Horns up: Faculty representation on Board of Regents
Like so many bills before it, HB 330 will die not with a bang but with a whimper, caught in the flypaper that is the average House committee. The bill, which was left pending after testimony was heard last week, would replace one of the UT System Board of Regents’ positions with a faculty member. Though the appointee would not have voting powers, we feel that there is an intrinsic — and obvious — benefit to having a formally trained educator present at every board decision.
Students, whose stay at the University is hopefully only temporary, already have a non-voting position on the board, so it seems natural to extend this privilege to faculty members, who make their careers on the 40 Acres. But with only 45 days left to get out of committee, see a vote in the House and repeat the process in the Senate — all without seeing any additional amendments, we can only remain optimistic about the bills chance’s next session.
Horns up: Oversight for UTIMCO bonuses
Under a new proposal, the University of Texas Investment Management Company would need approval from the governor, the attorney general and a legislative body before awarding bonuses. We applaud the move for stricter oversight on the private investment arm of UT, especially in light of the excessive $3 million in bonuses former UTIMCO Chairman Robert Rowling dished out to employees this February amid a 27-percent budget shortfall. Filed by State Sen. Steve Ogden, R-Bryan, the measure would also change the size, makeup and appointment process for the board of directors.
The stipulations of this bill promote a board that has the potential to be less entrenched in a corporate background, and by dividing appointment selections, the board composition will hopefully be more representative rather than inwardly interested. Although, granting Gov. Rick Perry the three appointments surely detracts from the bill’s integrity.
Horns down: Smoking age raised to 19?
Because they care about us young’uns enough to seriously consider legislation that would allow guns on campus, the Legislature is also considering a bill to raise the smoking age to 19. According to the Austin American-Statesman, the bill’s proponents argue that the proposed law would be a boon to public health and decrease the number of high school kids who smoke. We don’t see how raising the legal age to purchase tabacco products by one year will drastically change anything, especially because most ardent smokers we know have found ways to puff away since junior high. But we appreciate the government micromanaging our lungs over the sanctity of our campus.
Horns down: Rick Perry
While our governor might not know good policy when he sees it, he can smell a good PR opportunity like a shark does blood. Earlier this week, Perry launched a national media blitzkrieg, holding quasi-secessionist press conferences at the Capitol, attending several “TEA” parties and making appearances on national conservative talk shows like those of Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity. What his confrontational, divisive message lacks in inspiration, his sheer stamina more than makes up for.
For a party that took such a beating in 2008, making such narrow appeals to its political “base” (aka the Sarah Palin strategy) seems to be a death wish. While our country’s history proves that dissent can be patriotic, Perry’s antics seem more like those of a fringe group simply fighting for attention and relevance. Kinky for governor in ’10? Looking at the semi-established competition, why the hell not!
