What holds the state together?

The state's facing a $200 million budget deficit this year. Taxes are going up, state agency budgets are going down and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln is asking every citizen in Nebraska to contribute to a campaign for a $49 million renovation project for its athletic facilities.

That's something akin to a senator asking for a raise during a budget crunch.

We've been hearing for the last three years about the major cuts in secondary education spending and now they want to spend $49 million on a team that's played marginally -- at best -- for the last two years.

While the money will come from donations -- hopefully, according to UN Chancellor Harvey Perlman, from every citizen in the state -- it is still a $49 million project using money that could better be spent elsewhere. He could have asked every citizen in the state to send money to the state treasurer. Of course who knows where that money would have ended up.

Don't get me wrong, I like seeing the Huskers win. But will a new $49 million facility really improve their playing ability? Tom Osborne and Bob Devaney were able to conduct several winning seasons without a $49 million renovation project.

University officials have been whining about the layoffs of tenured staff they were forced to make when state legislators cut their funding.

They've whined about the programs they were forced to cut. In the state's current situation, I just don't see the necessity in spending $49 million for more seating at Memorial Stadium. At the rate our taxes seem to be going up, no one will be able to afford tickets to the Huskers games anyway.

When Chancellor Perlman announced the plan, he told reporters football holds the state together. And here all along I thought it was our heritage, our clean living, our outstanding work ethic and the fact that most people in Nebraska know how to solve disputes without pulling out guns and shooting each other. If it was the football team, we probably would have had a mass exodus after last year's losing season and the Buffalo Commons Theory would have finally come to fruition.

Personally, I plan on keeping my money in my pocket, and if I do choose to pull it out for a worthy program it will be going to an agency such as the McCook Toy Box, the United Way, the McCook Pantry, the American Cancer Society or the Community Hospital Hospice program.

At least I know a donation to one of those organizations would go to help people that deserve my support.

The only help I can possibly give the Huskers is to tell them they need to look at their recruiting and coaching techniques instead of a new athletic center -- a better athletic program is sure to follow.