UMass: Economic Dynamo

What does UMass do with its $524 M in annual state funding? Why, it generates $3.5 billion in additional economic activity, of course:

"The University of Massachusetts is one of the state’s largest economic engines, generating $4 billion in economic activity each year, with every $1 of state support helping the university generate more than $8 in positive economic activity….If UMass were a private or commercial company, it would not only be a globally competitive firm but one of the state’s largest drivers of economic growth. UMass is a $2 billion enterprise, with 15,000 employees – making it one of the top 10 employers in Massachusetts – $377 million in research and development investments and the site of three recently awarded, highly competitive national research centers."

Not to sound like a broken record (or a corrupt mp3 file), but Massachusetts is ranked 47th in per capita spending in higher education nation wide. I don’t know about you, but if someone offered me a way to increase my investment eight fold, I wouldn’t be able to write the check fast enough. I guess ol’ State U knows some things about fiscal discipline and return on investment that Harvard grads Romney and Healey do not.

Perhaps funding has dropped to 47th because UMass can't move out of state like Raytheon and Gillette? It would be nice if UMass had similar blackmail leverage over vote hungry Beacon Hill.