GOING FOR THE GREEN

The University of Missouri system -- "UM" in Washington State shorthand -- lost Elson Floyd to Washington State University. But who can blame Floyd for bolting, when the green is so much richer out west? The Seattle Times reports:

Floyd receives total annual compensation of $436,000 at UM, according to a 2006 study by The Chronicle of Higher Education. (Former WSU President Lane) Rawlins' total package at WSU is $536,000.

Officials said today that Floyd would receive $600,000 his first year.

WSU is this state's second-largest university, with more than 22,000 students enrolled at four campuses. The University of Washington has 43,500 students at three campuses.

The UM system is one of the largest higher-education institutions in the country, with more than 63,000 students at four campuses. With a main campus in Columbia, Mo., it has a large engineering program and schools of law and medicine.

Sure, sure, it costs more to live on the West Coast, and the WSU gig seems a lateral, at best. As president of Washington State University, he'll be making $200,000 more than the president of the United States. Nice work if you can get it.