MUSC Whining Doesn’t Mention Virgin Islands Trip
Let’s face it … the only reason La Socialista’s scaled-back editorial page even exists anymore is to provide overpaid government employees in South Carolina with a forum for bitching and moaning about not getting as much money as they think they deserve.
Take Dr. Raymond Greenberg of the Medical University of South Carolina, who in addition to articulating his opposition to reasonable limits on government growth, offered this pile of utter horse dung for public consumption in Sunday’s edition of our state-sponsored media …
At the Medical University, we are facing the perfect storm of declining state funding just when research support from the federal and corporate sectors is lagging, reimbursement for patient care is being threatened and in all likelihood private philanthropy will fall. We are left with few choices other than to scale back our programs and services to the people of South Carolina. Similar reductions will be required at most other public colleges, as well as virtually all other state agencies.
Wait … you’re “left with few choices” other than scaling back programs and services to the people of South Carolina?
Last time we checked, the MUSC budget was still up from last year, people – even after the recent state “cuts.”
That’s probably why Dr. “Whiny McWhinyson” chose not to reference any specific dollar amounts in the steaming pile he laid in the paper.
Had he chosen to include those specific dollar amounts, though, you would have quickly learned that MUSC received the greatest funding increase (both in total funds and as a percentage increase) of any of our state’s three major research Universities in this year’s budget.
Even after a $14.2 million state “cut,” MUSC’s total budget stands at $568 million, which is up $26 million from its previous year’s budget of $542 million.
This increase, no doubt, is why the school can still afford to sponsor a swanky liberal health care conference down in the U.S. Virgin Islands next month.
Wait … what?
From our new favorite publication, the St. Croix Source:
The St. Croix campus of the University of the Virgin Islands will play host next month to a health care conference focusing on disparities in health care for minority and rural populations.
Friday afternoon, Delegate Donna M. Christensen, who is a medical doctor herself, said that the Dec. 4-6 conference, co-sponsored by the Medical College of South Carolina, is aimed at all medical professionals working with under-served populations, plus individuals, church groups and other organizations that offer care to their communities.
Great … so rather than actually using their money (our money) to fight “disparities in health care for minority and rural populations,” MUSC is now sponsoring a getaway to the U.S. Virgin Islands not only for its educrats, but for educrats across the country.
So will Greenberg – who pulls down nearly $250,000 a year – attend this tropical getaway?
His office couldn’t immediately furnish us with an answer, but we’re guessing he’s packing his sun tan lotion as we speak.
To read the truth on higher education spending in South Carolina, click here.
To read more of educrat bullsh*t, keep reading La Socialista.
Comments
By Jim Vining on November 24th, 2008 at 12:46 pm
Hope you stay healthy!
By fitsnews on November 24th, 2008 at 2:33 pm
JV,
Aside from never making “varsity,” what’s that comment s’posed to mean?
FITS
By Real cuts = Real Problems on November 24th, 2008 at 3:14 pm
Sic, if you want to see the costs of the Guv’s and legislature’s cuts, you should come over to the State U School of Law.
You will be hard pressed to find any Virgin Island trips considering we had to suspend any travel.
In addition, to make up for our $750,000 deficit, we have garbage bags taped to the ceiling where tiles should be, have signs in the library warning of our recent rodent infestation, have had to dismantle our adjunct program because we couldn’t pay adjuncts, and have asked our organizations to “pinch pennies.â€
Further, unlike your report on MUSC, we have seen appropriations fall between $30-40 million since 2001.
And people wonder why we cannot advance in the rankings? We have nothing to better the school with…
Sic, you will not be able to explain away our gross educational under-funding problems (or really divert the issue) by finding school official shopping sprees or Virgin Island Trips.
Sadly, I’m sure you will keep trying…
By One who knows more than you do about it on November 24th, 2008 at 3:56 pm
So FITSTER…do you work for the Governor now? Your numbers may be accurate, but your statements are deceptive. MUSC’s state appropriation has declined significantly, yet you use total “budget” dollars to make your point. How about a little honesty from you? Most of the remainder of those dollars are self-generated from clinical activity and research grants. In fact, less than 9% of MUSC’s overall revenues come from combined tuition and state appropriations. The fact is that MUSC (along with tech schools and Coastal Carolina) receives the lowest percentage of calculated need (50% before the latest round of cuts to appropriations) of all SC state assisted colleges and universities using the Commission on Higher Education’s MRR funding formula. The institution needs to make up the difference through entrepreneurship, and yes, occasionally by hitting the road to look for resources (see USVI trip). It’s one thing to criticize a single expenditure (which you did), and quite another to actually attempt to give an honest treatment of the overall finances (which you certainly did not).
By roofus on November 24th, 2008 at 8:13 pm
As a COM grad, it’s disheartening to see the “Oldest Medical School in the South” in dire economic straits. In-state tuition hikes have occurred unabated for the past ten years and there is a real possibility that in-sate tuition may increase to $40,000/year. MUSC is now accepting FOREIGN MEDICALLY-TRAINED students for their 3rd and 4th year rotations in an unprecented move to generate revenue, charging up to nearly $100,000.oo per foreign medical student for the rotation experience.
To rectify its financial woes, I recommend several politically incorrect remedies:
(1-Send the unpaid millions of dollars of medical bills of “undocumented patients” to the patient’s country of origin and demand payment
(2-Eliminate the antiquated and pathologically flawed tenure system and replace it with a merit-based system
(3-Eliminate the Orwellian “Office of Diversity” and sell it to the highest bidder as primo downtown Charleston real estate
(4-Combine MUSC and USC and streamline the unprofitable departments
(5-Utilize more the more abundant hospital facilities in the upstate which offer the medical student more “hands-on” clinical experiences that can be achieved at MUSC (where frequently med students graduate from their surgical rotation without ever having sutured a living patient)
By James the Foot Soldier on November 24th, 2008 at 10:40 pm
The school of law has seen its appropriations fall?
And the choir sang AMEN: there is a God and he is good.
I’ve outlawyered (with only two business law classes under my belt) every lawyer I’ve run across/over in South Carolina. S
Save the cash and just close the piece of crap law screwl.
By current MUSC College of Medicine (COM) student on November 25th, 2008 at 12:01 am
I can affirm that Rufus’ recommendations are spot-on. MUSC is a fiscally incompetent institution in desperate need of common sense reforms.
Maybe Gov. Sanford can use his influence to fire Ray Greenberg and appoint Dr. Rufus as MUSC’s next president.
Ah well, a med student can dream, can’t he?
By To James on November 25th, 2008 at 12:55 am
James, wow, your ex’s divorce attorney must have steam-rolled you huh? That’s some bitterness. I know one you won’t stream-roll if you ever meet.
Anyway, I’m tired of the old no attorneys song and dance. Did you know this year we raised over 18,000 lbs of food for a local food shelter? Did you know our pro bono office gives back hundreds of free hours of legal service each year like doing senior citizens taxes for free this past year so they could qualify to get the gov’t stimulus? Did you know that lawyers do all sorts of work for disturbing kinds that often get talked about to the kinds dealing in public interest and criminal prosecution and rights protection? Get over your discriminatory views and focus on the issue.
By helenup on November 25th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
MUSC financial woe solution — start a football program. Imagine the hands-on training the players would get — like little minnie triage or ER episodes where student athletes could assess the injured and choked — nursing students would assess the injured, psych students could quickly counsel someone who just flubbed a kick, and the orthopedist hopeful would be the busiest on the field. So the refs blow a play dead and MUSC players — we could call them “the scalpels” — could huddle discuss treatments — real fast ones between plays. (The surgical students have great hands, so they’re your receivers.) Procedures can take only a minute or suffer penalties.
Anyway, the MUSC scalpels could play only teams from other medical schools — like Duke, UNC, Maryland, Georgia, etc. There would be a big bowl game at the end of the season, which could be sponsored by, say, Lily (Yeah, the Lily Bowl). Anyway, the money made through the program would not have to be approved and could even be used to pay gobs of money to get rid of somebody. Gee. How novel.
By NotforHire on November 25th, 2008 at 3:29 pm
I recently received a statement for services from MUSC with an remittance address in Atlanta.
Personally I would rather they find some way to process their payments here in South Carolina rather than outsourcing it to Georgia, taking away from our state’s employment base and tax base.
But hey, that’s just me.
By James the Foot Soldier on November 25th, 2008 at 6:39 pm
To James,
Sorry counselor, you’ve got you’re steam-rollereds backwards.
It was WIFE’s attorney with the nose that turned redder than Rudolph’s as I ran circles around his pathetic lawyering. The moron was shaking, not figuratively, LITERALLY, shaking as he tried to salvage his case.
My support/extortion payments dropped from 1800 a month to 500 a month.
Congratulatiosn on your philanthropy – dig a LOT deeper this year – it’s getting really bad out there – due to the inept way this country is governed – governed by those who just happen to be (drum roll please) LAWYERS!
By helenup on November 25th, 2008 at 8:51 pm
Whew, it’s sure getting hot down here. How ’bout lets get aboard the MUSC plan for a nice getaway to Asheville.
By helenup on November 25th, 2008 at 8:51 pm
I mean plane — the vapors are getting to me.
By helenup on November 25th, 2008 at 8:56 pm
For rent: Room with a vue — overlooking the Ashley River from the fabulous, glistening Ashley River Tower.Comes with heart monitor and a personal nurse. Lots available. Call now for reservations.
By James Betram on December 1st, 2008 at 10:17 pm
Amen to Rufus! Your comments are right on! Why do we have an office of Diversity? Just recruit good students and minorities. Do not create a two tier system that places increased value on minority students who sometimes do not measure up. Just this year, the MUSC College of Medicine Departments were forced to shell out 1-2 million dollars that was matched by the UMA for 3-4 FULL MINORITY Scholarships! This is just wrong. CAn we have our money back now that the place is in financial shambles?
By Reader on December 2nd, 2008 at 6:48 pm
After perusing the ‘Brad Warthen Blog’ for pure curiosity’s sake today, as in what bowel movements has he worked up since I last looked in horror —
Thanks Sic Willie!!!
By Daniel on December 5th, 2008 at 10:58 am
Guess What? After all of Ray Greenberg’s justification for the trip to the Virgin Islands and how important it was to MUSC and that he and others had to attend – Ray didn’t go. He’s here at MUSC.
So much for the importance of the trip to the Islands
By Ida on December 16th, 2008 at 10:55 pm
And once again, Greenberg is gone for a week while everyone tries to deal with the horrors of the ensuing economic crisis that was exacerbated by this man’s waste and greed. But all’s well in this Holy City. Tons of packages arrived at the center of campus from otherwise stressed MUSC staff for the little kids who have absolutely nothing and whose parents have nothing. One should consider history that reflects upon various revolutions in old Europe. Eventually, heads start to roll in the bucket from the swift falling, heavy blade; and those heads do not belong to those who have lost their jobs, but to those who have chopped off other’s hope and resources. Merry Christmas.
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