Education execs movin' on up By Tom Murphy News-Chronicle There's a flood of crocodile tears and gnashing of teeth by state university types about educational executives improving themselves, moving up the career ladder and, obviously, receiving more pay. "I hope this isn't the start of an exodus," said University of Wisconsin Regent Toby Marcovich of two chancellors moving up. Marcovich is chairman of the board. Nancy Zimpher, UW-Milwaukee chancellor, is off to presidency of the University of Cincinnati. Tom George, her counterpart at LTW-Stevens Point, has accepted a job as chancellor of the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Marcovich claims it's a pay issue. Nuts. Yes, Zimpher, who was paid $219,550 at UW-M, will get $280,000; that's quite a bit less, we guess, than that coach, Bob Hugme (or Hugghim or Huggins or something) gets for continuously berating officials and screaming at his Bearcats. Yes, George will get a $160,000 raise for moving under the arch in hot and humid St. Louis. No, Mr. Marcovich, it's not a pay issue. It is a simple fact that people move up the career ladder and demanding pay raises as they go. In many instances, they've even earned the hike. In this instance, both UW chancellors are 56 years old and the moves are likely their last. Yes, Mr. Marcovich, there are plenty of people waiting in the wings to succeed Ms. Zimpher and Mr. George. Are there not qualified candidates at UW-Superior or Marian College or Lawrence University or, heaven forbid, the current staffs at Milwaukee or Stevens Point. We say there are - and they are available for less than the pay left behind by Zimpher and George. Just start searching and quit whining about Wisconsin's budget situation, Mr. Marcovich. Those dire straits are ekpanded immensely by bureaucratic payrolls and we're all paying. Good systems - and the UW is - develop good people. Instead of gnashing his teeth, Mr. Marcovich and Co. should start looking for qualified successors and quit the complaining. Interestingly, Stevens Point's interim chancellor has been selected from existing staff. CHICKEN IN EVERY POT Green Bay native Peter Helf, a career employee with the very, very successful Marcus Corporation in Milwaukee, has purchased the Kentucky Fried Chicken outlets held by the Marcus family corporation. Marcus, which also operates that large chain of multiplex movie theatres across the state, as well as the regional Baymont Inn motels, apparently decided to get out of the food business. ON THE MOVE The opening of Hawkins, Ash, Baptie & Co. new office in Reid Street Crossing in De Pere on Monday is another blow (albeit relatively small) to downtown Green Bay. Reid Street Crossing is a combination retail and office budding between Fourth and Fifth, streets. It's slowly gaining tenants (although it also lost a restaurant and butcher shop) in a very competitive market. We're not aware of any definitive studies but the amount of existing and planned office space in the metro area appears staggering. Angelina, the small but successful Italian restaurant on North Washington and Pine streets, is moving to the former Orange Blossom Jewelers shop at 118 N. Adams Street. Angela Cervantes opened the niche shop in 1998. AND MORE Last week's item on Aurora Hospital's decision to force it's OB/GYN physicians' patients to deliver in that facility drew as much if not more comment than any other item we can recall. Again, it's not the quality of the physicians or their staff. It's the imperious attitude required by the parent corporation in Milwaukee. And it comes on the heels of their pronounce- ment that competition is good for everyone. Humbug! Duplication of services, no matter where, reduces a physician's exposure to an ailment and her or his breadth of knowledge. That is of no benefit to consumers of medical services. It only benefits the bottom lines to which bean counters are affixed. One can only hope that when some contracts expire, care givers will think again about renewing their affiliations. Murphy, a longtime area business writer, writes a weekly column for The News Chronicle. Contact him by calling 920-432-2941, sending mail to PO. Box 2467, Green say, WI 54306-2467 or by sending e-mail to editoriaiggogreenbay.com.