What Has Gone Wrong? Targeting State Government
Californians share a widely held perception about who bears the primary responsibility for problems in higher education. In the eyes of most Californians, state government deserves the lion's share of the blame.
When asked why they think college fees and expenses are going up, Californians express some concern about overpaid professors and lavish expenses on buildings and grounds, but most of their attention is focused on problems at the state level. By large majorities, people name state cutbacks (63 percent) and state mismanagement (61 percent) as very important reasons for increases in college costs. By contrast, less than half (46 percent) feel overpaid administrators are an important part of the problem. Thirty-eight percent cite general inflation; 24 percent target buildings, grounds and unnecessary equipment. Only 22 percent name overpaid professors as a major reason.
Focus groups suggest that two factors are at work here. First, higher education in California is closely associated with state government, and there seems to be a great deal of anger and frustration about what is going on in state government in California. Focus group respondents tended to move quickly from concerns about higher education to considerable hostility toward state government. Many comments were very pointed:
We always have only two choices about education-raise our taxes or have the kids pay for it themselves. Why isn't there another choice? Pay for education out of the taxes you are already taking from me. Why is it [that they] always want to take it from me? I am already at poverty level. Do you want me to get a Folger's can and stand on the corner? I look at it at the state level. It is mismanagement of state funds, and it has been happening for a long time. Like the lottery-at first, school employees got the money the first year; then we don't see it anymore. They know that education is important, so they keep bringing up education as a reason for raising our taxes. It is an excuse to raise our taxes. The money that was there to spend on education is there, but they are using it for other things.
-in San Diego
-in Hayward
-in San Diego
Compared to the nation as a whole, Californians were slightly more likely to fault overpaid administrators (46 percent to 41 percent) and slightly less likely to mention overpaid professors (22 percent versus 26 percent) as major factors in increasing college expenses.