The thing is how academics are actually paid doesn't work like that.
"The university" is not funded by the public. It's funded by Federal money, and State money, and tuition, and commercial grants and donations. Just claiming that's "being funded by the public" is claiming 100% of the output, while not providing 100% of the input.
Similarly, I'm not paid from a single source. I'm paid through a mix of state money, federal money, and yes, some commercial grants. If a commercial entity wants to pay for a portion of my lab's expenses and salary, why should "the public" be entitled to the proceeds?
That's the problem being argued against - not that public money should mean public access, but that "some public money" (no matter how small) suddenly entitles the public to everything.
"The university" is not funded by the public. It's funded by Federal money, and State money, and tuition, and commercial grants and donations. Just claiming that's "being funded by the public" is claiming 100% of the output, while not providing 100% of the input.
Similarly, I'm not paid from a single source. I'm paid through a mix of state money, federal money, and yes, some commercial grants. If a commercial entity wants to pay for a portion of my lab's expenses and salary, why should "the public" be entitled to the proceeds?
That's the problem being argued against - not that public money should mean public access, but that "some public money" (no matter how small) suddenly entitles the public to everything.