Laugher: Sudden concern over tax dollars by overpaid, agenda-driven educators

December 4, 2013

Union makes new allegations claiming tax payer money at some state colleges was misspent

In a 150-page report the state school faculty union says there’s proof schools are lying on their budgets.

APSCUF President Steve Hicks has been suspecting it for years.

“I think there should be a certain amount of anger and concern over this,” said Hicks.

Seven schools that laid off faculty earlier this year were studied. The report says all seven took on new debts for building projects through foundations and other companies, but layoffs continued.

“I think we have evidence that refutes the whole notion of them needing to lay people off at all,” said Hicks.

Hicks thinks the same thing has been going on at universities not named in the report, like Millersville and Shippensburg, but the state says otherwise.

“There’s a lot of misinformation--there’s a lot of factual errors,” said Ken Marshall with the State System of Higher Education.

Marshall thinks there is no merit to union claims that new construction was financed but teachers were not.

“We believe our universities are very strong fiscal managers and they are doing the best they can in the fiscal situation they are facing,” said Marshall.

The state is still examining the report. The union hopes that means no more jobs will come under the magnifying glass.

“All we can do is lay out the facts as we’ve gotten them and hope that other people in the public or in government can help us make a difference,” said Hicks.

The report was compiled by West Shore Accounting Firm Boyer and Ritter.

source: wgal