CL, 9/16/05: University damages statewide - USM Forum -- Message Board

Date: Sep 17, 2005

CL, 9/16/05: University damages statewide

Date: Sep 17, 2005

USM has suffered great damage, but I suspect that half a billion is an inflated number. I wonder if this was generated internally or with "friendly" appraisers, or if this in an independent number. Did the article say how this estimate was derived?

Date: Sep 17, 2005

Given the devastation to Gulf Park, GCRL, J.L. Scott, etc. plus significant amounts of water and tree damage to some structures on campus in Hattiesburg (we just found leaks in two offices in our department on Tuesday) I don't believe the number could be all that inflated. But in any case I didn't see mention of how the numbers were obtained from any of the universities.

Date: Sep 17, 2005

don't forget Coast wrote:

Given the devastation to Gulf Park, GCRL, J.L. Scott, etc. plus significant amounts of water and tree damage to some structures on campus in Hattiesburg (we just found leaks in two offices in our department on Tuesday) I don't believe the number could be all that inflated. But in any case I didn't see mention of how the numbers were obtained from any of the universities.

Most the of the damage figures are obviously from the coast. But half a billion? I guess you have to high-ball your estimates when the insurance man shows up at your door, but I'd be surprised if that amount is ponied up by the taxpayer (or is actually needed) to restore or rebuild the facilities to pre-Katrina conditions (which weren't so good anyway for most of us). But a little extra money could be used to help to improve the property beyond pre-Katrina conditions (heck, our roof leaked like a sieve before Katrina).

Date: Sep 19, 2005

Well, now is the chance MSU and OLD Miss have been waiting for. They can now move onto the coast, which is what they have been campaigning to do. They did all the could to keep us from doing anything there. Now, just you watch. Here they come!

Date: Sep 19, 2005

donald wrote:

Well, now is the chance MSU and OLD Miss have been waiting for. They can now move onto the coast, which is what they have been campaigning to do. They did all the could to keep us from doing anything there. Now, just you watch. Here they come!

What I'm hearing out of Harrison County is that higher education is not paramount in the minds of Coast residents right now & probably won't be for some time into the future.

But to address your post directly, donald, I think either MSU or UM would probably run a much better operation on the Coast than USM has done. Chalk it up to insufficient funding or inept administration, but the end result is the same.