Our state’s public colleges and universities need more money—that was the unanimous conclusion of the presidents of all six of Washington State’s public universities at a forum on higher-education funding at Town Hall on February 1. But when asked if they supported raising taxes to hold down skyrocketing tuition, University of Washington president Michael Young shrugged off the question. “It’s above my pay grade,” weaseled Young, whose $550,000 annual salary climbs to $802,000 when deferred compensation and other bonuses are figured in, making him the highest taxpayer-paid official in the state. So if finding a solution is above Young’s pay grade, doesn’t that make the problem of higher-education funding officially unsolvable? 
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