Many grad students teach classes and do research. Tution wavers vs hiring is a plus for a university.
There was an article in the Forum this week about how these grads stay and that many many foreign residents are highly educated.
Many people dont understand what a research university is, unfortunately they are vocal. What it is not is a trade school. We need both. Alot.
A few years ago the university sent out an e mail that listed how much the university gets in tax dollars and how much it receives in grants and endowments and such. If complaining was proportional to how much the complainers money went to the school, it would be much more quiet.