1 NOV 05: FINDING THE MONEY
Monday was a triumphant day at Columbus State University. A four-year fund-raising drive ended, with a total of more than $100 million raised -- and apparently no one did it by winning the Mega Millions lottery.
The original goal of the Columbus State University fund-raising campaign was $80 million -- but C.S.U. beat that amount by 25 percent. So when do campus officials plan to announce they're running for city council, to turn THAT budget around?
The $100 million total was raised thanks to several big gifts. The Bradley-Turner Foundation alone gave $25 million to Columbus State. Hmmmm -- maybe if I prepared a document that says "Blog Improvement Grant" at the top....
(That donation is an example of what I've contended for some time: several rather obscure foundations hold a lot of clout over what happens in Columbus. Maybe police detectives should track down who runs these foundations - then ask them for extra money.)
We're told 30 different donors gave at least one million dollars to Columbus State University. I imagine this covers every millionaire in Columbus - and the other 20 donors must not work at AFLAC.
WRBL reported about 2,700 donors provided the $100 million in C.S.U.'s capital fund-raising campaign. This means the average donor gave about $37,000. Those donors' garages must be full of paid-off Hyundais.
The $100 million amount also computes to more than $14,000 per Columbus State student. So if C.S.U. students can't keep their grades up and lose their HOPE scholarships, all they have to do is track down the Endowment Association office.
Columbus State Vice President Kayron Laska says many people who have never attended C.S.U. still make donations, because they feel the university belongs to them. Then again, they could be secret Auburn fans waiting for trustee Bobby Lowder to step down....
Fund-raising campaign chair Jimmy Yancey says he expects Columbus State to become known as one of our country's great universities. That's a nice dream to have - but until C.S.U. has its own football team, or at least Division I basketball....
Some of the $100 million already has been spent by Columbus State University. It helped build the Cunningham Conference Center for business students. It's helping to build an arts complex downtown. And someday, the Cougar baseball team might play in a stadium with a retractable roof.
So now that all this money has been donated or promised to Columbus State University, will people with deep pockets offer support for other things in Columbus? Imagine what only $50 million could do to improve the city's.... no wait, you don't have to imagine that. There's the library on Macon Road.
But with government money tight, could foundations and wealthy residents lend a hand for some worthwhile programs? Private donations for the Muscogee County School Board's "Reading Recovery" program dried up a year or two ago. Maybe the backers decided young people can learn to read when they get to college.
Columbus State University's $100 million campaign shows there's private money available somewhere. But then again, maybe big backers don't want to donate to city programs - because frozen property taxes keep their fortunes away from the Government Center already.
Now other less expensive cuts from the Monday meat market:
+ The Columbus Public Library ended its one-month exhibit, telling the story of World War II victim Anne Frank. I've visited the Anne Frank house in Amsterdam, and was struck by how small it was -- and by how a place promoting freedom didn't allow cameras inside it.
+ Someone broke into St. Luke United Methodist Church and stole several computers. A spokesman said the church has a security system, so people enter "only at the appropriate times." And then you wonder why some Seventh-Day Adventists are uncomfortable in Methodist churches....
+ Instant Message to Georgia Public Broadcasting: It's bad enough that your evening music show "Studio GPB" is playing taped reruns. But when you play Johnny Cash and Henry Purcell music in the same hour - are you trying to drive listeners away, or what?
BURKARD'S BEST BETS: Gas for $2.20 a gallon at the 14th and 14th Spectrum in Phenix City.... whole-wheat bread for
89 cents a loaf at Dolly Madison thrift stores.... and half-price Halloween candy, which can be a cheap Thanksgiving dessert....
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