September 29, 2010
Politics on campus? Heaven forbid!
When the Political Science Department at the UW-Madison enters into a contract with a right-wing front group, funded by the extremist Bradley Foundation, to conduct their polling, that is not "political" it is good business, I guess.
When Biddy Martin goes public with her plan to privatize the UW-Madison campus, that is not political. It is a) good business and b) o ut of necessity. It is an attempt to allow Biddy the elbow room to compete with other great research institutions. New flash: "Listen Biddy, the UW has been a vital public institution since 1862 and it has done quite well but thank you for your thoughts." This is the great State University of Wisconsin not a university with state support.
Biddy, like Kathryn Lyall before her, wants "freedom" to be more flexible. You get it. She wants to be free from messy rules and regulations. She can work with business leaders to train students for the jobs of the future--not educate but train.
After all, aren't those pushing this agenda smarter than we are? If the State of Wisconsin is contributing only 18% of the total cost of running the joint, should we ask why the UW is not doing better? Should we ask why they are doing so poorly--time for a shakeup? Maybe Biddy was the wrong choice. Biddy, her pal Chuck Pruitt, Kathi Seifert formerly of Kimberly-Clark, and other business leaders can all agree that they know best about tuition, class offerings, grad programs, faculty pay and benefits, then it is time to, sit before reading, privatize the UW!
How do we know? Hey! the Biddyites spent 90 minutes in a forum conducted by those who know that private us always better than public. 90 minutes. About twice as long as Obama spoke on campus.
Wow! 90-Minutes--how did the panel find the time. (Oh, I forgot, the panelists could have their limos avoid the traffic on the Mall.
Ed Thompson: I called Ed Thompson, a very decent guy, when I read that he has cancer to wish him well. When Ed returned the call he mentioned his state Senate race and I said, "Ed I wish all the best for you but not a Senate seat." He roared.
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Ain't it just grand how the poor, pitiful, picked upon big bidness guys use their dough to co-opt our commons?
It isn't just the UW. Look how they have used their bucks to get into schools to sell junk food, use the soda machines as fund raisers (after taking their cut, of course) and taken over the naming of athletic fields. Joe Schmudley Memorial Field? Not anymore. Now even a high school can have Sprint Field.
Who the hell is making the decisions to hand over the commons to these jerks who won't pay their sufficient share of taxes to support the commons?
Maybe THAT is an issue for the governors race huh? Don't hold your breath. It is above the level of the mudhead public and can't be put into a sound bite and is therefore not on the table.
Good bye democracy, Hello plutocracy and ain't it all just a hoot?
Beam me up Scotty. I want outa here!
-Konstance Kaffeschlucker | Sturgeon Bay, WI. | September 30, 2010
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