Political Dynamite

Regent Chair Throws Barbs at Schweitzer in Resignation

By Dylan Tucker, 3-13-06

John Mercer, the now former chairman of the Montana Board of Regents, cited a strained relationship with Gov. Brian Schweitzer, and a desire to spend more time at home after more than fifteen years of public service as his reasons for resigning his post. But the barbs against the governor in Mercer's resignation letter have raised speculation as to whether politics might be at play as well.

In a letter to the governor submitted this morning (click here for a PDF of the letter.), Mercer wrote: "I am writing to gently point out your truancy, suggest a homework assignment, issue a challenge and advise you of my imminent departure from the Board of Regents."

Mercer, a former Republican speaker of the house, has headed the state board that oversees higher education since 2001, when he was appointed by then-governor Judy Martz. Mercer blamed the governor for a “lack of proper funding” for Montana’s higher education system.

He suggested the governor is too concerned with a public image to do the hard work to bolster the university system.

“It is not my intent to criticize your enthusiasm for national self promotion, synfuels, or the calculated sound bite of the day, but rather to simply ask that you consider making a similar commitment to the students, faculty and staff of the Montana University System,” Mercer wrote.

Schweitzer’s communications director Sarah Elliott said Schweitzer is very committed to higher education, and said he is making significant progress in improving two-year programs in Montana, which the Governor thinks show great promise in training Montana’s workforce.

As for the tone of the letter, the governor's office chose not to respond.

“We’re just going to let it go. It’s a beautiful day, and we’re hoping to move on quickly,” Elliott said.

There have been low-level mumblings that Mercer might make a bid for governor in 2008, and the letter’s harsh tone prompted at least one board member, Lynn Morrison-Hamilton, to suggest politics might be involved. But Mercer is quick to dispel the rumors.

“I’m just not interested in it,” Mercer said.

Instead, Mercer said his resignation is a challenge to the governor to do better. “Nothing I could do to reduce the cost of tuition was possible without cutting quality in the system,” Mercer said of working with the shortened budget. “It erodes the quality of the universities.”

The relationship between the board and the Governor has been rocky as of late. The seven-member board of mainly appointees from former Republican governor’s Judy Martz and Marc Raciot, has been at odds with the governor over his budgets.

Based on Schweitzer’s budget, the legislative funding for the university is set at 38 percent of the cost of education, the lowest in recent years.

During his time on the board, Mercer was a persistent advocate of higher funding for education, as well as instrumental in the investigation of a $1.8 million athletics deficit at the University of Montana in 2003.

Recently, he put in motion an investigation into possible wrongdoing by a Missoula non-profit organization that received more than $3 million in NASA grants acquired through the University of Montana.

His goal in writing the letter, rather, was to help further the discussion of funding higher education in Montana.

“I think the governor has some learning to do, and it is important learning for the whole state, on the reality of funding Montana’s schools,” Mercer said.

Mercer stressed his hope that his resignation will improve the ability of the Board of Regents and the Governor to work together. The board seems scared of the Governor, and the Governor seems scared of the board, Mercer said. With his resignation, Mercer believes Schweitzer could find a renewed interest in his state's higher education policies.

The governor’s office received Mercer’s resignation letter Monday afternoon, and have begun the process of appointing a replacement.

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