Here we are in the middle of a sluggish economy, facing a substantial budget deficit and despite these grim facts the University of California continues to operate an island paradise that benefits a few students and professors, subsidized by taxpayer dollars and student tuition.
I wish I was kidding, but here are the details:
According to a April 14 story in the San Jose Mercury News: “The University of California has created a little-known South Pacific station it calls research ‘paradise’ on what some travelers consider the most beautiful island in the world.”
It must be nice.
UC officials, meanwhile, have dismissed the criticism, arguing the study of the tropics is important in the fight against global warming and that the station is a bargain.
Yes, Paradise Island is a bargain for the students and professors who pay a mere $40 a night per guest, but for the taxpayers who heavily subsidize this “Station,” it is a rip-off.
Keep in mind, nearby five-star resorts on Moorea charge up to $900 a night for an over-water bungalow on piles.
“Most Californians would be shocked to find out they are subsidizing a South Pacific getaway for UC professors at a time when government should be economizing and scrutinizing every penny spent,” said David Kline, spokesman for the California Taxpayers’ Association.
This is the type of waste Republicans and taxpayer groups have opposed for years. We believe the government should pay only for the existence of essential state land. And when government is cash strapped, like California, the last expense should be a fantasy island on a far flung shore.
This island paradise is a prime example of tax dollar abuse and under-valuation of state-owned resources. In other words, the state loses money two ways with this boondoggle: From the unwise, if not improper, use of state subsidies and the unrealized financial benefit the state could gain if the facility were leased or rented at market value.
Clearly, the state has abdicated its fiscal responsibility if it does not demand sufficient justification for the continued subsidized use of this facility by only a handful of privileged faculty members and students.
The Mercury News article goes on to say: “Critics cite the potential high value of the donated 35-acre island parcel. The seller of a small, nearby parcel with three thatched cottages, for example, wants $1.9 million.”
This is just further proof of the site’s under-valuation.
“The university makes it clear… that the station isn’t just about work. Its web site carries information about recreation: Station equipment, such as vehicles and boats, are available for trips.”
Furthermore, student blogs give advice on restaurants and the best party spots.
It’s time for the state, and its universities, to start doing what everyday Californians are doing—addressing their tightening budgets by reducing costs on nice, but unnecessary, expenses or finding ways to net additional funds from better use of the resources they own. That may mean it’s time for UC Berkeley to put its island research facility up for lease at market value. If not, then maybe the Legislature should force its sale.
Tour Paradise Island:
http://moorea.berkeley.edu/stationguide/
