I don't believe that I have mentioned this to anyone here, but I'm an elected school board member for Portland Community College (pcc.edu). Our Oregon state Treasurer, Ted Wheeler, is proposing an initiative known as the "Opportunity Initiative" which will provide (further) secondary education funding that our so-called "leaders" in this state have failed to provide.

Secretary Wheeler does not address the cost side of the equation, which is quite concerning to me. It seems to be okay to have the teachers unions raping and pillaging the taxpayer with ever increasing pay and benefits (beyond the private sector in many cases), yet the students who are incurring the debt are the victims here. Where is THEIR accountability for spending $100K+ on a degree that will not support them paying back their debt? But alas, we cannot speak of that.

As I prepare to cast my NAY vote tonight for a resolution in support of the Opportunity Initiative, I plan to make the following statement. I need your support and inspiration to ensure that I can "channel Galt" in this effort:

I am here tonight as a Board Member, but also as a father of a former student with significant post-secondary educational debt. When my daughter decided to pursue her dream career, she understood that it would come at a cost, and she made a conscious decision to pursue it knowing that. She did not expect anyone else to assume that responsibility – she knew that she owned it. I am very proud of her for so many reasons, particularly for her sense of responsibility and accountability.

There is no doubt that students are graduating with an ever-increasing debt, due in part to increasing costs of education. There is a debt problem, but there is also a cost problem. What does this initiative do to solve the cost problem? Nothing. Despite the assurances that this initiative will not cost the Oregon taxpayers, we all know that at least at the state level we cannot print money. Secretary Wheeler states that “The State will be responsible for repaying the bonds”, but we should all remember that the state only has monies to spend that it extracts from its taxpayers. When the demand increases for this funding, it is my belief that the taxpayers will once again be called upon to make the sacrifice to pay yet more in order to replenish it.

Lastly, what are WE doing to help answer the cost side of the equation? My belief is that technology can help address much of the issue if we have the wherewithal to think differently. We have a responsibility to our taxpayers to deliver a quality product at a reasonable price. There is no doubt in my mind that we are delivering a quality product in the form of educating our students. The remaining component is thinking differently about how we deliver education. We do not necessarily need to build a brick and mortar classroom when enrollments increase. Technology can enable virtual classrooms for certain classes that do not require hands-on training or lab work. Are we ready for that? Is our technology infrastructure ready for that?

It is with these concerns that I have articulated here that I am respectfully voting NO on this agenda item.