Two speakers at the recent Business Trends Meeting sponsored by Wells Fargo Bank N.A. discussed separate topics that just might be related.

Glen DeStigter, president of The Weitz Co., told an assembly of Central Iowa’s leaders in finance and other sectors that prospects are getting brighter in the always-important construction industry.

After four “extremely tough” years, DeStigter said, the third quarter of 2004 brought encouraging news. In those three months, non-residential construction was up 2 percent in the U.S., and residential construction jumped up 18 percent.

“It was a huge quarter for our sector,” he said, and predicted good times in 2005 and 2006.

He was followed to the podium by Robert Koob, president of the University of Northern Iowa, who focused the group’s attention on higher education. “Iowa’s four-year colleges and universities never rank lower than sixth” in national studies of quality, he said. “We have very high-quality, and it’s remarkably cost-effective.”

According to Koob, Iowa’s universities are far more effective than the national average at conveying useful ideas to industry, which makes them a valuable economic development resource.

And yet, he said, for the first time in history the state is paying less than half of the cost of educating a college student. “Why are we cutting into higher education when everyone says it’s the key to our future?” he asked.

The connection from construction to education is made of dollar bills, and it runs through the state legislature.

If our economy truly is on the upswing, and if we’re willing to place a bet that it will keep heading in that direction – which, admittedly, seems like a risky bet every time you think of that dreaded date 9/11 – it might be a good time to return to our traditional emphasis of spending generously on education.

If more tax money really does flow into state hands, it would be wise to at least hold the line on tuition increases.

According to university figures, tuition and fees at Iowa State University for resident students have gone up 31 percent from $3,132 in 2000-01 ($3,132) to $4,110 in 2003-04 ($4,110). Worse, tuition and fees at the University of Iowa for resident students have increased 68 percent and now stand at $5,396.

Yes, many families can handle such costs with ease. But the danger is that we’re starting to cull out promising young people who lack money and scholarships, smart students who could help Iowa’s cause if we help them first.