This is the latest in an ongoing series examining the issues, records and platforms of West Virginia's candidates for governor. Today's installment deals with higher education.
This is the latest in an ongoing series examining the issues,
records and platforms of West Virginia's candidates for governor. Today's
installment deals with higher education.
In the grand scheme of politics, an eye-glazing topic like
college financial aid usually fades amid shouts of
"Abortion!" and "Jobs!"
But when the candidates stand as close on issues as Gov. Cecil
Underwood and challenger Rep. Bob Wise, collegeaid can -
and has - emerged as arguably the most divisiveissue in the
campaign.
Even more so, because Wise has dragged "gray" video poker machines into
the fray. He wants to legalize the payouts, tax the earnings and use the
money to buy college educations for West Virginia's smartest
children.
"That's the major source of revenue that I can see," Wise said.
Two years ago, Underwood signed a law authorizing Lincoln County Sen.
Lloyd Jackson's pet scholarship program, the PROMISE scholarship
(Providing Real Opportunity for Maximizing In-state Student Excellence).
He started appointing people to a PROMISE board of directors.
Then Wise hitched his gubernatorial hopes to the PROMISE plan.
Underwood now says he'd rather spend state money on need-based financial
aid for poor people to go to college, not grade-based
aid like PROMISE.
"If he cares so much about needs-based, fine," Wise said. "Tax the gray
machines ... I'd be happy to have some needs-based come out of that as
well."
Underwood did not return repeated phone calls seeking comment for this
tory.
Wise's plan - otherwise known as Jackson's plan - would pay the entire
tuition at any in-state college for every student who leaves high
chool with a "B" average. Students would have to maintain at least a B
average in college to keep their scholarships.
The whole thing would cost an estimated $25 million a year.
Mountain Party candidate Denise Giardina vehemently opposes the PROMISE
cholarship.
"I've been saying that ever since [Wise] has been talking about it,"
aid Giardina, a novelist who teaches literature part-time at West
Virginia State College. "I think the grade thing is a really bad
idea."
High-school teachers would feel pressure to hand out "Bs" so they
wouldn't mess up a kid's chance for a scholarship, Giardina said. And it
might stop students from taking really difficult classes in high school.
"I know kids well enough to know that some of them are going to dumb
down on their schedule to get the 'B' average," she said.
Giardina thinks using scholarships as an excuse to legalize video poker
is "a horrible idea."
"We should be banning gray machines," she said. "I think it's really a
rapacious way for a government to make money."
Libertarian candidate Bob Myers also opposes the PROMISE
cholarship.
"It would set up a social caste in our school system," Myers said. "It
used to be that the smart kids went to college, and the dumb kids
went to trade school. We've gotten away from that, thank heaven. I think
it would be a social regression."
- - -
Wise wants to be clear on one point. He does not want to do away with
West Virginia's need-based collegeaid.
This is the latest in an ongoing series examining the issues,
records and platforms of West Virginia's candidates for governor. Today's
installment deals with higher education.
In the grand scheme of politics, an eye-glazing topic like
college financial aid usually fades amid shouts of
"Abortion!" and "Jobs!"
But when the candidates stand as close on issues as Gov. Cecil
Underwood and challenger Rep. Bob Wise, collegeaid can -
and has - emerged as arguably the most divisiveissue in the
campaign.
Even more so, because Wise has dragged "gray" video poker machines into
the fray. He wants to legalize the payouts, tax the earnings and use the
money to buy college educations for West Virginia's smartest
children.
"That's the major source of revenue that I can see," Wise said.
Two years ago, Underwood signed a law authorizing Lincoln County Sen.
Lloyd Jackson's pet scholarship program, the PROMISE scholarship
(Providing Real Opportunity for Maximizing In-state Student Excellence).
He started appointing people to a PROMISE board of directors.
Then Wise hitched his gubernatorial hopes to the PROMISE plan.
Underwood now says he'd rather spend state money on need-based financial
aid for poor people to go to college, not grade-based
aid like PROMISE.
"If he cares so much about needs-based, fine," Wise said. "Tax the gray
machines ... I'd be happy to have some needs-based come out of that as
well."
Underwood did not return repeated phone calls seeking comment for this
tory.
Wise's plan - otherwise known as Jackson's plan - would pay the entire
tuition at any in-state college for every student who leaves high
chool with a "B" average. Students would have to maintain at least a B
average in college to keep their scholarships.
The whole thing would cost an estimated $25 million a year.
Mountain Party candidate Denise Giardina vehemently opposes the PROMISE
cholarship.
"I've been saying that ever since [Wise] has been talking about it,"
aid Giardina, a novelist who teaches literature part-time at West
Virginia State College. "I think the grade thing is a really bad
idea."
High-school teachers would feel pressure to hand out "Bs" so they
wouldn't mess up a kid's chance for a scholarship, Giardina said. And it
might stop students from taking really difficult classes in high school.
"I know kids well enough to know that some of them are going to dumb
down on their schedule to get the 'B' average," she said.
Giardina thinks using scholarships as an excuse to legalize video poker
is "a horrible idea."
"We should be banning gray machines," she said. "I think it's really a
rapacious way for a government to make money."
Libertarian candidate Bob Myers also opposes the PROMISE
cholarship.
"It would set up a social caste in our school system," Myers said. "It
used to be that the smart kids went to college, and the dumb kids
went to trade school. We've gotten away from that, thank heaven. I think
it would be a social regression."
- - -
Wise wants to be clear on one point. He does not want to do away with
West Virginia's need-based collegeaid.
"I want to fully fund needs-based," Wise said. "Maybe there should be a
mix. Cap the PROMISE scholarship at $15 million until you are able to
cover all the needs-based."
West Virginia's need-based program, the Higher Education Grant Program,
has run short on money every year of its life. This year, 2,500 eligible
tudents didn't get aid because the grant program ran out of money.
Underwood has pledged huge funding increases for the grant program - $6
million in 1999 and $7.6 million in 2000. But they never came about,
although funding has gone up $1 million to $2 million every year since
Underwood became governor.
The head policy analyst for the national College Board agrees
with Underwood that need-based aid is the way to go. Too many
tates are putting their money into merit-based scholarships, Larry
Gladieux said.
The problem is there's already a slew of private scholarships available
for smart kids. So they're going to be able to go to college, no
matter what. The kids who need the help, Gladieux said, are the ones with
poorer, less educated parents who haven't been able to help them much with
homework over the years, or haven't exposed them to educational
opportunities, and can't help them pay for college.
Giardina wants to put more money into the Higher Education Grant
Program. Myers would abolish it, and instead issue vouchers that
tudents could use at any college.
- - -
There's one big drama going on in West Virginia higher education that
either Wise nor Underwood wants to call off: the fallout from Senate Bill
653, the brainchild of a handful of very powerful legislators that has
ent colleges into a tizzy of fear and indignation.
"I'm going to hold institutions, to the extent that I can through my
appointments to governing boards, to the principles in 653," Wise said.
"And at the end of the time, we'll have a community college system
instituted."
Wise agrees with the Legislature that to improve West Virginia's
economy, the state should encourage more people to go to community
college. A Colorado consultant hired by the Legislature reported
that some of the state's community colleges aren't doing their jobs, and
they should be taken away from the four-year colleges that spawned them.
Four-year colleges don't like that idea, because community colleges
generate a lot of money. The Legislature agreed to give the four-year
colleges a year to prove that they can run things right. Wise wants to
follow that plan.
He doesn't want to let legislators use 653 as an excuse to build new
community colleges in their district, as House Finance Chairman Harold
Michael recently did in Hardy County.
"I think anybody who's looking to build new bricks and mortar is going
to be disappointed," Wise said.
Myers said he would leave it up to a free market to determine whether
the state needs more or better community colleges. Giardina said community
colleges are more effective and efficient when they're attached to
four-year colleges, so she'd just ignore the consultant's recommendation.
"It's treated as a piece of pork for legislators to say, 'Let's build
this in my district,'" she said. As for Michael's Eastern Community
College, Giardina said she'd get the state out from under that
before it wastes any more money.
"It's a rip-off," she said.
To contact staff writer Tara Tuckwiller, use e-mail or call 348-5189.
Gazette reporters are analyzing the issues, records and platforms of the candidates for governor in this ongoing series.
These stories will explain where the candidates stand on issues ranging from the environment to welfare issues to tort reform and more. Find out what the candidates say, and what they've actually done. This site also includes biographies of the candidates and links to additional information.
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