Staff raises should take priority over renovation of The Pit

Editor,

President David Schmidly, I am extremely pissed and disillusioned to hear that The Pit will be renovated to a tune of $60 million when you have been sending us all these e-mails about how there are going to be budget cuts and, more importantly, you have asked staff to forego raises this year.

I realize that maybe this construction project was approved prior to the budget cuts. How convenient. Still, I think it could be held off. What is the rush or need? I think this money could go for staff raises and much more, especially when we got a minute 2 percent raise last year and our salaries are not even near the national average.

Now that the economy is so bad and prices are increasing, all staff are behind when it comes to pay. I think you need to really rethink this whole issue. I guarantee you that I am not the only employee who is upset about this whole deal. Answer this for us: Why is it that athletics always takes priority over biological research?

Laura Laidler

UNM staff