Southeast defends lobbyist contract

Southeast Missouri State University lobbyist Dr. Dale Nitzschke is well worth his $165,000 annual contract, school officials say.

Don Dickerson, president of the board of regents, says Nitzschke has secured millions of dollars in federal grants for the Cape Girardeau university since stepping down as its president in 1999.

"I think this is one of the best things we have ever done," Dickerson said.

The board of regents announced in a statement on Tuesday that it had renewed his contract for another year, beginning July 1 and running through June 30, 2004.

No dollar figure was disclosed in the press release. But school officials later disclosed that Nitzschke would be paid $120,000 plus up to $45,000 in expenses, the same as his current contract.

Southeast was awarded $1.5 million in federal grants in 2000, over $6 million in 2001, nearly $9 million in 2002 and almost $7 million in 2003, school officials said.

By comparison, the university received $71,000 in federal grant money in 1996, $1 million in 1997 and $29,000 in 1998 when the school had no congressional lobbyist, Dickerson said.

School officials acknowledge the university would have received some federal funding without a lobbyist. But they insist it would have been far less.

Brings money, costs money

William L. Weber, an economics professor at Southeast, said it's unclear how much of the money Southeast might have obtained without Nitzschke's services.

"He does bring some money in, but he also costs the university money because all of these projects have to be paid for," Weber said.

Federal dollars have gone for capital projects and equipment, not for day-to-day operations. State tax dollars and student tuition end up paying the increased operating costs resulting from new construction, Weber said.

After stepping down as university president, Nitzschke stayed on as the school's fund-raising chancellor, a new position created by the regents.

He served as chancellor for two years before the regents changed the arrangement to a consulting contract after State Auditor Claire McCaskill questioned the university's decision to allow Nitzschke to work out of his home in Milford, Ohio.

Nitzschke's original contract angered some faculty who viewed it as a "golden parachute."

Telephone messages to Nitzschke's Ohio home weren't returned. Nitzschke takes frequent trips to Washington in his fund-raising efforts.

The university continued to pay Nitzschke last year even as the school dealt with serious state funding cuts.

Dickerson said at the time that Nitzschke's services were even more valuable at a time of limited state funding.

Spokesmen for U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson, R-Cape Girardeau, and U.S. Sen. Jim Talent, R-Mo., had little to say when asked about the issue. U.S. Sen. Kit Bond's Washington office staff made no comment.

Emerson and Talent simply vowed to continue to help the university grow and made no mention of Nitzschke's role in securing grants.

Weber said the job of Emerson or any other federal lawmaker includes securing government grants that benefit their constituents and their re-election chances.

"Jo Ann Emerson certainly has an incentive to send some money to Cape Girardeau whether Nitzschke is there or not," he said.

mbliss@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 123