Gubernatorial candidates gathered yesterday at St.Anselm college to debate higher education ??But the discussion, ranged widely, and perhaps not surprisingly often centered on the state revenue policies needed to resolve how to fund k-12 public schools.
"This is no time for modesty"
The words of Chichester republican Gordon Humphrey seemed particularly apt at a forum that shoehorned the opinions of five gubernatorial hopefuls into an hour and a half. The format allowed candidates only a minute each to answer questions, which, apparently, left scant time for subtlety. Instead, the audience got mostly recitations of the candidates? trademark themes. Gordon Humphrey pledged no new taxes.
"We?re going to keep our per capita tax burden."
Cabletron founder Craig Benson boasted of past entrepreneurial victories.
"We beat IBM, Hewlett Packard, and IBM with no money and a dream. We can do the same thing in the state of NH and put our problems behind us if we come together and make it happen."
Fellow Republican Bruce Keough promised a tough-love approach to school funding.
"I won?t support any new spending of any kind until we have solved the k-12 education funding problem."
On the democratic side, Bev Hollingworth touted her 20 year legislative record.
"My record is the only record that speaks louder than words; my actions really are actions."
And Mark Fernald pitched his income tax scheme as the best way to address state needs.
"I?m the candidate up here who?s put forth a detailed plan that will balance the state budget and solve the K-12 problem."
When it came to higher education, the candidates largely split on party lines. Both Democrats stressed that NH ranks last in state higher education funding. Bev Hollingworth said that needs to change.
"We need to fund college education more. We need to have more scholarships. I think businesses need to be applauded for what there are doing to provide apprenticeships. I think we can do it."
Republicans also embraced the idea of strengthening ties between academia and business?. Craig Benson said an internship program he started at Cabletron proved beneficial to interns and company alike?..Benson was adamant, however, that money alone will not improve the university system.
"When you throw money at a problem without looking for results it?s just a waste of money?..And what we need to do with the university system is work closely with them to find out what there needs are?.and other ways to satisfy them besides money.."
Gordon Humphrey, who several times said his opposition to raising taxes made it impossible to as he put it ?play Santa Claus,? said the best way to cut education costs for both students and taxpayers is to reduce the time students spend on University rolls.
"We need to now embrace distance learning and software that allow student to self-pace. Too often in all schools, the paxe of the classroom is reduced the lowest common denominator. Some student have higher aptitudes they out to able to race ahead at a their own speed."
For Bruce Keough, former head of the UNH board of trustees, increasing access to higher education is paramount??To do that, says Keough, state policymakers must ensure credits earned at the community or technical college level can be easily transferred.
"We need to make it as easy as possible to make sure the time and effort and money they make when the walk through that doorway has value throughout the university system."
But according to Democrat Mark Fernald, education policy should be informed by more than simple bottom line concerns. He says higher education policy needs also to recognize that the constitution cites ?knowledge and learning? as ?essential to the preservation of a free government.? Such words, suggested Fernald, mean more than simply making students market ready.
"We put too much emphasis on higher education as a way to train workers or a way create consumers?..Part of the goal of our education system is to create thinkers. The whole idea of liberal arts is that education in itself is a worthy goal --- even if you?re studying Chaucer and you may never use it again. It?s a good thing to study."
Gubernatorial hopefuls will next convene on August 22; Democrats in Nashua; Republicans in Portsmouth.
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