San Diego State Budget Crisis

Your editorial (“The Last Should Have Been First,” Aug. 13) was almost right on the money. President Thomas Day did at last what he should have done first for preserving San Diego State University in a budget crisis. However, the editorial fell short by not encouraging Day’s removal.

After making a mess of the first round in the budget crisis, the editorial suggests that Day’s expertise will come in handy when the next round of budget woes is upon us. That’s like evaluating a boat’s ability to float by its proven ability to sink. Day simply was not up to the job the first time around, and there’s no reason to believe that his proven incompetence will turn into administrative ability.

The editorial argued “. . . there is no evidence that his removal is necessary.” On the contrary, Day has irreparably damaged the university for years to come by his own incompetent management. Talented young faculty will not come to SDSU, and the best and the brightest of current faculty will not want to stay. Millions of dollars in research grants almost certainly will be lost because of the unstable conditions caused by Day’s ill-considered actions, and the university’s reputation has been badly tarnished. There is a total lack of confidence and trust in Day’s ability by the faculty, students, alumni, and parents of students. His removal is imperative to permit a renewal of the institution.

He never did make hard or tough decisions. It takes no ability whatsoever to fire people. That’s not tough or shrewd. That’s lazy. What Day did was indeed needless, as your editorial pointed out. Leaving the S&L; heads in control after initial evidence of incompetence led to disaster. Larry, Moe, and Curley couldn’t have made a bigger mess of things, and we certainly don’t want Day around to do it again.

WILLIAM B. SANDERS, Professor of Sociology, SDSU