NIU might be asked to pay more for fire protection next year, and the university already is crying to the city about the lack of funding from the state.

NIU has paid the same rate for the last three years. Yet technology has been upgraded and services have been expanded. It is not unreasonable to ask for more money when service is improved. But then why should the university understand this logic when students are paying more and more tuition every year but are getting less and less for their money?

The university must understand that it is extremely difficult for the public to sympathize with the administration when former President Clyde Wingfield is being paid $85,000 to go do whatever it is controversial, former presidents do in Washington D.C., when budgets can be trimmed to the tune of $100,000 to offer departments a big, juicy carrot to hire minorities and when many professors teach only two days a week and in some cases teach only one class.

The administration has continued to demonstrate that it can come up with money when it wants to. But when it has to come up with money, the bill is usually pushed onto students.

The city however, should realize that although NIU might be playing the poor, unappreciated institution for all its worth, the university is not by any means floating in money and any future rate increases should not be retroactive.