Facing a drastic cut in state funding—a 13 percent (or $116 million) cut in Governor Chris Gregoire's proposed budget or a 20 percent ($175 million) cut in the Senate's proposed budget—the U.W. sent its big gun, U.W. President Mark Emmert, to Olympia last week.

Emmert, U.W.'s president since 2004, sat down with PubliCola after his long day of  testifying in front of committees and meeting legislators to tell us what the cuts would mean for the U.W.

We also asked Emmert to weigh in on an idea that economists from the U.W. had already broached with the Senate—the Krugman approach of attacking the now-$8 billion projected state budget deficit with spending rather than cuts.

Emmert, who's amazingly calm—laid out what appeared to be an untenable situation (Emert called it "severe"): 600-800 jobs would be lost, up to 2,250 student slots would go, and the U.W. hospital, which largely serves the poor, would have to cut services by 20 percent. (U.W. Medical Center combines with Harborview to provide 25 percent of the total charitable care in the State, according to the U.W.)

"All of this is coming," Emmert says, "when [student] demand is at an all-time high."

U.W. President Mark Emmert sits down with PubliCola at the State Capitol snack bar.

"The baby boomlet [children of 'Baby Boomers'] is just peaking," he said, "and people go back to school when the economy is tough. We have 22 to 23,000 applications for next year's freshman class. That's the biggest we've ever seen. [Up 20 percent over last year] Just as demand is peaking our ability is shrinking."

Emmert says he's "resigned to the cuts" and hopes that the federal stimulus package, federal Pell Grants, and Medicaid and Medicare programs "might relieve the pressure."

He says the U.W. will have to raise tuition by 7 percent. U.W. tuition is currently about $7,000 a year, $2,000 below the nationwide average. The increase, however, wouldn't come close to making up the difference in funding. "I wouldn't want to put all of that on the back of students," Emmert says, explaining that he's committed to the "Husky Promise" of making the U.W. and "elite institution without being elitist."

With firm determination, Emmert explains that tuition is free for more than 20 percent of students (about 5,000 students) who come from low-income families. "One third of all freshman will be the first in their families to attend college," he says.

As for unavoidable political debate that Emmert's pointy-headed colleagues from the U.W.'s economics departments sparked earlier in the session by making the case to Senate leaders that "Hoover Budgets" (all-cuts budgets) are the exactly-wrong approach for the State to take during a recession, Emmert was slightly more politic. (The Governor has stood by her all-cuts/no-new-taxes budget).

Emmert said politely: "The Krugman argument is valid. We don't want to become our own worst enemy, getting the federal stimulus money while cutting the state budget."

Emmert's point: The stimulus money will be a waste if the state grinds to halt regardless thanks to massive cuts.

Emmert didn't follow his statement with an explicit political argument about the pros of deficit spending (like the U.W. profs did). He took a subtler (sorta) approach. He laid out the economic benefits of keeping the U.W. viable, trotting out a batch of statistics that demonstrate why investing in the U.W. pays back: The U.W. receives more federal research dollars than any other public university in the country—or $1 billion, which supports nearly 7,000 jobs; the U.W. is the largest employer in Seattle, providing benefits (like health care) for 27,000 staffers; 35 percent of U.W. students are in left brain fields (real jobs); and more than half of all U.W. undergrads finish with zero debt, compared to the national average of 65 percent of students graduating with debt.

"Universities are economic drivers," Emmert said. "It's a double whammy" for the economy when they get cut, he explained.

However, Emmert sympathized with the governor's dilemma. "Is now the right time," to raise taxes? he asked.

Emmert was also politic on the controversial K-12 education reform bill that we've written about (WEA against, everyone else for). U.W. Director of State Relations Randy Hodgins said simply: "The U.W. does not have an official position on the reform bill."