Letter: Shortchanging Universities and Communities

I heard Scott Lewis speak on the KPBS program, the Editors Roundtable, and noted the comment that universities need to do a better job of communicating their success in bringing dollars into the local community.

I am a University of California, San Diego, faculty member, and I agree with this statement but would like to note that UC San Diego generates many new dollars for the community over what the state invests in it.

But we took a huge budget cut two years ago and will take another huge budget cut this year. Despite that, Nathan Fletcher and other GOP representatives are unwilling to even let the public consider the tax question. I think Assemblyman Fletcher’s position is not only hurting UC San Diego, it is also going to choke off a lot of activity that benefits the region.

Also, I believe that SDSU brings similar benefits and is one of the most research intensive campuses in the CSU system. They are another source of dollars and ideas for the region.

I hope that the editors will continue to follow this story and that next time they will hear from a UC San Diego representative who can share some data about the economic activity that the campus generates.

Dr. Henry Powell is a professor of pathology at the UC San Diego School of Medicine.