Earnest Erskine
Adding to Allen's take on our interview yesterday with UNC system president Erskine Bowles, here are some of his notable quotes:
On losing two Senate races then getting his current job:
"Somebody said, 'Would you rather live on Capitol Hill or in Chapel Hill?' Are you kidding? This is like the greatest thing that ever happened to me."
"I am done forever and ever with politics."
On North Carolina's public schools:
"We have a crisis in our public schools today. ... When you're in a crisis, you'd better treat it like one."
On the difference between investment banking and academia:
"I came from an industry that's 'ready, aim, fire' and now I'm in one that's 'ready, aim, aim, aim, aim, aim ...'"
On low passing rates by A&T nursing graduates on licensing exams:
"Totally unacceptable. ... My job is to fix it or take some other action."
On A&T:
"My goals for A&T are far from met ... I want to take A&T to a different level. ... There's no reason it can't have the best engineering school money can buy. ... The engineering program was great and has to be great again. ... I'm going to fight for A&T. A&T is underfunded, if we want it to be a great university."
On the possibility of turning 1,000-student N.C. Wesleyan into UNC-Rocky Mount:
"It's hard to make the arithmetic work. ... (But) we're going to do a study. The legislature has told us to do a study. We're going to do a real study."
On athletics:
"Our first priority is academics. Our second priority is academics. Our third priority is academics. Our fourth priority is academics. ..."
On tuition:
"Tuition should be a secondary source of revenue. ... We have a constitutional and moral responsibility to keep tuition as low as practicable."
On possible autonomy for UNC-Chapel Hill and N.C. State:
"The autonomy question is over. ... It's a dead issue."
Bowles was a fun interview, probably because he's having fun in his job.
Comments (4)
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I have followed the comments of the last two days on John Edwards. So I want to join in. I want to let everyone know that I like him more for the less experience that some have mentioned about him. I am an older democratic voter (make no bones about the age) but I am sick of the politicians that are so in debt to other politician on this vote or that vote, and tied at the hip with any and every lobbyist/pac that there is.
I find John Edwards refreshing, and with ideas. I don't care he isn't experienced so much, to me it is a big plus sign.
However, he has many life experience to garner from, losing a son, lower income back round, and you know what strikes at my southern christian heart, he is an earnest and dedicated family man.
I have seen him once in person, he comes across as sincere and from the heart. I have heard some compare him to Pres. Clinton's charm. I would say you have to go back a little futher to dear old John F. Kennedy.
Posted on September 8, 2006 7:23 PM
I thought someone was finally going to say something about Erskine Bowles. After all, he's already president -- of the UNC system.
Thanks for your comments, anyway.
Posted on September 8, 2006 10:29 PM
oh, Honey, I am so sorry, I didn't even see that Erskine heading up there, I must have gone right by, it. My kids say the memory is going, but now I guess I should have used my glasses, I am sorry, would you like me to retype it on the other part?
Posted on September 8, 2006 11:04 PM
If you'd like. It's a good comment, and I'm afraid John Edwards readers won't see it where it is. Thanks.
Posted on September 9, 2006 7:49 AM