A Good Idea That Doesn't Go Far Enough

According to JTA.org, Legislation introduced in January by  New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver would ban state funding to colleges that help fund organizations that boycott in any country that has an institution of higher learning chartered by the Board of Regents of the University of the State of NY.

Silver said it was in response to the American Studies Association’s boycott of Israel and its academic institutions. Some New York based universities have branches in Israel.

“Colleges should not use funds to support boycotts, resolutions or any similar actions that are discriminatory and limit academic opportunities,” he said.

JTA.org says,  “The bill, which currently has 48 sponsors out of 150 members, would cut funding to institutions that pay dues to groups such as the ASA or which subsidize travel to its conferences.”

Excuse me? When is it acceptable for institutions of higher learning to fund any organization with donated funds, regardless of whether or not the recipient is in the practice of boycotting anything? Whose money is being sent to fund these boycotts? Any organization that receives state or federal funding should not be allowed to give that money to anyone else. We should stop giving tax dollars to organizations that have so much money that they can give it away to other groups.

Nether should an organization give funds donated to it to another organization without expressed permission from the individuals making the donations in the first place. How about legislation that would make that practice a crime?

Read more: http://www.jta.org/2014/01/27/news-opinion/united-states/n-y-state-bill-ends-funding-to-schools-linked-to-boycott-groups#ixzz2rjNBaQll

Read more: http://www.jta.org/2014/01/27/news-opinion/united-states/n-y-state-bill-ends-funding-to-schools-linked-to-boycott-groups#ixzz2rjNaUOYr