Town & Gown:
Communicate with Political Leaders about Issues
Reprinted here in its entirety.

By Dr. William A. Meehan
President, Jacksonville State University
Weekly Column - Town and Gown
07-11-2007

State leaders — your public servants — must never forget the poor revenue cycles of the past or begin cutting taxes that support the Education Trust Fund. Instead, Alabamians need to remind every legislator, time and time again, that they want a strong, seamless, accessible Pre-K through Ph.D. educational system.

Our task as citizens is to inform Alabama’s politicians and their bosses — fellow voters — that now is not the time to relax: much work is left to be done before Alabama education is on solid ground. And when I say work, I mean the kind of work that results in real accomplishments, such as improving attitudes to the extent that we see real change.

Thomas Edison put it best: “Being busy does not always mean real work. The object of all work is production or accomplishment, and to either of these ends there must be forethought, system, planning, intelligence, and honest purpose, as well as perspiration. Seeming to do is not doing.”

We begin a new school year within a few weeks. Our legislators convene at the start of the new year. Voters must watch closely and be heard. We must do what needs to be done to educate voters and show them why they should be interested in the next legislative session. And we should not give up until every voter can make informed decisions in polling booths.

What can citizens do? I suggest three actions.

First, I believe we should make a much stronger effort to tell Alabamians about the value of higher education in Alabama. Alabama’s public universities are vital links to economic prosperity and quality of life. Universities produce the state’s professionals. Consider life in Alabama without a sufficient number of doctors, nurses, and related professionals.

Further, universities are the source of research and outreach that allow businesses and their products to continue to evolve so that today’s knowledge can lead to greater success tomorrow.

Everyone wants the security of knowing his or her work is going to pay dividends. It is an “economic reality” that people will achieve greater levels of prosperity if they produce products that meet significant demand. Universities equip entrepreneurs to do just that. In public education, the rules of economics do apply. Citizens must recognize that the educational product is needed vitally and that educational success depends upon a sufficient level of support backed by voters.

Second, without doubt, the automotive sector has produced positive gains for the state’s economy. However, we must not put all our eggs in one basket.

We must continue to look for new industry and jobs. Gov. Riley has established The Rural Action Committee and statewide Regional Action Sub-Committees to continue the trend. The Montgomery Advertiser editorialized about the need for rural Alabama to have a coordinated plan for progress, which the governor has initiated. A proposed Center for Rural Alabama would be able to provide comprehensive leadership. The goal of the center would be to work with a variety of entities to address the need for economic vitality, sustainable populations, and the need to keep the best and brightest students in Alabama when their training has been completed. Universities played a vital role in the proposal’s inception.

The Advertiser also cited the value of research occurring at an Alabama research university and called for a “maximization” of the benefits that could be derived from a research park. The Birmingham News called the need to invest in Alabama universities a “no brainer.”

Third, those who earn four-year and graduate degrees in Alabama realize a much higher degree of economic well-being than the state’s population as a whole. Average annual earnings of an individual with a bachelor’s degree are about 75 percent higher than the earnings of high school graduates. This differential in earnings based on educational attainment can only increase; only a fourth of the nation’s population holds a college degree.

If investment in a college degree is expressed as a financial investment, then the net return is somewhere on the order of 12 percent, according to a study by the University of Arizona. We must instill in our children a love for learning and a desire to acquire academic credentials.

In conclusion, Alabama higher education must remain the No. 1 priority in Montgomery and among voters. Voters wield a strong arm at the polls. And voters must do their part, or the job in Montgomery may not get done. I urge every voter to exercise his or her right to vote, talk to political leaders, and to hold our public leaders accountable for their actions as “good shepherds” over education.

About William A. Meehan

Dr. William A. Meehan is president of Jacksonville State University. His column, "Town & Gown," appears in The Jacksonville News.

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