<p>Sorry but I've been out at sea the past 3 months and i'm not up to date on all the news but I hear that there is an investigation from Washington being made on the academy for misappropriation of funds...anybody hear anything about this?</p>
<p>It is not as bad as the words sound - if it all works out correctly it will be a very good thing for the Academy. What has happened is that congress appropriates money for the department of transportation. Congress will list all the line items and how much it expects to go to each project or activity, but the DOT gets one big lump sum of funding. Then the DOT spreads it out internally. What is being looked into is that the Academy is not getting the full amount that congress originally expected. The investigating is an attempt to put pressure on the DOT to give the Academy the full amount originally agreed to. This is a simple explanation, but I feel it is reasonably accurate. As I understand Admiral Stewart is in full agreement with and is supporting this. This is not a matter of any major wrong doing just bureaucrats in the DOT doing their on thing and ignoring the true wishes and intent of congress. Which does need to be corrected. As I understand when the Coast Guard Academy was moved from the DOT to the Department of Homeland Security – their funding went up considerably.</p>
<p>lgg2010dad...Your explanation was so clear and to the point. You should be in public relations! I hadn't heard anything about this topic, and your posting was very 'matter of fact' and made it easy to follow. Glad to know there is no question of wrongdoing on the Academy's part. Wouldn't it be nice if more funding resulted from this investigation!</p>
<p>MountaineerMom</p>
<p>Thanks. The rumors here were sounding bad so i figured i'd ask the parents. Glad its actually a good thing!!</p>
<p>My son claims there are rumors that KP may not be around 10 years from now. Any truth to these rumors.</p>
<p>There have been rumors like that for years. Al Gore did try to shut the academy down though. If Hillary Clinton becomes president well...we know what happened when she spoke at graduation....</p>
<p>Could you please reference something that suggests that Al Gore tried to shut the school down? </p>
<p>I could only come up with one article that doesn't suggest that although there was indeed a proposal to cut funding and charge tuituion.</p>
<p>I believe that VP Al Gore suggested that the Federal Government start charging some tuition, room and board at each Federal Academy as a cost saving idea. I am not sure of what if any support he had or even how serious he was. It may have even just been one of many brainstorm ideas that were quickly evaluated and rejected. While it is true that all government programs and institutions exist at the pleasure of the administration and parties in control, I think we can feel somewhat secure in that few institutions / programs (good or bad) are ever eliminated. I would think that if Al Gore could not get any meaningful support for his plan – a total elimination of the Academy would be unlikely. With that being said – nothing would ever surprise me and no one can accurately predict the future.</p>
<p>Boy isn't that the case about predicting the future. </p>
<p>Here is the information I have found: <a href="http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE2D8113DF934A25752C1A96F958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=1%5B/url%5D">http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE2D8113DF934A25752C1A96F958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=1</a></p>
<p>The article mentions that only 20% of our graduates go onto active duty; I found that astoundingly low and perhaps one of the factors that play into suggesting our students do not get free tuition. Is that figure currently that low? </p>
<p>The article above doesn't metion Gore and his committees proposal of the other academies tuition. I would be outraged to think that anyone would expect someone giving active duty service upon graduation should be expected to pay for their tuition.</p>
<p>It's interesting to note that the NY Times article is pre-9/11. One would think that KP's mission would be of benefit to the national security interest. If there is a congressional inquiry in the works perhaps the red-haired bastard step-child status may get a sorely needed review. Certainly our mids with their hands-on education have much to offer. Maybe its time to lose the title of "the best kept secret" of the service academies and simply work towards being known as "the best" of the service academies .</p>
<p>Just finished Chapter 12 of the new book "In Peace & War" a second ago. Excerpts from the book state that in the original form of Al Gore’s National Performance Review (NPR), the result of six months of intensive study of alleged inefficiencies & redundancies in the federal government, it did indeed recommend closing the Academy. This was during the summer of 1993. In the final version of Gore’s report, published in September, the outright closure was replaced with a recommendation of a 50% cut in government spending on the Academy & the imposition of tuition. Three cheers for some powerful KP Alumni who stepped up to the plate. Gore's team had never been to the Academy nor was it studied too closely me thinks.</p>
<p>This is from the New York Times, November 15, 1993 written by John T. McQuiston</p>
<p>The battle began when the Clinton Administration, as part of its budget-cutting bill, proposed a sharp cut in financing for the academy. The move would force the school to close unless it breaks with tradition and bills its students $15,000 a year for tuition, academy officials say.</p>
<p>They first learned of the tuition threat on Sept. 7, when Vice President Al Gore put forward 800 recommendations from his National Performance Review, intended to cut the Federal budget by an estimated $108 billion, or 12 percent, by Oct. 1, 1999.
Among the cost-cutting measures was a 50 percent reduction in financing for the Kings Point academy, which would be phased in over five years and save the Federal Government an estimated $45 million.
The Gore commission has questioned the need for a federally financed academy that duplicates the offerings of schools in five coastal states: Maine, Texas, California, Massachusetts and New York. The State University of New York Maritime College, for example, is at Fort Schuyler in the Bronx, across Long Island Sound from Kings Point. The study also questioned the role of the Federal Government in supporting a school that trains professionals for private industry. Academy Called Crucial
Representative Gary L. Ackerman, whose Congressional district includes Kings Point, a neck of land on the Nassau County border that juts out into the Sound, said that although he understood the Administration's desire to cut spending, he did not believe the academy should be a target.
"I believe it's crucial to our national defense to maintain the academy," he said. "What are we going to do in a time of crisis, hire a navy?"
School administrators said the cut in Federal financing would radically change the student body or even mean the closing of the academy. In the immediate future, they said, they feared that the proposal would discourage prospective students.
Mr. Ackerman said an early recommendation by the commission staff that the academy be phased out by 1998 was rejected by the Administration. The panel estimated that closing the academy would save the Government $27 million a year and create revenue through the sale of the 80-acre campus on the former estate of Walter Chrysler, the industrialist. Cutting Budget in Half
Instead, the report proposed that the academy's budget be cut in half "as an economy measure," leaving the school little choice but to make up the difference by charging tuition. Tuition, room and board at Kings Point have always been free, as they have at the four other service academies. </p>
<hr>
<p>November 15, 1993
Merchant Marine Sees Its Academy in Peril</p>
<p>USMMA provides I believe as all of you do the best maritime education in our country. </p>
<p>I appreciate still however the point of redundancy of having so many other academies that provide the same services when looking at a place to cut the budget. Many of the other schools have ROTC programs which obligate the students to active duty service after graduation and may appear to be a comprable and cost saving alternative to having the academy.</p>
<p>Despite this, it would be in my opinion an incredible loss to see USMMA ever close its doors. I wonder, how can the school insulate itself from future proposals of budget cuts and closures?</p>
<p>Do folks think that becoming more in align with the requirements of the other millitary academies in terms of requiring active duty would insulate USMMA from this sort of thing?</p>
<p>I don't know what happened when Hillary Clinton came to the school. Could someone enlighten me?</p>
<p>KP Grads have a responsibilty and obligation like the other federal academies. </p>
<p>The problem is IGNORANCE. People don't know what the Merchant Marine is, what it does, and how important it is to national security. In the Gulf War, most of the supplies were taken by the Merchant Marine. In times of international crisis, the Merchant Marine is the support for all basis.</p>
<p>It is common knowledge among the New Yorkers that Hillary has not much use for Kings Point and wouldn't mind seeing it closed. I have heard it often on the media, but am now looking for something written so I can put it on this website.</p>
<p>Whoever said USMMA provides the best maritime education...ALL the state schools do a good job. In the end I have the same 3 A/E or 3 Mate license as the grad from SUNY, Mass, Maine, etc. I sailed with SUNY and Mass guys and they all were awesome. That "USMMA is best" attitude really hurts when people go out to sea. We talk about the awesome alumni connection...but that's just it...it's straight alumni. Many state schoolers HATE KPers. They say that they are stuck up, arrogant, too much by the book, etc. and I BELIEVE THEM cause I go to school with these kids on a daily basis. INMHO we need to have humiliation and be humble, especially as cadets. I've been out to sea for 4 months, and I don't know jack in the grand scheme of things. </p>
<p>As far as the school shutting down...whatever, it's talked about so much...as long as I graduate at this point oy...</p>
<p>From what I know a class had invited a senior military advisor of some sort to speak at their graduation, this was during the Hillary Clinton campain for congress and also while she was still first lady, so she heard about a graduation on long island and that it was a service academy. She decided to annonce that she was going to speak at graduation so the class had to dis-invite the man they wanted to speak at graduation so the first lady could come and try to get some more votes...long story short she got up to speak and practically got booed of the stage, from what i hear even the validvictorian cracked a joke or two at her expense. </p>
<p>On another note I have been out at sea also and its true that some people hate Kings Pointers but i think its mostly because everyone has pride for their particular school and think theirs is better. I had SUNY guys and Texas guys both boasting about how their school was better, i just took the jokes and said yeah sometimes it sucks or yeah they don't really teach you a whole lot at first or whatever. Point is it doesn't mean we're not better, i think this is a damn good school and i agree we should be humble and not think we're better then anyone else but theirs nothing wrong with having pride of where u come from.</p>
<p>"KP Grads have a responsibilty and obligation like the other federal academies. " </p>
<p>They have an obligation but not LIKE the other federal academies. The other federal academies are required to an active duty obligation. </p>
<p>Yes, our students have the obligation to work in the maritime industry and while they are doing so to be in the reserve, but to compare that to an tour of active duty would be laughable to someone in the active duty. </p>
<p>I do agree with you that there is a great importance in the Merchant Marine industry. However a pragmatic person would say that all of the other schools are providing this need and why should our government pay for something that is in existence and being willingly paid for by so many people? </p>
<p>If anyone has ever been in a position where their position has been cut due to economics they realize that the bottom line is that the position was cut because they did not make a "hard case" for to justify their economic existence. I could be wrong but I believe one of the pieces that leaves KP vulnerable to budget cuts is the ability to opt out of active duty service.</p>
<p>One can have great pride in the school they go to and believe it is the best school for what it teaches and still have the pride and understanding as they enter the workforce that they have much to learn. </p>
<p>There is a vast difference between a functional, healthy sense of pride and cocky arrogance. </p>
<p>When you do go to a school like KP people do watch you and perhaps with a greater scrutiny then they watch other students. This may very well be due to its reputation as the best. It only takes a few students going into the encounters with others to misbehave to make things rough for those students coming down the pike later. Hang in there, be proud of KP and show them why KP is the best Maritime Academy in the United States of America.</p>