Recently we learned Physical Plant Chief of Operations John Donegan purchased an antique phone booth for $2,000. I’ve seen some argue that haters and complainers should get over it, that students don’t have a role in what or how the university’s money is spent. After all, it’s the university’s money, right? Except that EMU was chided last month for relying too heavily on student tuition and fees for revenue.
According to an auditor from the accounting firm Plante and Moran, EMU derives 75 percent of its revenues from students.
Seems to me students should have some voice as to where monies should be spent.
There is a familiar argument from administrators who spend other people’s money (OPM). “You shouldn’t tell me how to spend your money, you just wouldn’t understand the complexities of…[fill in administrative jargon].”
In Ann Arbor, 1 percent of the general fund is funneled to public art. What defines public or art? Apparently a nearly $1 million sculpture parked in front the new $50 million-plus city hall many argue wasn’t needed. But hey, OPM.
And after all, we only need look one county east, where several top Wayne County administrators have been fired, County Executive Bob Ficano is under fire, and the state and FBI have open criminal investigations over a measly $200,000 severance package given to now-former Wayne County Airport Authority Board CEO
Turkia Mullin.
That amounts to about .00009 percent of Wayne County’s budget, which is around $2.1 billion. That doesn’t
seem like a large enough percentage for us taxpayer to fret over, but it seems the FBI and State of Michigan do.
I realize we shouldn’t micro-manage, after all, not all of us sit on the EMU Board of Regents. The point is university employees are being laid off, programs are being cut and students are being asked to shovel over more and more money to pay for things they don’t see a benefit in — like athletics and phone booths.
But I digress.
We haters must just be too dumb to see the grand vision the High Lords have laid out for us. We should just return to our caves and eat mayonnaise from the jar.
And next time, haters, instead of becoming intellectually stimulated and asking dumb questions like where your money is going, you should just go bounce a ball.
