We've gone a long time between Blogs centering on MATC, but it is again time to take a critical look. A 'headline' from some time ago suggested that MATC just can't help itself. That seems to be the case. They certainly don't seek out the kind of news coverage they tend to generate. No organization would want to be in this type of 'limelight' and yet they do it to themselves over and over and over again.
Yesterday we learned that poor old MATC was being chastised by the 'state' for having proposed a budget that would require a property tax increase of some 6.4%. It seems that even Governor Doyle thought that was too high, and that is going some when you think about all the tax increases and fee increases he has dumped in our laps.
So, having had their knuckles rapped with a ruler, they are being forced to the unthinkable...they may have to make some cuts in their expenses!!
They are now talking about cuts that will get the property tax increase down to as little as 5% to 5.5%. These people do not live in the world that you and I populate. They must breath some other life giving gas other than oxygen. Maybe they're actually in a different orbit. It seems obvious that they are not bound by the same life rules that we, the taxpayers, are bound to follow.
Hammering at an old theme again, if you and I have too little income for our expense load, we usually will look at our expense first and make the necessary adjustments. In the world occupied by MATC, it seems that you first look at raising your revenue before you even give any thought to reductions in budget.
An article today centers upon the 'incubator boondoggle' that MATC created for itself many years ago. We've Blogged about that before, as well. Some of the businesses aren't real businesses with any hope of survival in the real world. Many are considerably behind in their rent payments. Now MATC is looking at actually closing or modifying the two incubators but it may have to give some money to those businesses that are to be displaced apparently according to some language in their agreement with each. I've not seen those agreements, but I can't imagine that even MATC would give money away, much of it probably to those same businesses that are behind in their rent payments, if it were not bound to do so by the agreements. Let's hope that MATC is sharp enough to hold back funds from this payment to at least recover the rental payments owed to it and to us taxpayers.
I have a high degree of difficulty in imagining that there is nothing else that can be cut out of the MATC budget. How is it that MATC will cut expenses and still have to take us taxpayers to the cleaners for 5% to 5.5% more property taxes than we paid last time? There are things that can be cut. Let's talk about staff positions to begin with. Let's look at the benefits next. Let's review the travel expenses; it seems to me that was sort of a bloated area the last time we went down this pathway. Maybe they need to sell off property and lease back the portions they actually need. Maybe they need to shake up the status quo and actually take some real action like ending the deal with the current 'King' and getting a replacement that doesn't suffer from such egotism and illogical sense of institutional direction. The Board should be capable of changing this direction unless it also suffers from something similar.
In the meantime, maybe the petitions to be removed from this system should be filed quickly and the case pressed while this iron is still hot enough to burn some sense into the directors of the state technical college system.
By the way, Waukesha County Technical College has solidified its budget with a 3% increase in property taxes. It is in the same geographic area, and faces most of the same issues. What is the difference? It seems to be leadership from my perspective.
