GCC should dispense with its empires

Yet again we hear the Glendale College trustees and president whine and cry about the lack of money for Glendale College. Classes are closed, semesters shortened, programs eliminated.

I went to Glendale College beginning in 1959. The focus back then was on education. We had classes and instructors, sports, music, art and theater. We did fine.

Today the college has an absurd number of programs and personnel that have absolutely nothing to do with actual teaching and classes. As an example, why do they need their own police department at a cost of millions of dollars per year? Are the city police not capable of handling any problems that might come up on campus? Why do they need an administrative dean of human resources and a staff development office with scads of costly “programs” to make life comfortable for the teachers and administrators? Again, more millions of dollars. Why do they spend millions on a parking structure, and millions more on artificial turf for the football field? The list goes on and on.

Costly empires have been created, empires that have nothing to do with teaching or education. Look at the college’s website and see for yourself. Millions are spent that have nothing to do with educating students. And now they’re out of money.

Do you remember when “they” were trying to get voters to approve the Lotto? The promise was that the money would go to the schools and that “we will never, ever, cross out hearts and hope to die, have to ask you for money again.” Yeah, right!

I have no patience (and no vote) with those who say the only answer is more and more money. The answer is to get back to the task schools are charged with, education. Not empire-building, social engineering or artificial turf.

Trent Sanders
La Cañada Flintridge