Wisconsin: Walker proposes 13% cut, more freedom for UW System

[Scuba]

The ever elusive-to-define "freedom", catch-all justification for shit that can't otherwise be justified.


http://www.jsonline.com/news/education/walker-proposes-13-cut-more-freedom-for-uw-system-b99433644z1-289880441.html

The UW System had asked for an increase in funding of $95 million over the next two years — money that it argued was needed given that Walker was calling for another two-year tuition freeze. Walker is going forward with the tuition freeze but is calling for the $300 million cut in exchange for something university leaders have wanted for years: more independence.

UW System President Ray Cross said he supported the structural changes, but he would work to reduce the budget cut. "It's going to be a very significant challenge," he said of the cuts. "It's not something we look forward to."

...

University officials, along with both Democrats and Republicans, have been wary, voicing concerns before Walker released details of his plan.

Under Walker's proposal this year, the Legislature would have no ability to stop the university from raising tuition as much as it wants starting in 2017. Before the most recent two-year tuition freeze, tuition had gone up 5.5% each of the previous six years. That was the most allowed by a law that would no longer be in effect under Walker's plan.

[TreasonousBastard]

1. waitaminit-- they asked for more but got less, and...

in two years they can raise tuition with no limits?

Precisely how fucked up is this...

[unionthug777]

2. my guess is....

he will privatize the UW system and sell the ownership to one of his corporate masters. then they can hike tuition however much they want.

[Jackpine Radical]

3. Phoenix University, Madison Branch

[Still In Wisconsin]

5. That's basically what he wants.

Who needs to know anything about history? The humanities? Arts? Literature? Writing? Bah...

Just teach 'em to weld or do data entry for $7.00/ hr. and no benefits and businesses will simply flock to Wisconsin.


...But he loves them Badgers, you know. Even posts pictures of Melvin Gordon on his Facebook.

[Still In Wisconsin]

6. He already wants to sell off the heating plants...

to the Koch brothers, who say they have "no interest" (cough cough).

[Still In Wisconsin]

4. Here's the effect for my family:

As a UW employee, the combination of my falling income and shrinking benefits, couples with skyrocketing tuition, means that my wife and I will not be able to come even close to sending our kids to a state school without incurring massive, massive debt, even if we were to spend 100% of our retirement savings on their education.

[TreasonousBastard]

7. That sucks-- wtf is wrong with...

the people to allow this bullshit to happen?

It's not just Wisconsin, of course, it's all over the country.

We're screwed.

[riversedge]

8. Dayton MINNESOTA budget blueprint earmarks most of state spending increase for education

oh, this is so good for Minnesota.




http://m.startribune.com/politics/statelocal/290003591.html



Dayton budget blueprint earmarks most of state spending increase for education

By Ricardo Lopez and Patrick Condon , Star Tribune staff writers
January 28, 2015 - 5:48 AM

...........Education a winner

Education was the largest recipient of new spending under Dayton’s proposal, and would get a $373 million boost. He asked the Legislature to boost per-pupil funding, giving schools money to reduce class sizes, hire more counselors and invest in technology.

Dayton said much of the new education money is meant to close the state’s long-documented gap between white and minority students in graduation rates and other performance measures.

He would wipe out a Head Start waiting list that now has 2,500 children on it and would make an additional 83,000 students statewide eligible for free breakfast.

Higher education also could see a $93 million increase in state funding. Part of that would go toward holding down tuition to curb the growth of student loan debt. A fact sheet distributed by the governor’s office estimated that students would save between $600 and $700 yearly on tuition.

With his eye on boosting the national prominence of the University of Minnesota Medical School, Dayton’s $93 million request includes $30 million to hire 50 research faculty members over the next eight years and attract high-caliber students................

[riversedge]

9. "in his first budget, 41,000 eligible students were rejected for financial aid due to lack of ...."

Young Dems On Governor’s Budget Cuts For The University of Wisconsin:

http://bloggingblue.com/2015/01/young-dems-on-governors-budget-cuts-for-the-university-of-wisconsin/
Posted by Ed Heinzelman

Click Here for the details on the Governor’s budget proposal for the University of Wisconsin system.

...............

College Democrats of Wisconsin Chair Zach Madden released the following statement regarding Gov. Walker’s proposal to cut $300 million and reduce oversight for the UW System.

“Gov. Walker’s proposal shows exactly how little he cares about providing Wisconsin students with a high quality, affordable education. Despite the UW System requesting $95 million in additional funding, Gov. Walker seems poised to gut our world class universities with little regard for the students who will inevitably suffer as a result.

We’ve already seen the damage $300 million in cuts can do. When Gov. Walker cut higher education funding by over $320 million in his first budget, 41,000 eligible students were rejected for financial aid due to lack of funding. These proposed cuts, combined with Walker’s proposal to decrease state oversight of the UW System, risk causing further financial aid cuts in the short run and drastic tuition hikes soon after. The proposal to reduce UW System oversight is all the more insulting considering Gov. Walker campaigned on a tuition freeze and the proposed changes will prevent any future tuition freezes from taking place.......

[riversedge]

10. Walker is an enormous dick. What he means is he's gonna stick it to UW like he did public workers

madison.com ‏@madisondotcom 3m3 minutes ago

UW-#Madison chancellor warns Scott Walker’s cuts would mean layoffs, out-of-state tuition hikes http://ow.ly/I6GAv
0 replies 1 retweet 1 favorite


Lots of tweets about the cuts--thing on is spot on


Shaina ‏@ShainalovesMKE 3m3 minutes ago

Walker is an enormous dick. What he means is he's gonna stick it to UW like he did public workers. Brilliant. #wiunion

[riversedge]

11. @UWMadison chancellor @BeckyBlank says @GovWalker plan for would cause layoffs in every school and c

Not looking good at all.



Kevin Kopplin retweeted
Jessica Arp @news3jessica · 22h 22 hours ago
@UWMadison chancellor @BeckyBlank says @GovWalker plan for would cause layoffs in every school and college
. #news3

[riversedge]

12. Dem Senator Shilling tweet: and Official media release

Senator Shilling @SenShilling · Jan 27

Both Democrats and Republicans should be concerned about this attempt to privatize and defund our UW System. http://eepurl.com/bcBJ8T

http://us6.campaign-archive2.com/?u=f50a48a1dace07a0794d44dbb&id=b89acd4a11



Official media release from the office of Senator Jennifer Shilling
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 27, 2015
Contact: Tony Palese, 608-266-5490


Sen. Shilling statement on Gov. Walker's cuts to higher education

MADISON – In response to Gov. Walker's proposal to slash funding for higher education, Senate Democratic Leader Jennifer Shilling (D-La Crosse) released the following statement:

"Despite a strong national recovery, Wisconsin’s economy is sputtering and our budget is in the worst shape of any state in the nation. Rather than investing in pro-growth initiatives to strengthen communities, Gov. Walker has proposed deep cuts that will lead to more layoffs across the state.

"Both Democrats and Republicans should be concerned about this attempt to privatize and defund our UW System. As a mother of two young boys, I want my children to have the same great higher education opportunities that I had. Unfortunately, Gov. Walker’s cuts will put those opportunities further out of reach for many working families and future students."

# # #
Facebook
Twitter
Website
Our mailing address is:
Office of Senator Jennifer Shilling
PO Box 7882
Madison, WI 53707

Add us to your address book
unsubscribe from this list update subscription preferences

Email Marketing Powered by MailChimp

[riversedge]

13. "It's really taking an ax to one of the best things we have going for us in the state," said Sen. J

"It's really taking an ax to one of the best things we have going for us in the state," said Sen. Jon Erpenbach... http://fb.me/4c6Fz3iW3


UW System predicts layoffs, no campus closings under budget cuts



http://media.jrn.com/images/660*410/b99433799z.1_20150127230531_000_gla9n0t7.1-1.jpg



Bascom Hall on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus is shown Jan. 14. Gov. Scott Walker’s plan to cut the UW System by $300 million over two years would likely lead to layoffs, according to top school officials.


........UW System President Ray Cross said the effects of the cuts would vary by campus but added that officials are not discussing closing any campuses. He said he hoped to identify some efficiencies in March based on the recommendation of a consultant, giving schools time to prepare for cuts that would take effect when the new budget year begins July 1.

Students also expressed concerns about the plan.

"We don't deny that students deserve a break and we need to keep college affordable, but a tuition freeze will only be effective if it's accompanied by an increase in state funding," said a statement from Ryan Sorenson, the student president at UW-Milwaukee.

The UW System received $1.18 billion in state taxpayer money for the current fiscal year — less than what it received in 2010-'11. Walker's plan would cut that amount for next year by $150 million, or 12.7%. The $150 million cut would continue for the second year of the budget as well.

State tax money makes up about 19% of the UW System's budget, according to the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau. Tuition, federal aid, grants, donations and other payments bring the system's total annual funding to more than $6 billion........




By Patrick Marley and Karen Herzog of the Journal Sentinel
Jan. 27, 2015

[lutefisk]

14. Excellent analysis/commentary by Paul Fanlund

Paul Fanlund has these bastards figured out.

So how do we camouflage what it really is: part of a fundamental and ideological assault on the availability and affordability of public education in Wisconsin, from kindergarten through graduate school?

Let’s trot out, under the always handy guise of “reform,” a proposal to permit UW leaders greater autonomy, and argue that the new freedom will allow them to get out from “under the thumb” of state government.

As a tactic, we first leak to the media that the governor intends to propose a “bold plan” to grant more autonomy to UW. That sounds good, and presents Walker as someone who thinks big and does not, say, need the more deliberative advice of a bipartisan, blue-ribbon commission to study the future of higher education in Wisconsin. That would be better for the state, but does not fit the presidential campaign timetable.

Well played, governor.

link

[Scuba]

15. Excellent article. If you haven't made it an OP, please do. If you have, please send me the link.

[Still In Wisconsin]

16. Here's the UW System once Scott Walker is done with it: