I was disgusted when I read The Spectrum's Nov. 5 article, "Simpson's Pay Package Tops SUNY Salaries," on John B. Simpson's compensation for becoming UB's next president. The article poorly justified such a grossly high compensation while ignoring some key fundamental issues.
One issue is this: Why are public university presidents' salaries increasing when states throughout the country are raising tuition and student fees? Why are presidents' salaries not being held at their already high levels in order to help offset states' budget gaps? Why is this burden of filling the budget gaps being placed on the students, who already pay exorbitant amounts of money with many emerging from college with tens of thousands of dollars of debt?
To focus on UB specifically, why has President Greiner's base salary increased by more than $50,000 since 1997, and why was it necessary to increase an already high income of $170,000? The article stated, without any explanation, that being the president of UB is not as easy as it was a few years ago, but that does not justify an additional $50,000 in base pay. Most people in this country do not even make $50,000 in a given year.
Being the chief administrator of a university does entitle one to adequate compensation. But is not $400,000 in salary and benefits plus a $720,000 mansion excessive? Is it not a disgusting display of the greed inherent in America's rich and privileged elite?
There can be no rational justification for these increasingly high salaries, especially when the federal and state governments are cutting back on educational funding. We must question such excessiveness and not accept and be complacent with it, for ultimately it is our money - the students' and taxpayers' - that provides these absurd salaries.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
