UA president visits Mat-Su

PALMER -- University of Alaska president Mark Hamilton visited with community members at the Matanuska-Susitna College Tuesday, pleading with all in attendance to support the university's plea for more money from the state.

"We've convinced many Alaskans this is the place to get your education, and now we turn around and not have for them what we want to have for them unless the state gets something happening," said Hamilton, reminding the audience that 55 percent of college-bound students last year remained in Alaska and attended a school within the UA system.

Nearly 3,900 more students have attended UA in the past five years than in years past, Hamilton said, and, like many other government-funded programs throughout the state, the university is faced with budget shortfalls.

"The governor has put money into the budget for the university and I applaud him for that," Hamilton said. "But the university has about two-thirds of the spending power it had in 1986, yet we have more students, taking more classes, earning more degrees than we've ever had in history.

"Somewhere along the line we've got to decide our basic priorities and one of those has to be the university."

Hamilton emphasized that education across the board has to be funded, and that pitting kindergarten though 12 against the university for funding is not reasonable.

"If there was only enough money to fund one or the other, fund K through 12," Hamilton said. "But if not, there's a whole bunch more money needed [in both areas]."

Hamilton stressed that students that come to him first have to have an adequate primary education. But, he said, if we want Alaska to prosper, we must also educate our next generation workforce.

"It's good to have Alaskans doing Alaska jobs," said Hamilton, who also stressed that many jobs available here are being filled by those from outside.

"Training Alaskans to do the jobs that are already here is an imposing task."

Hamilton said he is ready to pay for the services that Alaska needs.

"Take my dividend, income tax me, sales tax me, sin tax me," Hamilton said. "Do not protect me."

He asked that others who feel the same way let to their legislators know.

"For crying out loud, register to vote," Hamilton pleaded, asking audience members to write to their state legislators and tell them what they are already telling their local government. "It cannot be carried by your locally elected officials, it's got to come from the people who are involved," he said.