Former UC Employee Finds Dark Humor in Budget Woes

As a 30 year-plus employee of the university and now a UC retiree and parent of two UC alums, I have been watching with sadness as the university struggles in this difficult economic period. Classes are over subscribed with students sitting on the floor, staff is furloughed, our teachers are underpaid and outstanding young faculty are being lured to private universities, the atmosphere is getting combative with factions sniping at one another-and students and their families are being asked to pay more for this. It's in such an environment that we must find humor where we can. Gallows humor.

As I read Mr. Edison's Nov. 3 article on Bain and Company report on cost-savings suggestions, I chuckled first because of Bain's notoriety as portrayed in that "must read" for all students, Confessions of An Economic Hitman. I laughed then even more as at noon on Nov. 4 I watched a delivery man wheel through LeConte's south doors, 12 water-cooler casks of bottled water. At least we know the delivery man does not have to worry about a job.

To paraphrase Marie Antoinette when told that the people had no water, "Let them drink bottled water."

Jan Behrsin

Former UC employee