Your July 25 article about Donna Arduin’s history was most illustrative. Specifically, in all of the states where she has been brought on board to fix a “bloated” budget, she has left chaos and hardship in her wake. Yes, budgets were initially reduced; however, the aftermath seems to have been uniformly detrimental in the long term to the citizens of those states.
Her strategy to disembowel the University of Alaska is a case in point. Her drastic trimming of other states’ university systems may have shifted enrollment to other institutions — and higher fees for students along with inconvenience. Alaska, however, does not have accessible options — other than Alaska Pacific University and online resources — so our students are left high and dry. I attained my master’s degree in social work from UAA, in a state where we desperately need to grow our own social workers. When I attended, most of the social work students were commuters, many working while in school and supporting families. This would be impossible if educational opportunities are only available elsewhere.
So she likes Alaska and wants to stay for a couple of years — but can we afford her? Perhaps it is time for her to take her budget scissors elsewhere and allow Alaska-knowledgeable experts to take over.
— Sue Ellen May
Eagle River
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