Well, this is one way to ensure that you're going to continue to have a stupid base for your Republican / New Confederate / Stupid Party. We've noted before, but it bears repeating:
This week, Wisconsin kicked off a series of hearings on Governor Scott Walker’s proposed budget, which would slash about $300 million from the University of Wisconsin system over two years, funnel hundreds of millions to build a pro-basketball stadium, and cut deeply from funds for health care, food stamps and public media.
College campuses across the state are already preparing for the worst.
Funding at UW-Rock County would be stripped back to levels not seen since 1998, and the school’s dean has said faculty layoffs are almost certain. The situation appears even more dire at UW-Eau Claire, where administrators have offered buyouts to a record 325 faculty and staff members — about a quarter of the campus’ employees. These so-called “go away packages” have been offered to nearly half of the school’s political science department. UW-Stevens Point reports they will eliminate several entire majors, even for students currently enrolled in them.
And it’s not just higher education feeling the pain.
Public primary schools across Wisconsin will lose about $127 million in education aid next year, largely by scrapping a special $150 per-student fund that Wisconsin school districts received over the past two years. (our emphasis)Beyond the goal of strangling education because "a stupid voter is a Republican voter," the obvious target of these mindless cuts is teachers unions in Wisconsin, which were in the forefront of efforts to recall Gov. "Koch Head." But it's not just Wisconsin that sees education as it's nemesis:
Residents of Illinois are organizing against Governor Bruce Rauner’s proposal to cut nearly $400 million from the University of Illinois — taking the colleges back to the funding levels they had in the 1950s even though the student population is three times bigger today. (our emphasis)And it's not just
Meanwhile, students in Louisiana will hold a budget forum on Wednesday to voice concerns about Governor Bobby Jindal’s proposed $200 million in cuts to Louisiana State University.
The deep cuts are part of the Governor’s attempt to fill a more than $1.6 billion budget hole. Though lawmakers on both sides in the aisle in the state have pleaded with the Governor to consider ending some of the state’s massive tax breaks for corporations and the wealthy, he has largely refused to do so. (our emphasis)In our increasingly competitive economic and technological global environment, it's beyond ... what's the word?... stupid to make such draconian cuts to public education. It's downright criminal. If given the chance, we're certain Walker and Jindal would love to do to the United States what they're doing to their own benighted states.
