It’s been a bit quiet here re: the UW debacle lately. And perhaps understandably so, given how draining and overwhelming these assaults are. Yet I think that’s precisely one of the tactics the Walker administration has used before: wear the opposition down, and maybe they’ll just roll over eventually. The article linked below applies the term “pugnacious” to the UW proposals, and that seems quite fitting. It also makes clear that the UW and its supporters haven’t backed down, though it remains to be seen how this will all end up. Good on the locals in Madison for braving the cold and the indignity.
I did not know S.W. had a son at UW-Madison. I’m going to “punt” on that.
I am heartened to see such a robust response in the national press. This is the third New York Times article I’ve read, and this particular piece isn’t an editorial – it attempts to cover “both” sides, though even a cursory examination of the evidence reveals some of the ulterior motives at play:
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/17/us/politics/scott-walker-university-wisconsin.html
I read a column yesterday that wasn’t about UW Madison, but about the effects of the proposd budget on the other (less famous, but still pretty good) campuses of the system. At one, the proposed cuts are equivalent to the entire budget of the college of engineering, or the combined budgets of nursing, public health, and information science.
This is pure madness, or a sort of “cut off your nose to spite your face”.
UWisconsin is one of the nation’s great public systems. It’s a source of pride, identity, and revenue for Wisconsin. It makes no sense to try and weaken it, regardless of ideology, unless one seeks to humiliate the image of Wisconsin and decrease its revenues - but which Wisconsin politician would actually want to do that and be that brash about it? (You can actually imagine that someone trying to hurt Wisconsin for whatever reason would do this but someone who’s been elected to actually make Wisconsin a better place?) This makes no sense.
“Yes, I also had friends do CALS bio to receive in-state tuition.”
^ Ditto. Also, a good friend who was a Communication major which is also in the Ag school. All her requirements were very science-y and filled with pre-med students.
I believe Keith Olbermann also was in the Ag school and a Comm. major.