Comments on: Mo’ Money, Mo’ Problems for Harvard http://www.bostonmagazine.com/boston_daily/2008/05/08/mo-money-mo-problems-for-harvard/ Just another www.bostonmagazine.com weblog Sat, 30 Aug 2008 08:07:36 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=wordpress-mu-1.2.1 By: Becky /boston_daily/2008/05/08/mo-money-mo-problems-for-harvard/#comment-7359 Becky Thu, 08 May 2008 16:49:04 +0000 /boston_daily/2008/05/08/mo-money-mo-problems-for-harvard/#comment-7359 The solution is easy. Cambridge should conveniently not fix the roads surrounding the the entrances that the school president, or professors use to park their cars (because heaven forbid they take the T). Then start conveniently forgetting to make repairs at the Harvard Square stop...I mean...it is a very nice T stop in comparison to lets say... Arlington? Boylston? etc. And if the police presence in Harvard Square suddenly drastically declines to nonexistent? And theft and crime rise? Shucks, that would be a shame. Colleges and Universities continually stress their importance to surrounding communities by providing jobs and culture to the community. But they forget that the community is also providing benefits to them - via roads, utilities, safety personal, emergency response, plowing, street cleaning, and access to their university. The solution is easy. Cambridge should conveniently not fix the roads surrounding the the entrances that the school president, or professors use to park their cars (because heaven forbid they take the T). Then start conveniently forgetting to make repairs at the Harvard Square stop…I mean…it is a very nice T stop in comparison to lets say… Arlington? Boylston? etc.

And if the police presence in Harvard Square suddenly drastically declines to nonexistent? And theft and crime rise? Shucks, that would be a shame.

Colleges and Universities continually stress their importance to surrounding communities by providing jobs and culture to the community. But they forget that the community is also providing benefits to them - via roads, utilities, safety personal, emergency response, plowing, street cleaning, and access to their university.

]]> By: Ryan Richardson /boston_daily/2008/05/08/mo-money-mo-problems-for-harvard/#comment-7360 Ryan Richardson Thu, 08 May 2008 16:46:33 +0000 /boston_daily/2008/05/08/mo-money-mo-problems-for-harvard/#comment-7360 While there's a lot to be said for the contributions that colleges and universities make to a community (after having come back from Amherst to the South Shore the difference is startling) those have to be weighed against the costs that stem from those institutions. These institutions give Boston jobs and a certain cultural cachet, but they (and their students) also consume government services paid for by taxation. If a growing portion of a state or municipality's wealth is removed from the tax base (granted largely for legitimate nonprofit purposes), the burden of providing those services falls onto everyone else. Of course, it's hard to hand tax incentives over to private businesses and turn around with a hand out to storied nonprofits without some intensive cognitive dissonance. While there’s a lot to be said for the contributions that colleges and universities make to a community (after having come back from Amherst to the South Shore the difference is startling) those have to be weighed against the costs that stem from those institutions.

These institutions give Boston jobs and a certain cultural cachet, but they (and their students) also consume government services paid for by taxation.

If a growing portion of a state or municipality’s wealth is removed from the tax base (granted largely for legitimate nonprofit purposes), the burden of providing those services falls onto everyone else.

Of course, it’s hard to hand tax incentives over to private businesses and turn around with a hand out to storied nonprofits without some intensive cognitive dissonance.

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