Economic downturns heightens town-gown tensions

From The New York Times: As college and university endowments everywhere sink with the economy, town-gown relationships, often carefully nurtured during the boom years, are fraying. Some cities and towns — including Ann Arbor, Mich., Durham, N.C., and Princeton, N.J. — have renewed calls for local colleges and universities to make voluntary payments to the communities because they have tax-exempt status. Others have proposed levying taxes on residence hall rooms or even on students.