This letter is in reference to Jeff Foster’s protest of the state funding of a potential arena on the NKU campus. While I feel Mr. Foster’s pain as far as increasing tuition costs go, Mr. Foster also needs to have a better grasp of how state funding works. In the case of Gov. Fletcher’s budgetary allocation for the NKU Arena (Sheilds-Winstel Arena, perhaps?), the university does not have the authority to redirect these funds. They are earmarked by the state for a specific purpose: in this case an arena that has been a long time coming to the university. I didn’t like the fact that I had to go through graduation ceremonies in another state. His outcry is no different than the person who goes to a city council meeting complaining that they can’t understand why property taxes have to be raised to cover a shortfall in the general fund when there are millions of dollars in the road fund. Same situation: the state didn’t give that money to the city to pay its bills; the money was allocated to improve roads. Mr. Foster should direct his outcry where it belongs: with Gov. Fletcher and his “No New Taxes” armada. Tuitions are rising because of politicians pandering to voters promising no new taxes. Voters need to recognize that services cost money, and that money has to come from somewhere, whether directly or indirectly. Unfortunately, those costs get passed on to city/county governments, universities and public schools and then to individuals in the form of higher local taxes, increased tuition and health care costs.

Thank you, Peter W. Zubaty BA Journalism ’01