WASHINGTON D.C. (WTAQ) – Is preserving the Wisconsin Idea any of the federal government’s business?
The state’s three U.S. House Democrats say it is. Ron Kind, Mark Pocan, and Gwen Moore introduced a resolution Wednesday calling on everyone to protect the UW’s Wisconsin Idea as being fundamental to the university’s mission.
Republican Governor Scott Walker’s initial state budget package would have eliminated the Wisconsin Idea — the UW’s century-old mission of extending its educational resources to everyone throughout the Badger State.
Walker’s initial budget measure would have put an emphasis on creating jobs, and eliminated the “search for truth” as part of the university’s goals. Once that got out, Walker called it a “drafting error” and later dropped his request.
The House Democrats said the Wisconsin Idea promotes the goal of giving back. Kind said one of the smartest decisions we can make is to help foster the Wisconsin Idea.
He also said the latest proposal to cut a quarter-billion dollars in state funding for the UW would put students at a competitive disadvantage in the world economy, and make it harder to keep good faculty members.
(Story courtesy of Wheeler News Service)
