Editorial
Budget leaders resort to threats
October 18, 2007
The latest issue with the still unresolved Wisconsin state budget not only is threatening our learning institution, it has our own governor acting like a pouting adolescent.
On Oct. 16, after a newly proposed budget received the approval of Gov. Jim Doyle and the Senate, the state assembly shot it down by six votes. With the state closing in on the point of no return to get a budget done, our illustrious Governor decided to pull out one of the oldest and lamest human tactics used when one doesn’t get their way-he used a guilt trip. Doyle decided to use the threat of shutting down several state funded programs such as Wisconsin prisons, or even the UW System itself. While some are speculating that this is nothing more than a scare tactic, it does not excuse the fact that it is not the way rational government leaders should act. The citizens of Wisconsin should not have to pay for the ineptitude of our government officials who can’t agree because of their political ideologies (Doyle and the majority of Senate are liberal and the Assembly is primarily conservative).
Doyle also made another, slightly more feasible yet just as concerning threat for students when he stated the cost of education for students in the UW System could be increased by $800 per student in the spring. This would also be detrimental for students, but at least it’s a more logical plan as opposed to just shutting down schools for a semester. We have to realize there is going to be some give and take with this messy situation. But one of the problems is, do you really want to saddle UW System schools with another burden? Too much has been invested in the state colleges to add another burden and with the health insurance crisis threatening to push away some of the faculty and staff here at UW-River Falls it seems as though, overall, Wisconsin higher education is regressing.
So the editorial board for the Student Voice would like to make a proposal of their own. We propose that Gov. Doyle and the members of Senate and State Assembly cut their jobs first and foremost, before looking to cut the jobs, or funding for anyone else, or any other program in the state of Wisconsin.