Herbst Stepping Down

[whaler11]

Ill start and finish quickly - Union pensions and healthcare. Cut the hell out of them, especially for those who've moved out of state. The unions have used every trick they can to improve their benefits (as would I) but they took it too far and now, just like if my private sector retirement investments took a hit, so does theirs.

Maybe if we cut the past mistakes, we can afford a future and UCONN is a big part of it.

LOL - I thought we were talking about things that can be done legally.

Sure in MagicWandLand you can just walk away from 30 billion in unfunded pensions.

That was easy. Now Herbst can stay and spend away.

 

[Guapo]

Inb4 Central Guy shows up in a huff.

I'm taking this as an endorsement of my idea

 

[whaler11]

I'm thinking you could find a whole lot of waste in the Easterns/Centrals/Southerns/Westerns of the world.

Combine them into "Connecticut State University." It would probably be a better, more competitive school that could keep kids in state that can't get into UConn but are "above" the CCSUs of the world that would otherwise go to URI or UNH or something.

It would eliminate a lot of redundant positions and make it easier to bring more grants and funding into the state.

I don’t know what the state funds those schools at but I go to a lot of Central games and it’s pretty bleak in NB.

 

[Guapo]

I don’t know what the state funds those schools at but I go to a lot of Central games and it’s pretty bleak in NB.

It's public record!

 

[temery]

We can't cut the pensions. Its not an option unless we want to go to the supreme Court or declare bankruptcy

Nah, pensions can be cut.

Let's start with means testing all pensions going to politicians: Make it an average of 30 years earnings, not the highest five years.

Next, means test all other pensions, and this includes all income, including a spouse's income, and including all income from all sources.

Bottom line: If you are able to draw $100k/yr from a 401k or 403b, your government pension should be limited to the amount you actually paid into the system.

Treat SS the same way - it's an insurance program meant to make sure you are able to retire and pay your bills.

 

[QDOG5]

I think I agree with you. At least she put herself out there and pushed the brand. I couldn’t tell you who the president was when I was there but the only time I heard about him was because of mold in his house.

And the mold was him.

 

[Robertelamin]

Miss u @JSM

 

[whaler11]

It's public record!

True - this was what I found quickly. Less than 400 million for 2016?

Can’t imagine they did well in the last appropriation.

 

[whaler11]

Nah, pensions can be cut.

Let's start with means testing all pensions going to politicians: Make it an average of 30 years earnings, not the highest five years.

Next, means test all other pensions, and this includes all income, including a spouse's income, and including all income from all sources.

Bottom line: If you are able to draw $100k/yr from a 401k or 403b, your government pension should be limited to the amount you actually paid into the system.

Treat SS the same way - it's an insurance program meant to make sure you are able to retire and pay your bills.

Means testing SS ends up encouraging people not to save....

 

[CL82]

This is not good news. The biggest hit from CR and the recession was a lack of stability. This doesn't help that. The U was on a clear upward trend academically and as a brand (non-sports division). It's barely scratched the surface of its potential as an economic driver. It would be nice if the next Gov/legislature/President kept it going though I am not optimistic.

As for Mansfield, it was never the University's place to dictate terms. It was the State Legislatures. They could easily solve the problem by granting the University zone equivalent municipals status. Mansfield would just then be an annoying neighbor.

It's what big time land grant universities do.

Are you sure about this? I thought I read here that the university does have zoning autonomy and they reach out to Mansfield pretty much for PR.

 

[Guapo]

View attachment 31529

True - this was what I found quickly. Less than 400 million for 2016?

Can’t imagine they did well in the last appropriation.

I might be wrong, but (very quickly) reading through this, I think it's a lot more than that...http://www.ct.edu/files/pdfs/finance/finance-CSU-financial-statements-FY17.pdf

 

[whaler11]

I might be wrong, but (very quickly) reading through this, I think it's a lot more than that...http://www.ct.edu/files/pdfs/finance/finance-CSU-financial-statements-FY17.pdf

Page 25 says state appropriations were 275 million in 2017. I don’t know if that’s the only line that captures state funding.

 

[8893]

Miss u @JSM

Are there posters who still don't realize that JSM was @whaler11 's troll account?

 

[whaler11]

Are there posters who still don't realize that JSM was @whaler11 's troll account?

Why would I need two troll accounts?

 

[CL82]

Are there posters who still don't realize that JSM was @whaler11 's troll account?

Wait I thought @whaler11 was the troll account.

 

[upstater]

Oh stop. Nobody is asking UCONN to cut their spending to pauper levels. They continually get a pass while other state agencies suffer cuts and layoffs. They need someone in there who knows how to reduce inefficiencies and waste.

UCONN has continually gotten a pass during the fiscal crisis of the last ten years.

Wrong as can be. They've been slashing huge parts of the budget year by year. Last year, they were trying to push a mammoth cut in the 9 figure range.

 

[upstater]

What are you even talking about? The president doesn't control how much money the state gives the university

????

Turn the question on yourself.

We were discussing state appropriations.

 

[Robertelamin]

It always cracked my up how much enjoyment JSM got from giving the finger to DOT workers. Sure, he probably made it up but whatever.

 

[Excalibur]

There's plenty of money, its just going to the wrong places.

This is objectively wrong.

 

[whaler11]

And my comment is not judging Herbst in any way, just pointing out how UCONN continuously gets a pass. And because they operate knowing they won’t be touched, I can’t even begin to imagine the waste (and I am not talking about the ludicrous salaries for some professors. That’s an entirely different discussion)

They got beat up bad in the last cycle.

July 2019 isn’t a coincidence.

 

[Excalibur]

Nah, pensions can be cut.

Let's start with means testing all pensions going to politicians: Make it an average of 30 years earnings, not the highest five years.

Next, means test all other pensions, and this includes all income, including a spouse's income, and including all income from all sources.

Bottom line: If you are able to draw $100k/yr from a 401k or 403b, your government pension should be limited to the amount you actually paid into the system.

Treat SS the same way - it's an insurance program meant to make sure you are able to retire and pay your bills.

This can be (and to some extent is being) done for everyone not yet drawing a pension. Those people aren't the problem.

 

[UConnNick]

Wrong as can be. They've been slashing huge parts of the budget year by year. Last year, they were trying to push a mammoth cut in the 9 figure range.

Wasn't that when Herbst sent an e-mail letter to all of the alumni claiming the university would practically have to shut down if the proposed state cutbacks crippled the budget?

 

[upstater]

Wasn't that when Herbst sent an e-mail letter to all of the alumni claiming the university would practically have to shut down if the proposed state cutbacks crippled the budget?

A $300 million cut would have basically ended UConn.

 

[pepband99]

This can be (and to some extent is being) done for everyone not yet drawing a pension. Those people aren't the problem.

Correct. Even worse, the "problem" people are protected by policy. You're forced to overpay them to stay put (and usually underperform), and then pay them too much when they leave. Madness.

 

[CCSU97]

I'm thinking you could find a whole lot of waste in the Easterns/Centrals/Southerns/Westerns of the world.

Combine them into "Connecticut State University." It would probably be a better, more competitive school that could keep kids in state that can't get into UConn but are "above" the CCSUs of the world that would otherwise go to URI or UNH or something.

It would eliminate a lot of redundant positions and make it easier to bring more grants and funding into the state.

Don't let facts get in the way of a stupid statement. UConn already receives more than twice the amount of State funding provided to the 4-campus Connecticut State University System (CSUS).

Combined, Central, Eastern, Southern, and Western already serves more students than the UConn system, on a budget half the size. And while the entire State Government could certainly be more efficient, CSUS spends a greater percent of their budget on academics compared to our wasteful flagship university. Face it, there is no more $$$ for UConn, the well is dry.

2014-15 Fall FTE Enrollment
UConn – 26,874
CSUS – 27,735

2014-15 Annual State Appropriations
UConn - $631,344,030
CSUS – $277,716,018

From 2005-06 to 2014-15, UConn appropriations have grown the at 121.0%, and State Universities at just 32.7%.

2014-15 Instructional Expenses
UConn – $622,737,909 (28.1%)
CSUS – $325,439,907 (43.2%)

Source: Connecticut Office of Higher Education