Open E-mail to Lamar S Smith (TX), Chairman House Science, Space, & Technology
Committee
Dear Chairman
Smith,
Good news!
Surveys by three organizations show that university research programs have been adversely affected by federal budget sequestration. The sequestration which took effect on March 1, will last for 10 years.
Some may regard this as an adverse effect on university research programs. Under normal conditions, that would be correct. However in this case, the various agencies of the Obama Administration have been giving billions of dollars in grants to universities for conducting "Propaganda Research", in order to push Federal Administration ideology. More simply, the research which has been financed by taxpayers is not true scientific research, which normally would lead to greater insight into scientific matters. It has been only a promotional program.
70% of the universities have had their research projects delayed and have also received fewer research grants. That's good. We should not be giving universities money to conduct false research.
30% of the universities have been forced to reduce their undergraduate research programs. That's not as good news. Undergraduate research usually accomplishes nothing with respect to advancing the art of science, but it does serve as a training mechanism, wherein students gain some initial practice in how to conduct research and prepare them to achieve accomplishments as graduate students or postdocs. However, chances are that the previous undergraduate research projects were of the propaganda type, and therefore deceptive from a science teaching point of view.
16% of the universities have laid off permanent staff. It's not so good, because it increases unemployment. However, chances are that the universities were overstaffed in the first place, which is why tuition costs are been increasing by leaps and bounds. In addition, those people now out of work will probably be rehired as private industry starts to recognize that they now have to compete less with big government dollars, in order to obtain a foothold in the practical academic research field.
Bottom line. The sequestration is bringing scientific research in universities back into a practical basis by reducing university involvement in government propaganda work. However, we are still dumping billions of dollars of taxpayer money into these propaganda programs, and it is past time to cut it even further.
Surveys by three organizations show that university research programs have been adversely affected by federal budget sequestration. The sequestration which took effect on March 1, will last for 10 years.
Some may regard this as an adverse effect on university research programs. Under normal conditions, that would be correct. However in this case, the various agencies of the Obama Administration have been giving billions of dollars in grants to universities for conducting "Propaganda Research", in order to push Federal Administration ideology. More simply, the research which has been financed by taxpayers is not true scientific research, which normally would lead to greater insight into scientific matters. It has been only a promotional program.
70% of the universities have had their research projects delayed and have also received fewer research grants. That's good. We should not be giving universities money to conduct false research.
30% of the universities have been forced to reduce their undergraduate research programs. That's not as good news. Undergraduate research usually accomplishes nothing with respect to advancing the art of science, but it does serve as a training mechanism, wherein students gain some initial practice in how to conduct research and prepare them to achieve accomplishments as graduate students or postdocs. However, chances are that the previous undergraduate research projects were of the propaganda type, and therefore deceptive from a science teaching point of view.
16% of the universities have laid off permanent staff. It's not so good, because it increases unemployment. However, chances are that the universities were overstaffed in the first place, which is why tuition costs are been increasing by leaps and bounds. In addition, those people now out of work will probably be rehired as private industry starts to recognize that they now have to compete less with big government dollars, in order to obtain a foothold in the practical academic research field.
Bottom line. The sequestration is bringing scientific research in universities back into a practical basis by reducing university involvement in government propaganda work. However, we are still dumping billions of dollars of taxpayer money into these propaganda programs, and it is past time to cut it even further.
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