Two disasters, one bailout

Re: “U of A offers professors buyouts to meet $56M funding shortfall,” the Journal, Aug. 7. I felt sick when I read about the University of Alberta’s desperate measures to balance its budget following the draconian funding cuts announced in March by the Redford government.

To slash and burn our educational system reveals a degree of short-sightedness in our elected leaders that is nothing short of mindboggling.

It also represents a betrayal of people like me who joined the Conservative Party in 2011 for the sole purpose of giving Alison Redford the opportunity to lead our province. I did that only because she promised she was committed to increasing funding for education.

Since that shocking March budget was released, there has been a groundswell of protest. Albertans have actually begged the government to introduce a sales tax or to change our income tax structure so that all of us who can afford to pay more do so — anything to avert these awful cuts to human services, including the education of our youth.

All voices have been ignored, yet three months later Redford was able to instantly respond to the floods in southern Alberta by promising an immediate $1 billion in tax dollars to repair the damage, with more to follow. This, too, boggles the mind.

How can we have $1 billion at the ready for an emergency when we don’t have $56 million to avoid catastrophic damage to our beloved U of A?

Our university is a precious treasure and it requires academic staff to ensure it it is not diminished. Joan M. Johnston, M. D., Edmonton