The President of the United States, arguable the most powerful person on the planet, earns $400,000 per year, whether he is deemed to have properly carried out his functions or not. The new University of Alaska President earns 81-plus percent of that amount, with a promised bonus of up to $75,000, which would equal the salary of the U.S. president, if he wrings more money out of alumni, improves minority graduation, cuts administrative costs, plus six other unidentified requirements, by 10 percent, all of which are or should be in his employment contract anyway. At the same time, the news media reports that the citizens of Alaska will likely see an income tax again, and potentially a hit on some part of the Permanent Fund Program. The responsibilities of the UA President are worth the same value as the responsibilities of the U.S. president? Really? It appears to me that the Board of Regents is throwing down the gauntlet, and intends to challenge the State Legislature to pick it up. Let us hope that the Legislature does, and promptly and ingloriously unseats the Board of Regents from their runaway stallion, with a resounding clang of bending armor hitting the hard ground of reality.
Phil Nash
Kenai-Nikiski