The state of Ohio is expecting a $5 billion to $8 billion shortfall for the biennial budget, which will be decided for the calendar year 2011. Because of this, Ohio pushed one of the state's 12 budget installments to Miami University, cutting its funding.
Approximately one-eighth of the budget cuts made in Ohio this year were for higher education. Funding for Miami from the state has decreased dramatically over the past 10 years — in 2001 the school received $72 million. In 2010, it will be $62 million.
The editorial board of The Miami Student recognizes the budget crisis for Miami University is directly linked with Ohio's lack of funds. The board encourages the entire Miami community to not put all of the blame and anger on the Board of Regents and the administration for the severe cuts the Strategic Priorities Task Force (SPT) has proposed. Students, staff and faculty must remember most of these budgetary problems come from the economic crisis of the entire state.
The board encourages all members of the Miami community to channel any feelings of anger and helpless frustration into constructive action. The most important thing is to be educated about the proposed budget cuts and the economy in the state of Ohio. There are many ways to gain knowledge about the proposed future of Miami, including attending the SPT forums and paying attention to Miami news. The Nov. 2 elections for the House of Representatives, governor and the United States Senate are very important elections that will impact the economic future of Miami University. The board recommends everyone, especially students who live out of state, to vote in the upcoming elections.
The best way to help counteract a budget crisis is to take small steps to learn more about the problem. The more the Miami community is involved in the SPT and the upcoming elections, the more progress we will be able to make on dealing with and solving Miami's budget problem.
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