The column by Kim Puzey (To save community college, consider a K-14 structure/Saturday, March 13) about how soon BMCC won’t be able to pay its bills is inevitable.

BMCC should have few locations, but invest in affordable housing for students. There should be many full-time teachers, small secretarial pools with a strong college work study program supporting the college, and administrators who understand physical fitness is tied to learning.

While wasteful spending for buildings happened, the upkeep of essential physical fitness facilities were demolished. Think about it. BMCC had a deep diving pool, Olympic-sized swimming pool and classy tennis courts, which promoted physical fitness. Harvard on the Hill was a compliment.

When programs address local opportunities, BMCC will survive and thrive.

Immediately, buildings built that are a loss should be sold. An example would be Milton-Freewater.

The BMCC leadership that built buildings was wasteful. The remodeling of those buildings was even more wasteful. Safe housing has been needed for student populations to grow.

Mr. Puzey pointed out the concept of “if we build it they will come.” The problem with that thinking was they could come, but there was no place to stay. Housing for students is needed today. And despite this ignorance to address drug issues related to adult students, there will need to be student housing for felons.

Umatilla County has been proclaimed as a known high-intensity drug trafficking area in America since 2006. Our law enforcement has been in a position to step it up and rise to this horrific drug abuse situation. Has BMCC? Is there a drug counseling program yet?

When I graduated as a teacher, EOU prepared me as a fully licensed educator. Why is it that the agriculture graduates are not licensed, or even have CDLs? It is imperative that BMCC support local agricultural communities by instructing students that there are strict requirements for agricultural jobs. For instance, a sign outside the agricultural classroom might also read: You must pass a drug test to gain a job in agriculture, have specific license requirements for the state in which you will be employed, and submit your entire career to random drug tests.

Ron Daniels utilized student work study programs to support the college. If you needed a job, you got one.

The misspending of money will upend BMCC if actions looking from Walter McRae’s and Ron Daniels’ perspectives are not taken.

Sally Walden Sundin

Walla Walla, Washington