Legislature should stop gutting higher education

In a Dec. 31 Associated Press article, Eastern Washington University President Dr. Rodolfo Arévalo said he hoped higher education didn’t turn into the state Legislature’s “rainy-day fund” for solving budget problems.

Amen.

Unfortunately Arévalo also said he is “pessimistic” about the Legislative session beginning Jan. 14 and its abilities to solve these problems. We share that pessimism.

This state has big budget challenges in the coming 2013-15 biennium. The Office of Financial Management predicted a $1 billion deficit back in August, a prediction that doesn’t take into account likely pressur...