Staff Editorial: Congrats. Hurry back.

Michael Masch has made a career out of crunching numbers in Philadelphia. He served as an economic adviser to City Council for eight years and was named director of the budget office by then-Mayor Ed Rendell in 1992. In 1996, newly-appointed University President Judith Rodin came calling in need of a strong financial adviser for her cabinet. Masch was highly regarded after helping to bring the city back from near bankruptcy, and Rendell reluctantly let him go to take over as Penn's vice president for budget and management analysis. Last week, Rendell came back to Rodin and asked to borrow his old budget director for a few years to help bring the state of Pennsylvania out of debt. Rodin happily returned the favor, and now Masch has taken a leave of absence and will head out to Harrisburg to work his budgetary magic once again. Even though he plans to return before Rendell's term is up, the loss of Masch is a tremendous blow to the University, especially in a time of economic stagnation. With a new director learning the ropes and still no replacement for departed fundraising chief Virginia Clark, this year's budgeting process will likely not go as smoothly as it has in years past. Still, it speaks well of both Masch and the University that yet another Penn administrator has been tapped for a prestigious position outside of higher education. Masch has provided a powerful voice on the Philadelphia School Reform Commission, and there is no doubt that he will be a strong lobbyist for increased state funding in higher education. We congratulate Michael Masch on his appointment, and we are confident that just as he helped Ed Rendell cut the budget in Philadelphia, he will do the same to revitalize the state's faltering economy. We hope his stay in Harrisburg is short, but effective.

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