WCU takes heat from NC Policy Watch
So notes The Progressive Pulse, a blog published by NC Policy Watch, which in turn is a project of the North Carolina Justice Center.
Author Chris Fitzsimon names Western Carolina University and UNC Healthcare among “several” state institutions that are Patron members of the North Carolina Chamber, an affiliate of the United States Chamber of Commerce. These Chambers (which aren’t formally tied to local chambers of commerce, by the way) advocate an agenda that includes the following, in Fitzsimon’s words:
… fighting for lower taxes on corporations and the wealthy, while opposing various protections for workers and regulations to protect the environment. For years, the Chamber (formerly known as North Carolinians for Business and Industry) led the opposition to requiring insurance companies to cover mental illnesses the same way they cover physical ailments.
Western ponies up $5,000 per year to take part.
Tags: Leadership and Politics, NC Policy Watch, North Carolina Justice Center, Progressive Pulse, Western Carolina University
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Very interesting. WCU is catching it from the other end of the political spectrum as well. Several weeks ago, the Civitas Institute issued a list of what it considers wasteful state spending on capital projects, and WCU’s Education and Professions Building made the list, with $4 million budgeted for planning during this fiscal year, and a total project cost of $43 million.
http://www.nccivitas.org/media/publication-archive/policy-brief/recommendation-3-freeze-new-capital-projects-refrain-issuing-
On that same theme, I find it interesting that WCU requested state funds (from this fiscal year’s budget) to renovate the Camp Lab building – a building destined for demolition if the Chancellor’s “strip mall development” moves forward. By the way, the square footage touted for this glorious new strip mall (featuring Moe’s SW Grille, Barnes and Noble, et al) is MORE THAN HALF that of the Biltmore Square Mall. Picture that!
Seems to me that some of these folks pushing the corporatization of the university need to go back for some remedial work in logic and math…at the very least.