Bismarck Tribune - North Dakota News - Enough with the pay raises

Enough with the pay raises

Jun 27, 2008 - 04:06:42 CDT

By BERNIE E. KYLLO
Bismarck

When is enough, enough?

The North Dakota Board of Higher Education is at it again. I thought that the $300,000 salary established for Robert Kelley, University of North Dakota president, was a bit high. Chancellor William Goetz could have negotiated a smaller salary.

The board recently met and approved a raise for North Dakota State University President Joseph Chapman to $411,000 per year. This is $11,000 more than the president of the United States makes. Who has the most responsibility? The $38,314 raise for Chapman was over 10 percent. He will make approximately $1,500 for every working day.

What was the reasoning for this raise? All of the other state college presidents make about $150,000 or more, making them the highest-paid government employees in the state.

While they were at it, the board voted to give Goetz a $30,000 raise to $200,000. This is close to an 18 percent increase. Goetz says this was a worthwhile challenge and I would have to agree with him on that.

Where is it going to stop? I thought the governor would be the one to step in and do something. This seems very unlikely, since he is the one who appointed the chancellor.

The other possibility is the state Legislature. In the last legislative session, about the first order of business was voting themselves a pay raise, effective this year. This year, there is another move to boost salaries and expenses for them at the next legislative session. It would be hard for them to vote against any action that the Board of Higher Education has taken and then vote themselves larger increases.

Since there is apparently nothing that can be done, we should just grin and bear it.

News > Opinion

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Comments

bigpoppakdog wrote on Jun 28, 2008 1:06 AM:

" to kk: if you are looking at job service they OFTEN post salaries incorrectly. Have you noticed when they list salaries as $26,000 per month? $4000 per month, I would guess that it meant $4000 per season. By the way I do DO MY JOB. Unfortunately how well I DO MY JOB is based on the performance of somebody else(students). Think about it KK. Tell me if your job performance is based on the performance of someone else? "

edumacador wrote on Jun 27, 2008 10:26 PM:

" Nothing is too good for our children and if that is what it takes to get a good education then by all means spend more money on education and the people who run it. "

Tim from Bismarck wrote on Jun 27, 2008 2:29 PM:

" The real issue isn't NDSU & UND president salaries-------The problem is why do we have universities and paying salaries in Valley City, Mayville, Devils Lake Etc, Etc!! It"s time someone or persons in our higher ED system get the guts and address the overkill of higher ed institutions we have in this state and channel that money into a leaner and better university North Dakota higher ed system. "

Money talks wrote on Jun 27, 2008 10:38 AM:

" Edward,

Maybe Dr. Chapman should run all 11 colleges for 1.5 million "

kk wrote on Jun 27, 2008 8:45 AM:

" Enough is Enough~ thank you!!! I saw on job listings that drill team teachers are making over $4000 a month~ this is not enough????? Come on people~ teachers CHOSE this profession KNOWING the payrate so why should we be punished with higher taxes so they can get more???? DO YOUR JOB! We are NOT going to pay more taxes "

duaner wrote on Jun 27, 2008 8:24 AM:

" The author needs to get his facts straight. The Governor does not appoint the Chancellor. He does get to appoint members of the Board of Higher Ed, but only from a small list of names that get sent to him from a search committee that includes Wayne Sanstead and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. "

Edward wrote on Jun 27, 2008 8:21 AM:

" President Chapman is purportedly the smartest, wisest, and most productive man in North Dakota. "

Reader wrote on Jun 27, 2008 8:14 AM:

" WOW! Why are these government postions worth so much? What do these people do in their jobs to justify this type of money? This has to stop........... "

WHATEVER wrote on Jun 27, 2008 7:45 AM:

" At least we know where the big state surplus is going - to the top 2% just like it always does in a Republicanized society. Republicans should be happy about this because their "trickle down" economics should work well for them. I'm sure Chapman's fat salary will trickle down to the janitors and maintenance workers at NDSU. "

Snookered wrote on Jun 27, 2008 6:17 AM:

" Ah yes, we will grin & bear it, for we have no other choice, It is hard to believe that Mr. Chapman could be worth $1500.00 per working day, but if our Board of Higher Ed says he is worth that much it must be true. I imagine he must get a multitude of other perks too. Life is good at NDSU and the Legislature. You won't find much sympathy for the poor working slobs from a Government town like Bismarck tho. "

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