Many people have heard the news of the Tucker (Postsecondary Education Review) Commission’s recommendations to state legislature. The biggest and most notable is the suggestion to consolidate the five panels governing Louisiana’s higher education to two boards of regents. One board would be for research universities and the other for community and technical colleges.They must have read my column from last semester — yeah, right. But seriously, I would like to applaud the effort and thought put into this action. The vote was only 5 to 4, so it barely passed as a recommendation. This slim margin is baffling — I guess some people think cluttered bureaucracy is an effective method of function — which is cause for concern because it could indicate a small potential of legislation passing through the state congress and onto Gov. Bobby Jindal’s desk.Louisiana government has a history of failing big time on many vivid occasions — frozen money, racist or racketeering gubernatorial candidates, etc. The excellence lacking from our elected officials for the years past brings us to a point of extreme adversity in moving toward success as a state, recent athletic endeavors aside.The Tucker Commission made its recommendations, and now our “carefully” selected legislators have the responsibility of carrying them out. “Our” congressmen have to sort through the complicated task of putting together five panels, who will certainly be stubborn.This task is not just a logistical nightmare — for the elected officials, it’s a political nightmare.The consolidation can and should end up eliminating degree programs and entire campuses. This would eliminate jobs and college-based communities — not always popular decisions among constituents, but the perpetuation of the five-headed Lernaean Hydra (watch Hercules) will perpetuate the substandard academic performance of Louisiana. This lobotomy can result in a bright future for the state.Legislators might think they’re throwing themselves in front of a political bus, but they also might be ensuring the future of Louisiana. This is a stunning idea, but “I personally believe that” Louisiana legislators should do what is right for the state, and with Herculean effort use the research provided to start lopping off the higher education monsters’ heads.That was a fun trip down mythology lane, but some finesse work needs to be done. Whether you like it or not, LSU probably has the highest admission standard of the state colleges. This being said, what happens when LSU falls under the jurisdiction of a board of regents in charge of maybe 10 other schools? What takes precedence: maintaining the strongest link or strengthening the weakest link? Ideally, focus should be placed on both, with the weakest rising to the level of the strongest — crazy, right?Unfortunately, not everyone sees the long-term benefits of a better higher education, so if legislators have to lose their jobs in the process of fixing our broken state, so be it. I hope the legislators have other jobs or sources of income.One way or another, money makes the world go ’round. Education depends on it, especially with the increase of technology and the sheer numbers of people coming through schools. Louisiana has a problem with its allocation of tax money to education. Postsecondary education is currently considered discretionary spending along with healthcare. This is the constitutional “epic fail” producing terminations of the instructors and teachers students actually like in the wake of millions of dollars in raises for the extracurricular coaches.The Commission did recommend: “The governor, the Louisiana Legislature and the citizens of Louisiana shall consider and approve changes to the constitution that will allow required budget cuts to be allocated across all possible state agencies and not fall disproportionately upon postsecondary education.”Amen.It’s not exactly how to do it, but it’s the first step. The committees in congress can figure out how, but they need to do it as soon as possible.Matt Lousteau is a 20-year-old mechanical engineering junior from Laplace. Follow him on  Twitter @TDR_mlousteau.
 
 
 
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