Luoluo, We Barely Knew Ye

So apparently there is a new strategy at the UW - every time an overpaid middle manager leaves, they must issue a press release blasting their state for their "lack of commitment" to public education (which currently totals $1 billion per year).

See today's release by Luoluo Hong, who is leaving for Arizona:

Her decision to leave UW-Madison, Hong says, was influenced by the state of Wisconsin's lack of commitment to higher education, which manifests itself in a continuous struggle for fiscal and staff resources, and by difficulty recruiting staff because the university currently is not able to provide benefits to domestic partners.

"In my three years here, I have seen a complete turnaround from what I thought higher education was all about in this state, " Hong says.

Oh, yeah - that, and "I imagine that my convertible top will be down all the time and I'll be wearing open-toed shoes just about every day," Hong says.

A quick trip to the Arizona Legislature's budget writing website shows the total annual general fund budget for the University of Arizona System to be $813 million (keep in mind, they have two enormous schools, Arizona and Arizona State). If $976 million per year is a "lack of commitment to higher education," what is $150 million less than that for a larger system?

You may ask - what was Luoluo Hong's salary while at the UW?

$113,834

So another poor, cash-stricken middle manager is on her way, offended by her lack of compensation from the state's taxpayers. I guess Luoluo didn't want to "Hong" around.