White House Plans Katrina Anniversary PR Blitz

Not to detract attention for the anniversary, but I hope people around the nation understand that Governor Bobby Jindal and Louisiana's state legislature have created yet another man-made disaster that is poised to do extensive long-term and perhaps irreparable damage to the state's pubic institutions of higher education. The University of New Orleans, for example, the city's only public research university, had to take drastic actions after Hurricane Katrina that included laying off many tenured faculty members. If nothing changes, UNO will have to do that again five years later. If that happens -- and it looks like it will -- it will be nearly impossible for the university to attract high-quality faculty members in the future. Jindal's political ambitions are keeping him from addressing the revenue side of the state's budget problems. States and schools all around the country are struggling mightily in this economy, but higher education here has been gutted over and over again in recent years, and the worst is yet to come if nothing changes. Keep than in mind when listening to Mr. Jindal talk about recovery.

m of LA 12:07PM August 27, 2010