Portland Press Herald, May 22, 2007
Amid the budget crunch, this should be a priority
The community college system can provide training to fill 4,200 waiting jobs.
Find the money.
Yes, Republicans and Democrats are about $100 million apart in state budget negotiations. Yes, many worthy programs are on the block. Yes, Mainers are overtaxed.
But find the money.
A bill now before the Appropriations Committee would raise funding for the state's community colleges by $15 million. That's in addition to the $11.7 million the system would get over two years under the governor's budget.
Why should lawmakers find money for this when so many other needs are going unfunded and taxpayers are in near revolt?
We can think of 4,200 reasons.
Just imagine if a manufacturer said it would come to the state and bring 4,200 good paying jobs if it could get $15 million in state economic development aid.
Now imagine what Maine voters would do to a Legislature and governor who turned that down? Think of the loss to the Maine economy for want of $15 million in a budget of more than $6 billion.
Right now, there are 4,200 jobs in Maine going unfilled because people lack the specialized training that community colleges provide.
And there's no shortage of people willing to get that training.
Thousands of students are waiting to get into the community college system. But the system's funding has grown by only 10 percent over the past four years, while enrollment has increased 47 percent.
Not providing this funding undermines the two qualities that make community colleges part of any sound economic development strategy. The colleges are supposed to take all qualified students and offer them an affordable post-secondary experience. When that happens, many people who wouldn't normally go to college do so.
And don't think community college students can't compete once they get out. When they transfer to four-year colleges or universities, they consistently outperform the students who started at those schools as freshmen.
This system works. Find the money to fund it.