We can depend on the leftist media to pump out stories meant to frighten voters into opposing politicians (mainly Republicans) who favor even the slightest bit of economizing in government. Recently, the Raleigh News & Observer ran such a piece, claiming that the tightwad Republicans in the General Assembly had harmed the state’s public higher-education system.
In today’s Martin Center article, Jenna Robinson and Paige Terryberry look at the evidence and conclude that the story is much ado about nothing.
For example, what the paper decries as a budget “cut” is just a reduction in the UNC system’s wish list. Another claim is that students are having to pay more in tuition. That happens to be true, but North Carolina remains one of the states with the lowest tuition for state residents. And how does it “harm” the universities to ask the students who attend to pay somewhat more for something they supposedly benefit from?
The authors conclude: “The UNC System, like any large public institution, faces many challenges—some of them financial. The Martin Center has often pointed to wasteful spending and inefficient practices at our colleges and universities. But the state of North Carolina, its citizens, taxpayers, and legislature have continued to provide generous support for the university system and all its institutions. By this measure, North Carolina is a leader in higher education.”