expenses to run at loss through cost accounting, that’s what you do.

Ah, got it.

 

[giddyup]

Ah, got it.

It’s rational but crazy.

 

[CL82]

It’s rational but crazy.

I have some experience with it, I understand it how it works. GAAP provides for much more accountability, which is exactly why it will never be used.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

There are two ways to solve the football revenue bleed
invest in the sport and become competitive or
drop it completely
The math doesn’t work any other way.
FCS is a substantial cost reduction but an even bigger revenue loss

 

[Uconnalliance]

There are two ways to solve the football revenue bleed
invest in the sport and become competitive or
drop it completely
The math doesn’t work any other way.
FCS is a substantial cost reduction but an even bigger revenue loss

No more so than an empty stadium every week

 

[uconnbill]

Public infrastructure maintenance has always competed with public employee salary & benefits. It will always lose since, unlike public employees, buildings, roads and bridges do not vote.

I agree and why we have a number of buildings that are owned by the state that are in disrepair and cost us more in the long run. If businesses were run this was they would no longer be in business.

I hope they can fix the issues, but I expect push back from the anti-football crowd.

 

[giddyup]

I agree and why we have a number of buildings that are owned by the state that are in disrepair and cost us more in the long run. If businesses were run this was they would no longer be in business.

I hope they can fix the issues, but I expect push back from the anti-football crowd.

Waste is everywhere. My favorite is spending nearly $1M on a new house for the President because it would cost several hundred thousand to repair the slate roof on the old president’s house and the new president’s wife was allergic to the old.. so now we have 2 houses, one new and one old which still needs repair, and no President.

 

[Bongo Fury]

Not bad for a University that is broke( it’s not). Does make it easy for negative journalism and political ammunition against those that support the university.

 

[Kolumbo]

No more so than an empty stadium every week

Right. That's why he said either become competitive or drop it completely.

 

[mikedog10]

Waste is everywhere. My favorite is spending nearly $1M on a new house for the President because it would cost several hundred thousand to repair the slate roof on the old president’s house and the new president’s wife was allergic to the old.. so now we have 2 houses, one new and one old which still needs repair, and no President.

The best (worst) part of this story is that it has happened multiple times with multiple presidents.