Framingham State University - Dial Yearbook (Framingham, MA)

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POLI TI CA L Day To Remember The Gate Post March 12 1981 by Kelly Costa Prior to 7 30 '1 m teachcrs began to till the College Center s 1839 Room Signs were being taken out of storage and arranged in place in front of Dwight Hall Simultaneously in Dwight Auditorium chairs were being counted and the microphone was being tested While in the Maynard Street parking lot cars were being towed in order to make room for faculty cars and one heli copter tfor Jim Martin Chair man ofthe Board of Regentsl The day was Saturdav Feb ruary 28 1981 The day will go down in the history of Framing ham State College as a very im portant and most gratifying day Reorganization A Bnef History The day actually started years earlier Funds were generously allotted to the state colleges and .iniversities until the election of Governor Michael Dukakis When Dukakis came into power the steady flow of funds ceased At the same time those legis lators who strongly supported the state college system lelt their posts tor a variety of different reasons Governor Dukakis adminis tration emphasized budget control and this hurt the col leges However Dukakis did support the idea of broadening the character of the system he also favored the placement of more women and minorities on the governing boards of the schools. ln 1978, Edward 1. King was elected as Massachusetts' new Governor King supported pnvate industry and its growth he did not support the state s program of public higher education Reorganization a word ban tied about in the Legislature for years started soon after King took office Almost immediately he asked the state colleges and universities to raise 511 tached to the 19801981 state budget The budget is a money document reorganization deals with colleges and people Yet the two managed to become one Governor King s men on the Hill namely Speaker of the House Thomas McGee of Lynn Senate President Wlliam Bulger of South Boston and Chairman ol the House and Senate Ways and Means Com mittees Rep John Finnegan of Boston and Sen Chester At lcins of Concord instituted the rider The ironic thing was that in 1978 a special commission was Q1 -c..a:StJlQ 'Q uf! me ti 1 irrixes. their tuitions in order to relieye the slalc from such expenses Thc message was becoming clcar The state wanted little to do with thc state colleges July 1 1980 IS part of the re organization bill the post of Secretary of Lducation was abolishcd. The Governor managed to makc obsolete thc only spokcsman of public higher education close to him. The reorganization bill was hardly a bill. lt was a rider at- lormed to look into a plan for reorganizing the state colleges The commission was just about due for a report to the full House The rider undid two years ol hard work and wasted thousands of tax dollars QA rider does not receive a yea X nay vote. The budget as a whole gets voted on and a yea vote accepts the budget and all riders' conversely a nay vote rejects the budget and all riders.1