Yesterday I was told that the State Senate Education Committee does not micro-manage how state colleges and universities spend their money in this state. At the time I was arguing for a bill that would give fair and equitable treatment to instructional support staff. What I witness should be frightening to any member of the voting public. The room behind me was filled with high paid lobbyist from the colleges and universities around the state and by the end of the meeting the State Senators were echoing their empty quotes. The money that pays these individuals salaries comes from our taxpayer dollars. They were not there to help protect individual that face discrimination but to maintain the system that encourages it. The president of Central New Mexico Community College went from a salary of $185,000 per year to $206,000 within the first six months after she was hired at the same time instructional support staff received a $0 increase in their pay for the year. We as a state will be forced to watch as our children fail their college classes because after budget cuts the people who work directly with those children will no longer have their jobs but the administration will grow and be paid more. If this system does not need to be micro-managed then I can think of no other time where taxpayer dollars could save this states education system from failure. The look of hate which the college president gave me as I left that room spoke volumes about her misguided CEO values when it comes to education in this state. How dare I have the audacity to stand up and show hope for change in the face of discrimination.
State Senate Education Committee:
Senator Cynthia Nava - (D)
Chair Senator John M. Sapien - (D)
Vice Chair Senator Stephen H. Fischmann - (D)
Member Senator Mary Jane M. Garcia - (D)
Member Senator Timothy M. Keller - (D) The only senator to stand up for educational employees
Member Senator Gay G. Kernan - (R)
Member Senator John Pinto - (D)
Member Senator Sander Rue - (R)
Member Senator Vernon D. Asbill - (R) Ranking Member
Value is when you pay someone for what they are worth and a failure to do so is disrespect of the greatest kind in the business world. If Lincoln has stopped to asks the cost of freedom we would not have had Barack Obama as our 44th president.
