Here I am, a student at Penn State, an institution of HIGHER LEARNING, and I find myself really having to question the actions of some of the people running this school. What have they really learned in both recent and also more distant history? For the past 40 years, this country was run by liberal democrats. The national debt has skyrocketed due to money wasted on failed social programs, economy "jump starters" and countless pork barrel projects. Last November, the American people finally spoke up by voting numerous liberal Democrats out of office. The past 40 years have proven that liberalism and its socio-economic policies have not worked, do not work, and never will work. Pennsylvanians have done the same as the rest of the country by electing Republicans in as governor, in many legislatures, and in many other government official positions. Gov. Tom Ridge is trying to reduce the amount of money we as taxpayers have to shell out every year. He has analyzed the state government, saw a lot of waste and he cut it. Some of these cuts included money going to Penn State and other state schools.

The liberal solution to almost any problem is to throw money at the problem and hope it will go away. University President Joab Thomas, in the spirit of liberalism, asked the students and "anyone that has an interest in Penn State" to write to state legislators to whine and beg for more money. What he really should have done was to look internally at Penn State. There is an awful lot of wasting of tuition and tax dollars going on here in Happy Valley. Affirmative action and minority scholarships, for example. The Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Student Alliance's semester-ending gay dances is another example. More goes on within the individual departments and colleges. A full 63 percent of American women polled did not believe Anita Hill's unsubstantiated accusations of sexual harassment against Clarence Thomas. She tried to ruin a man's life and showed no proof of her allegations, yet our tuitions dollars are being spent to pay her to come to campus to speak. Is that not wasteful? If President Thomas did his job and looked hard enough, I'm sure he can cut enough money to make up the difference that he expects Penn State to not receive, probably much more.

My parents and I work very hard to earn our paychecks and are appalled when they are wasted. I am paying tuition to get an education, not to fund clubs for others' entertainment or to further someone's political agenda. Yes, I do belong to Penn State Young Americans for Freedom and I'm not going to be a hypocrite. I'm sure many of you do not agree with our agenda and you should not have to fund our club. We should, but all the other groups should fund themselves, too.

Going back to learning from history and the public's attitude toward liberalism, I have to ask why a liberal and socialist is being brought in to be our next University president. Quoting the Collegian (March 21), Nebraska Student Body President and Student Regent, Andrew Louden, said Graham Spanier "has a big social agenda including pro-affirmative action and pro-homosexual focuses." Marian U. Coppersmith Fredman, a member of the University Board of Trustees, agreed that "Spanier is far less conservative than his predecessors." I think Dr. Thomas' lobbying for more money is far more a display of liberalism than this University needs. Another question that NEEDS to be asked is why did the students not vote on who we want to be president? Is it because those running the University, like many other liberals, are still in denial of reality? Reality is that liberalism and socialism are finally dying (whew!) in this country and it is because the people of this country are fed up and tired of their failed programs (welfare, affirmative action, midnight basketball, etc.). The University ought to be more responsive to who it serves and the concerns of these people. The American people have spoken, Pennsylvanians have spoken, and now one student is speaking. I hope more will speak out and that the liberals will take their fingers out of their ears and listen. I urge you all to write to your legislators and ask them to reduce taxes and to enact policies to keep tuition from rising and from being wasted. I urge anyone who TRULY has an interest in Penn State and in their pocketbooks to write to Joab Thomas and tell him to trim waste and to run the University more efficiently. I also urge everyone to be wary of Graham Spanier and his socialistic policies that he is expected to enact. We as students and as citizens have power at our disposal. Let us use it to our advantage.