Regents pass racist policy

The University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents today passed a racist policy that would give greater consideration to a person’s skin color and heritage, however distant, than his or her intelligence and academic performance.

Though race can be a consideration in college admittance per a 1978 U.S. Supreme Court ruling, under Wisconsin law, college acceptance cannot be "based upon race, religion, national origin of U.S. citizens or sex shall ever be allowed in the admission of students."

Granted there is a difference in semantics here: “based upon” and “consideration” are two very different terms. However, the Regents have now placed race as a factor of consideration that allows colleges to base their acceptance letters upon race.

The practice is racist. This country has seen enough racism guised as affirmative action. Marquette University criminal justice graduates can’t find policing jobs because they are white and the Milwaukee police force, in part because of a policy passed in the early 1980s, prefers black applicants with the notion of “GED encouraged” to apply.

Initially, affirmative action was focused on remedying discriminative actions against blacks in the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This task has long been accomplished.

Now, affirmative action has deviated from its original intent. Today, affirmative action encompasses women and any group that claims to be a minority. Preferential treatment is given to nonwhite men, putting them and the enforcer of the racist practice at a disadvantage. It’s not only “reverse discrimination” (used loosely), but it hurts the enforcer of the policy in that they are not getting the best and top candidates they could. And for what? So women and minorities have equal representation in the work place?

If you’re qualified to hold the position, you’ll be represented in the work place. If you’re not qualified, but black or Latino or gay or whatever, you’re dangerous and putting many other qualified people (and your employer) at a disadvantage.

University of Wisconsin-Madison Chancellor John Wiley said in the Journal Sentinel: "I don't know how you could have lived through the past century - maybe if you were asleep in a cave - and say that race doesn't matter."

Race matters. What doesn’t matter is race is a consideration for jobs or college or friends. We’ve come a long way, Wiley. University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Chancellor Carlos Santiago is one example. To find others, look around at Milwaukee’s diverse workplace to find countless examples of minority business owners, political minority leaders and counter-evidence to the need for more racist policies like the Regents have enacted today.

UWM Parking and Transit locks students out

Residents at Kenilworth Apartments came home to discover they had been locked out of their second floor parking Monday.

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Parking and Transit operates the garage, charging students $100 per month to park there. When Kenilworth staff reported the problem late yesterday afternoon, the transit office assured the staff that only students who were delinquent in their parking payments had been locked out.

This was not the case, according to many students at the front desk yesterday evening. It seems many more students had been locked out. Because the parking office, located on the Union's ground floor, closes at 4:30, students were left to find street parking and fill the lower level lot, which is metered and prohibits parking between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m.

Students awoke this morning to find their cars ticketed, despite the front desk's efforts to record students' names, phone numbers and license plates. The ticketing officer did not listen to Kenilworth staffs' explanations, staff said.

Students enter the garage by using a device adhered to their windshield. When the vehicle approaches the garage, a sensor recognizes the vehicle and grants the student access.

Parking and Transit officials were notified again this morning of the problem, claiming that only students delinquent in payment were locked out.

PantherMail servers overloaded by useage influx

Servers hosting PantherMail are experiencing a large increase in usage since the Spring semester started on Monday, causing the mail server multiple problems, officials said.

PantherMail user options are experiencing problems due to servers being overloaded by the sudden increase in activity compared to the quiet UWinterM semester. Officials reported they do not expect PantherMail to be fully operational again before noon today.

BBC News: Disabled men do 'The Full Monty'

A group of disabled men who created a new take on the film "The Full Monty" have been praised by a leading disability charity.

The Crippendales follows Hull man Lee Kemp, 34, as he puts together a group of men with various disabilities and gets them to strip at a hen night.

Wow. That's about all that can be said. Wow.

UWM SA needs due process

In reading all of the articles (especially the horrifically inaccurate article written by Megan Twohey in the Saturday, October 20, 2006 edition of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) and blogs on the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's Student Association, I think it's important to remind the public that innocence precedes guilt in this country.

As a side note, I'd link to Twohey's article, but the online posting was dramatically changed (to reflect accuracy) from its original print version.

I'll grant there are some flags and questionable occurrences that have transpired within the SA. However, the SA also has a very reasonable, strong defense for denying the administration its financial records.

Due process must play out before anyone should finger point, suggest blame or call for resignations.

Media says Falk, electors say Van Hollen

A prime example of why the media has no business dabbling in the art of fortune telling. Exit polls are about as reliable as tarot cards.

When WTMJ4 projected Gov. Jim Doyle would win another four years with less than 10 percent of precincts reporting, I became alarmed. I'm sure the station was sitting on pins and needles until the Associated Press also declared Doyle the winner a few hours later.

TMJ also projected Kathleen Falk Wisconsin's next attorney general. The Falk campaign said it was "cautiously optimistic" about the projections and numbers coming in, despite being at least two percentage points behind J.B. Van Hollen until 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

Then, behold! All of the numbers came in and Van Hollen will sit as the state's top cop.

As I said before, in the interest of clarity, accuracy and pragmatism, the numbers will take form and meaning once all the numbers are in.

Media predictions disappoint, sicken

The media is really good at over-stepping its bounds--all for ratings, advertisement pricing, to be first--grappling so-called bragging rights.

Exit polls are being touted, reaching for what these numbers could mean. To be clear, and pragmatic, the numbers will take form and meaning once all the numbers are in.

If I were to rely on exit polls or single-digit precinct reports, or any reports less than 100 percent for that matter, I'd be a fool. Pockets of conservatives or liberals that report early or in waves will shift the numbers back and forth like the ocean's roll--which is just as sporadic.

If I were to buy into the numbers being flaunted, I can attest to my heart breaking and disappointment in a society I have to be associated with.

The numbers acknowledge that we have an ignorant, uninformed state populous regressing to pre-enlightenment thinking.

Current law already forbids marriage between a man and a man and a woman and a woman. It's one thing to outlaw something, discriminating first against blacks, then against women and now homosexuals, it's another to write this hateful discrimination into the fabrics of our constitution--what I once considered a beacon of hope and equality.

Where will it stop? Where did the idealistic notion of a separation of church and state run off to?

The numbers continue to nauseate. Neither Gov. Jim Doyle nor challenger Mark Green should be Wisconsin's governor. Holding true to the last four elections, there is little revealed of action or platforms. The candidates only run misleading, dirty attacks about each other. It's a two-party, all-or-nothing system. What about moderates? What of those who think on a cross-partisan plane? Think of the difference that could be made with the money spent on campaigning! Think health care and prescription drug costs. Students, think education!

An advisory referendum on the return of the death penalty to the state looks like it will pass. The Wisconsin populous thinks its judges should pass God's judgment--deciding who lives and who dies?

The blatant hypocrisy is unending.

"Thou shalt not kill."

"Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination."

Wait, I thought Mosaic Law was fulfilled with Jesus' coming?

So which is it?

With such a hypocritical society, a lazy populous that doesn't fulfill its civic obligations to cast informed votes and relies on knee-jerk reactions, it's no wonder Wisconsin has sunk its progressive ship to the bottomless pit of stag-nicity.

Kant would scold you. I gladly join him.

Young voters should know the issues

The Journal Sentinel launched a creative quiz for those people who do not follow politics closely.

That quiz gives the Republican and Democratic gubernatorial candidate answers to 15 key issues.

See where you stand: http://www.jsonline.com/electionquiz/quiz.aspx?e=1&r=1&rs=12010

If those 15 issues don't suffice, the Journal Sentinel has also compiled a list of 50 issues and the stances of U.S. Rep. Mark Green and Gov. Jim Doyle: http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=483236

SA issues statement over check, shutdown

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Student Association issued the following statement campus-wide today.

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Student Association has been thrown into disarray in the past two weeks by actions taken by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee administration.

The UWM Student Association would like to explain to the UWM community what has occurred.

The University administration began an investigation regarding a $10,000.00 check, written to a company named AcerPrudens, from the Sandburg Halls Administrative Council (SHAC), in early September. The University administration began an internal audit of the SHAC financial accounts to investigate this check. It is important for you to know that SHAC and the Student Association are two completely separate entities.

On October 9, 2006, Chancellor Carlos Santiago sent a letter to the Student Association (SA) President, Ms. Samantha Prahl, requesting that she turn over financial information regarding SA’s Segregated University Fees (SUF) account, as well as SA’s private account. The SA private account contains money that SA has fund-raised on its own and is not student money. This account is allowed under University policy and neither this account or any other SA account has ever been the subject of a previous audit.

The SA private account is not the account from which the $10,000.00 check to AcerPrudens was written, nor did any officer of SA write the check. The check was from a student organization that is independently operated and separate from SA. Although the University administration indicated to Ms. Prahl that they desired to audit SA’s private account information, no link between the check under investigation and SA has ever been made.

Upon receiving the letter from Chancellor Santiago, Ms. Prahl began continuous communications with Mr. Paul Rediski, the UWM Director of Internal Audits. Ms. Prahl indicated to Mr. Rediski, beginning on Tuesday, October 10, 2006, that SA was willing to turn over the SUF account to the University for auditing and would be more than willing to turn over the financial information for the private account as well, but since it was independent from University administration control, that SA desired an independent third party to conduct that audit. This request was promptly rejected by Mr. Rediski with no reasoning provided.

Ms. Prahl indicated on several different occasions that SA would be more than willing to turn over the private account information, but to an independent auditor, and Mr. Rediski continually refused requests without explanation.

After meeting with SA officers, Ms. Prahl communicated to Mr. Rediski on Wednesday, October 18, that SA desired to comply with the request for the private account information, but because it was a private account and not one administered by the University, that a private auditor was the most appropriate and desired person to release the information to.
Ms. Prahl then received a phone call from Mr. Rediski on Thursday, October 19 in response to her previous day’s communication. Mr. Rediski requested a meeting with Ms. Prahl, James Hill, Interim Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs, an a UW-System auditor on Friday, October 20. Ms. Prahl informed Mr. Rediski that she would not be available because Mr. Hill had arranged for her to attend a UW-System Student Government Presidents conference in LaCrosse, Wisconsin that day.

Mr. Rediski scheduled the meeting for Monday, October 23, and indicated he hoped to resolve the matters regarding the audit at that time. While Ms. Prahl was enroute to the conference on Friday, October 20, she received a call that the SA office, located in the UWM Student Union, was locked, the locks changed, and a letter, written by Mr. Hill, on the door. The letter stated that since SA had not provided the University administration with access to the private account financial records, that Mr. Hill was suspending SA’s continued access to SUF support and use of University facilities, including the SA offices and computers. Upon hearing this news, Ms. Prahl immediately returned to the University.

This effective seizure of the SA offices and information was done without prior notice to Ms. Prahl or any member of SA and completely ceased any and all work being done on behalf of UWM students.

With the unprecedented shut down of SA on October 20, SA retained Attorney Teresa Rickert of the Brookfield law firm of Schmidt Rupke Tess-Mattner & Fox, S.C. on Monday, October 23 to intervene on its behalf. The law firm immediately began communication with the University administration to come to a resolution of the audit matters and reopen the SA offices and to allow SA to again operate. Through conversations between the University administration and SA’s attorneys, a solution to the issues regarding accessibility to SA’s private account information was presented to the University late in the morning of October 23. The University never responded to the options presented.

Instead, the University Police Department executed a search warrant on the SA offices during the evening of Monday, October 23. Although this search warrant had been issued on Sunday, October 22 and discussions were occurring on October 23 to resolve the private account audit matters, the University Police Department executed the warrant when fewer students were in the Union and while no SA members or their attorney’s were present.

In executing the search warrant, nearly every shred of paper was taken from the SA offices and every computer hard drive in the office was seized. The execution of the search warrant has now completely disabled SA. The execution of the search warrant, which was not limited to financial information, has made reentry into the offices just a frivolous exercise because SA is unable to function and aid students in any manner. Information completely unrelated to the search was taken, including documents used to fight against a UPASS rate hike, voter registration, neighborhood relations, Residential Preferred Parking (RPP) and even class notes were taken.

The actions taken by the University administration of requesting financial information from an account that was unrelated to the check at issue, to shutting down SA and then executing a search arrant on the SA office while discussions to resolve the dispute were occurring between the University and SA’s attorneys, are clear violations of student rights and a reprehensible attempt to exercise power by the University over an independent student government.

The Student Association will continue to do all that it can to keep working on the behalf of the students of UWM, despite having no resources that remain in its offices. We believe that the events of the past few days are seriously devastating to student rights, and will continue to work to uphold student rights and representation on campus.

We look forward to moving past the events of the recent weeks and to continuing our work on behalf of all students attending UWM, past, present, and future.

Salmon doesn't pass the smell test

From onmilwaukee.com, a Marquette fan that goes by the handle "Salmon Slayer" touts the ignorance some Marquette University students bring to the table:

"Bottom Line: The vast majority of the MU community could care less about UWM. It is a large commuter school, unknown to the vast majority of MU students until they arrive in Milwaukee. From what I know it is an average university in a mid-sized metro area. I had never heard of it before attending MU and I have not since given it any thought or consideration, save for the recent spate of comments surrounding what is (and always will be) a non-rivalry.

“UWM fans: Give it a rest."

Salmon Slayer:

By your handle I’d guess you’re from Alaska (attending a school in a state you’re not familiar with would explain why you’re so out of touch with Wisconsin).

Here’s the real bottom line for Salmon Slayer and others who have similar views.

I’ll grant that a large number of MU students hail from other states than Wisconsin. However, if such bold statements are to be made about the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, some education (albeit self-imposed) is necessary.

Salmon’s views are certainly not representative of MU, especially the educated attending the university.

This is made clear when Salmon wrote, “From what I know..." Clearly, what Salmon knows isn't much, nor did Salmon bother to seek out the information which he/she doesn’t know.

“…(UWM) is an average university in a mid-sized metro area.”

Milwaukee’s the largest city in Wisconsin. Perhaps you should consider taking a geography course at MU so you don’t have to take my word for it. Further, what makes a university average? If it’s enrollment, MU, too, could be said to be average. If it’s the university’s endowment, then MU could be said to be above average and UWM significantly below average. If it’s the quality of education, Salmon has no ground to stand on.

An education is what one makes of it. Look at UWM’s Honors College graduate and professional schooling entrance rates and tell me UWM provides an average education.

“I had never heard of it before attending MU and I have not since given it any thought or consideration, save for the recent spate of comments surrounding what is (and always will be) a non-rivalry.”

If you’re out of state, that’s understandable for the first few days, maybe even weeks, of attending MU. If you read the news, or even watch it on television, you’d know more about the far-reaching achievements of UWM and some of the latest controversy surrounding it.

The discussion of UWM’s and MU’s rivalry has been on-going for many years. Perhaps take a remedial English course to improve your reading skills to better inform yourself of this.

In addition to geography and remedial English, take a research course so you’re well-informed before touting your ignorance (that’s nine of the required 12 credits to remain a full-time student next semester). MU and UWM had a cross-town rivalry; it abruptly ended in the late 90s. This wouldn’t be a new concept, my fishy friend, but a return to a healthy Jesuit/public institution rivalry that ended before you were even thinking about post-secondary education.

As to your claims of UWM being a commuter school, I’d question where you got your information. Earlier you stated, “I had never heard of (UWM) before attending MU and I have not since given it any thought or consideration, save for the recent spate of comments surrounding what is (and always will be) a non-rivalry.”

So which is it? You have or have not given UWM a thought or consideration save for the non-rivalry?

I’m confused by what you seem to chalk up to fortune-telling skills. Since you seem to see the future so clearly, that UWM and MU will never have a rivalry, look to the past to see, despite your insistence, there was one.

UWM is evolving from its label as a commuter-school. Look at the Kenilworth Square Apartments and the dorms that recently broke ground off Humboldt and North avenues (warning, reading and research would be required).

UWM might be giving MU a run for its overly abundant endowment. Perhaps that’s what you truly are having a knee-jerk reaction to.

UWM's athletics have garnered national attention the last two years. That being said, I am surprised you say you’ve never heard of us.

The university’s research programs are moving toward the forefront and will continue to do so. Its students are top-notch and the university opens its arms to almost anyone seeking post-secondary education. MU shuts its doors, or has its doors shut for it, on the majority of applicants chiefly because they don’t have the money and brew the ignorance and arrogance you so readily adorn yourself with.

Salmon Slayer, don’t speak when you have nothing to say. You certainly don’t speak for the MU community (it’s far more informed).

UWM and its students might give you a nod when you stop mumbling whines lacking knowledge and start an intellectual conversation about the two universities.

Stick to fortune telling; I think it'll take you as far as you are destined to go in life.

Student Association ‘temporarily disbanded’

BY BRADLEY WOOTEN

When Student Association Legislative Affairs director Kyle Duerstein went to open the SA office this morning, he was greeted by a sticker that said “evidence” and new locks on the door.

Further, interim vice chancellor of Student Affairs Jim Hill, had a note on the door:
“Although you indicated that the Student Association plans to pursue its own audit, to date, you have refused to provide the University access to these records. Therefore, pursuant to UW System Policy F20, I am temporarily suspending the Student Association’s continued access to SUF support and/or use of University facilities, including the Student Association offices and computers.”

SA president Samantha Prahl said she was outraged at the university's audacity.

“The administration has temporarily disbanded the Student Association,” Prahl said. “They’ve eliminated the student voice on this campus.”

An Oct. 20 letter to Prahl, Hill said that, "Chancellor Santiago requested that you direct appropriate Student Association officers to make available to UWM Auditor Paul Rediske and UW System Auditors Tou Her and Zach Simba any and all financial records of the Student Association, pursuant to UW System Financial Administration Policy F20."

Those records included, but were not limited to, records of expenditures and receipts, external checking account and savings account records, UWM financial account records, invoices, records of SA actions approving expenditures and SA financial policies and procedures.

"I refuse to set such a dangerous precedent," Prahl said.

Rediske, Hill and Prahl were scheduled to meet Monday, Oct. 23 at 1 p.m.

However, Prahl and the SA have obtained legal representation and cancelled the meeting.

Prahl said that she had to cancel her plans to attend a UW System presidents' meeting today in light of the administration’s course of action.

On Oct. 18, Prahl wrote to Rediske her and the SA’s position clear.

“It is my intention, and the intention of the Student Association, to work with the university administration to conduct an audit of our financial accounts that is both just and preserves the integrity of an independent association,” Prahl wrote. “A very dangerous precedent is established when an independent association is subject to unbridled intervention by a co-equal in university governance.”

Now, the SA office is open, but all files and records have been removed from it.

UWM, MU need to rise up

EDITORIAL

BY BRADLEY WOOTEN

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee has had a lot of good press lately, but like all good things, it came to an abrupt--albeit temporary--end.

When there's a chance to pit Marquette University and UWM against one another in basketball, and that chance is blown as the result of egos, there should be more of an uproar.

In fact, there should be a revolution. And yet, this seems to have escaped any realization by students and Milwaukee residents.

"I've received one phone call (on this)," said UWM spokesman Tom Luljak.

The Journal Sentinel hit this debacle dead on.

In fact, it took two anonymous donations totaling $20,000 to cover the difference in cost which initially caused UWM to back down, the Journal Sentinel reported.

What baffles me most about this is the lack of outcry on either campus.

The rivalry is born anew, but instead of it being about basketball, or a cross-town public versus private education rivalry, it's about money and politics.

Go Golden Eagles; go Panthers.

UWM Chancellor diagnosed with cancer

By Bradley Wooten

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Chancellor Carlos Santiago announced today that he will have surgery Tuesday, Oct. 24 to rectify the cancer in his prostate.

Following his surgery, he will take four to six weeks off from campus while UWM Provost Rita Chang serves in his stead.

"I do have two requests," Santiago wrote in an e-mail. "First, I urge all of you to make sure that you participate in periodic cancer screening tests. And, second, please do not send flowers."

Police efforts hold one man in custody

UWM Student Joesph Munz's murderer may now be custody.

Milwaukee Police late last night arrested a 24-year-old Milwaukee man in connection with the homicide of former UWM student Joseph Munz which occurred on Oct. 10, 2006 at 8:15 p.m. at 3264 N. Weil St. in Milwaukee's Riverwest neighborhood.

Citizen cooperation led police to the stolen van that allegedly was used in the offense. Police believe Mr. Munz was approached by the armed suspect just after Mr. Munz made a sandwich delivery at a home in the 3200 block of N. Weil St. The suspect demanded property and money, then Mr. Munz struggled with the suspect.

Despite being shot numerous times, Mr. Munz continued to struggle even as the suspect pistol-whipped him after the gun was empty. The case is expected to be reviewed by the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office as early as Tuesday. Milwaukee Police are investigating whether the suspect is involved in any other armed robberies in the City of Milwaukee.

The suspect is currently on parole for homicide by negligent use of a motor vehicle.

Eisman visits UWM

Pictured: UW-EC SPJer Christina Harris, UW-EC SPJer Matt Elliott, SPJ President Bradley Wooten, Green Party gubernatorial candidate
Nelson Eisman, SPJ Vice President Tim Elliot, SPJ Secretary Kristi Schilling, SPJ Treasurer James Carviou

Wisconsin Green Party gubernatorial candidate Nelson Eisman visited with students from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and -Eau Claire.

A more detailed transcription will be published in days to come.

UWM SPJ announces Gousha event

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists will host former TMJ4 anchor Mike Gousha on Tuesday, Oct. 17 from 7 to 8 p.m. in Mitchell Hall Room 191.

Gousha will speak to free speech in light of National Free Speech Week. Specifically, reporters who keep blogs that contain opinion or editorial content in addition to reporting for a media outlet.

He will also speak to his career, ambitions and current happenings.

4 new ads added for 'The K'

You like what you see? So will your customers.

Politicians don't commit to students

BY BRADLEY WOOTEN

It started with a simple premise, bring the three gubernatorial candidates to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and invite students from across the state to hear what they have to say on higher education, the job market, the economy and tuition.

It ended with an illogical conclusion.

Green Party gubernatorial candidate Nelson Eisman was contacted by UWM’s Society of Professional Journalists in mid-July. The same day, he confirmed his attendance for an Oct. 8 student forum.

Both the Green and Doyle parties were contacted the same day as Eisman, which sparked the beginning of a battalion of endless excuses and eventually smoldered into non-committal.

Both candidates said it would be placed on a list that would eventually be discussed with the gubernatorial candidates.

Green continues to tout his alleged commitment to students in his political ads.

On Aug. 28, Green went so far as to have UWM’s “Students for Green,” a registered student organization with the university, stand behind him with signs his campaign handed out so as to give the doctored appearance that a larger number of students turned out to support him.

That day, Green unveiled his economic development plan for the state, which included a way to stop the “brain drain” in Wisconsin.

“The top age group leaving Wisconsin are 20- to 29-year-olds,” Green said.

I’d buy that, and one reason is because Wisconsin politicians aren’t paying any attention to that demographic.
“Believe me, there is nothing more I would like to do than debate Gov. Doyle on higher education,” Green said when asked why he hasn’t formally committed to attending a planned student forum at UWM in October. “But it’s important to consider Doyle’s calendar too.”

So let me get this straight: even after you’re told it’s one, not a debate but a controlled student forum sponsored by the university and moderated by the professional media, and two that the other candidates’ presence is not a pre-requisite for your own, you have the gall to say that?

Talk about needing to question the political rhetoric.

Throughout August and September, calls and or e-mails were made and placed to the Doyle and Green campaigns daily.

For Green, it was one excuse after the other but they were “very excited at the prospect of the forum.” On Sept. 20, the final cold, hard truth was given:

“After speaking with the Doyle campaign, it was decided that the UW-Milwaukee debate will not be added to the calendar,” said Scott Matejov, Green’s operations director who handles Green’s scheduling requests.

Matejov said a call from the Doyle campaign should shortly follow his to confirm the lack of non-commitment to students.

That phone call came two days later, breaking a 34 day streak of unanswered and unreturned phone calls and e-mails to Doyle’s campaign.

Worse yet, that call came at 6:21 p.m. to my internship, a newsmagazine that operates 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

“Unfortunately the governor’s schedule will not allow for the proposed debate,” said Sarah, a woman who only identified herself as Doyle’s scheduling person. “I hope you can understand the complexity of the governor’s schedule at this point.”

Of it’s understandable. That’s why the student forum was proposed in July, to give all campaigns plenty of time to fit it into their schedules.

First it’s that it’s too far out to schedule the forum for Doyle, now it’s flipped to be where it’s too close to the election.

Clear differences need to be drawn here, though:

The Green campaign runs these ads where he discusses the importance of higher education and has college students in the background. But he won’t commit to event he expressed interest in from the start because his campaign conferred with Doyle’s and decided reaching a statewide audience of students in the largest city in the state was a bad idea--for whatever reason.

This brings the larger point of contention: students and the younger demographic don’t vote enough, so politicians don’t pay them any creed. And yet, when there is a substantial effort to gather students statewide to listen to the candidates, it’s ignored by two of the three campaigns.

There’s one of two answers to this quandary: either politicians don’t care about higher education or students shouldn’t care about voting because in the end politicians won’t grant them the respect and attention they deserve.

Former SHAC presidents under investigation

Posted by Jesse Dercks

Wooten awarded third place national distinction

The National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association announced the recipients of its Excellence in Journalism Awards Oct. 3.

Bradley Wooten, then of the UWM Post, received third place for the NLGJA's Excellence in Student Journalism Award for his article "Resist urge, gays told: Jesus as 'motivating factor.'"

Tim Wilkins, the subject of the article, is a Baptist who seeks to evangelize and disciple the homosexual, a task, he said, can be accomplished, as he did, through Jesus.

After the article's publication, Wilkins slammed Wooten on his Web site, crossministry.org, with the article "Journalism at its worst."

Misunderstanding in e-mail origin sparks controversy

BY BRADLEY WOOTEN

A misunderstanding between the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee administration and 3rd District Ald. Michael D’Amato over an e-mail opposing Residential Preferred Parking sparked a heated e-mail from the alderman earlier this month.

Because the e-mail came from interim vice chancellor of Student Affairs Jim Hill’s e-mail account, the understanding for D’Amato and his neighbors was the university now opposed RPP, the alderman said.

UWM spokesman Tom Luljak testified to the Public Safety Committee that the UWM administration continues to support the adoption of RPP a week after the misunderstood e-mail was sent out.

“I will note that although many students, faculty and staff are strongly opposed to RPP, it is the official view of the administration that we favor adoption of an enabling ordinance,” Luljak replied to D’Amato’s e-mail. “[W]e remain committed to seeing an RPP program adopted.”

Both D’Amato and university administration said they want to move on.

The Student Association contacted all UWM students urging opposition to RPP, which, if passed by the Common Council, will remove 721 parking spots on and near the university campus and reserve them for permanent residents.

“As university policy, we don’t provide direct access for that,” Hill said.

Under the previous structure, an e-mail to be distributed campus-wide is forwarded to Hill’s office. In turn, Student Affairs then sends the e-mail out to all students.

The SA signed the RPP e-mail at the bottom.

“It was a misunderstanding on his part,” Hill said.

Hill clarified via e-mail to D’Amato that the opposition to RPP is not endorsed by the administration and that the sender of the e-mail, the SA, was identified at the bottom of the e-mail. D’Amato did not reply.

“(So) I assume it’s okay,” Hill said. “His reaction might have been different had it been clearer. He might have been angry and responded with emotion.”

Now, the office of Student Affairs will clearly and prominently identify the author of campus-wide communications at the top of the e-mail, Hill said.

“If you didn’t read to the end of the e-mail, it might not have been clear that it was not from a university official,” he said.

D’Amato said it was a knee-jerk reaction on his part and that he’s glad he can trust the university to uphold its word on RPP.

“My initial reaction was that (D’Amato) reacted too quickly,” said SA President Samantha Prahl.

In the Saturday, Sept. 9 e-mail, D’Amato wrote, “Monday I will personally investigate how we can terminate or delay any necessary approvals that UWM requires from the City of Milwaukee.”

“It definitely sounded like a threat, he’s definitely using his power in office to do negative things and things he know will hurt people,” Prahl said. “He sent this out on a Saturday, he definitely should have thought about it over the weekend before he pushed the send button.”

Prahl said the university faces loosing the bussing service all students can take advantage of, and pay for through segregate fees, U-Pass, because of another increase in cost for its use. That coupled with the loss of two U-Park lots along Lake Michigan does not make for the right timing in removing more parking spots, Prahl said.

Both the university and alderman are ready to move on from the misunderstanding.

“I’m satisfied that the administration has re-iterated their original position in support of RPP,” D’Amato said. “I was obviously taken aback by what seemed to be an about face by the administration. My neighbors demanded that it be dealt with them.”

D’Amato said that anybody who would have read the RPP e-mail would have believed that it came from Hill speaking for the administration, not the SA.

“While I am supportive that the students have their own voice, it should be made clear that sometimes they are not in agreement with the administration,” D’Amato said.

“For our purposes now, we’ll go forward with our collation promoting RPP and we hope to build off of that,” D’Amato said.

Housing, student behavior and transportation are issues the alderman said the university has a long way to go before progress is made.

“It’s encouraging to know the administration continues to stand by the residents,” D’Amato said.

Wisconsin Radio Network covers non-comittal candidates

http://www.wrn.com/gestalt/go.cfm?objectid=8D96080C-EDF4-49ED-8E237D10ADA6F6A4&dbtranslator=local.cfm

Ad faces irony outside Kenilworth

BY BRADLEY WOOTEN

Mid-America Real Estate of Wisconsin and Weas Development Co. recently unveiled a new marketing campaign for the available real estate in the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's Kenilworth Apartments, but one sign faced a sight of irony earlier this evening.

The campaign is calling the apartment complex, which is a housing facility for upperclassmen and visiting professors at 1925 E. Kenilworth Pl., "The K."

One ad, which faces North toward Farwell and North avenues, reads "Real estate so hip that it hurts. Good thing there's a hospital near by."

Indeed, it is a good thing.

At 10:20 p.m., a woman was discovered face down on Farwell Ave. outside of Landmark Lanes, 2200 E. Farwell Ave.


The third of three police vehicles, two squads and a paddy wagon, leaves the scene.

Additionally, UWM's Peck School of the Arts' Institute of Visual Arts (INOVA), near the corner of E. Kenilworth Pl. and N. Prospect Ave., will take up 4,000 square feet of the facility and has an engraved stone inside the facility already identifying itself.

Two other Mid-America posters are displayed around the facility.

The first, promoting its location, faces east toward Prospect Ave. -- a few feet north of INOVA space -- and the other on the corner of Kenilworth and Prospect, also facing east, reads as a dating ad might.

The east side of the Kenilworth complex replaces an old Ford Motor Co. factory.

Doyle campaign makes contact, excuses

After one month and three days, the governor's office has finally returned a phone call. That phone call was made last night at 6:21 p.m. at my work number -- long after I had left work for the day.

"Unfortunately the governor’s schedule will not allow for the proposed debate," said Sarah, a woman who identified herself as Doyle's scheduling person. "I hope you can understand the complexity of the governor’s schedule at this point."

Of course I can. That's why I proposed this student forum three or four months ago -- to give all campaigns plenty of time to fit it into their schedules.

First I'm told it's too far out to schedule the forum for Doyle, now it's flipped to be we're too close to the election.

I think there need to be clear differences drawn here:

The Green campaign runs these ads where he discusses the importance of higher education and has college students in the background. But he won't commit to event he was interested in doing all along because his campaign conferred with Doyle's and decided reaching students state-wide in the largest city in the state was a bad idea--for whatever reason.

I will say this: Green's campaign was polite and prompt about returning phone call. More than can be said of Doyle's:

On Aug. 10, I sent out an e-mail to Nicole Hudzinski of the Doyle campaign:

From: Bradley Wooten [mailto:brad.wooten@biztimes.com]
Sent: Thursday, August 10, 2006 2:57 PM
To: 'Nicole Hudzinski'
Subject: Update

"Nicole: I’m writing to see if there is a timeframe or date I will know when Gov. Doyle could commit to Oct. 8 for the student forum."

One week later, on Aug. 17, she finally responded:

"Bradley,
We will not be looking at the Governor’s October calendar until early to mid-September. I will let you know either way once we begin discussing October.

Nicole"

Well, today is Sept. 22. And it's the first form of contact the Doyle campaign has attempted to make, despite having my cell and work numbers and two e-mail addresses.

Talk about sending a message: You [students] don't vote enough. Why in the world would we make you and sort of priority.

Green, Doyle say no to student forum

Congressman Mark Green's campaign today said the Oct. 8 student forum at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee "they are very interested in attending" will not be included on his calendar.

"After speaking with the Doyle Campaign, it was decided that the UW-Milwaukee debate will not be added to the calendar," said Scott Matejov, Green's operations director who handles scheduling requests.

Matejov said a call from the Doyle campaign should also be coming to confirm the elimination of the event.

No call has been received as of yet. Nicole Hudzinski, of the Doyle campaign, last made contact on Aug. 17 and has not returned numerous e-mails and phone calls placed to her regarding the forum.

UWM launches new marketing campaign

As published in the Small Business Times' BizTimes Daily.

BY BRADLEY WOOTEN

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee has launched a new marketing campaign, replacing its five-year old tagline of "Learn More" with "Something Great in Mind."

The "Learn More" campaign was designed to educate the community about UWM's potential, while the new campaign features a more inspirational message that explains how the university is meeting its potential, said UWM spokesman Tom Luljak.

"'Something Great in Mind' is a very inspirational campaign," Luljak said. "The words do a great job of capturing the essence of what this administration is committed to doing. That is to fully realize the potential of UWM as an institution and the human capital in southeastern Wisconsin."
A university screening committee and focus groups of people both inside and outside the university affirmed that "Something Great in Mind" captured the spirit of what UWM can do for southeastern Wisconsin, Luljak said.

Chicago-based Lipman Hearne was contracted in September 2005 by UWM to begin developing a new marketing strategy for the urban institution. The firm, which specializes in higher education and nonprofit marketing and communication, was chosen over 18 other Midwest firms that had vied for the contract, Luljak said.

The urban institution previously had used Versant, a Milwaukee-based marketing firm, since 1997.

The university is focusing on its fundraising goal of $100 million, of which about $73.4 million has been raised, and reinforcing the value UWM has to the community and prospective students, Luljak said.

So far, about $50,000 has been earmarked for the campaign through foundation funds, program revenue and UWM branded merchandise, but the university is still working on the budget for the total packaging of the campaign, Luljak said.

"UWM has more Wisconsin residents attending the institution than any other public university in the state," said UWM chancellor Carlos Santiago. "We are also proud that more than 75 percent of our alumni remain in Wisconsin to work after graduation. The 'Something Great in Mind' campaign captures the spirit of UWM - a university that makes major contributions to the quality of life and learning in our community."

"It's a little ambiguous, so kids especially would read into it in the focus groups," said Nancy Levner, a UWM alum who is managing director and principal at Lipman Hearne, a company that has helped to market the Medical College of Wisconsin, the University School of Milwaukee and the Milwaukee Art Museum. "Plus, a lot of people are beginning to see UWM as a real partner with the Milwaukee region. It's a catalyst for economic development and betterment of greater Milwaukee."

Luljak said the institutional brand and black and gold colors will remain the same, and he said no state tax dollars will be used in the new marketing strategy.

Kenilworth experiences false alarms

Kenilworth Square Apartments has experienced at least eight false fire alarms, residents said, due to dust and debris from the currently under-construction Peck School of the Arts.

The two facilities' fire alarm systems are linked, officials said.

The alarms were brief due to immediate response by Kenilworth administrators to terminate the blaring horns and lights.

Kenilworth is the only project of UWM to utilize Johnston Controls for its security. In fact, one Kenilworth employee, who wants to remain anonymous for fear of termination, believes the cost of the system was in the millions.

The staff has cameras throughout the building which they are able to move and manipulate. Further, each resident and employee is granted electronic access devices to open doors within the building. These devices have signatures assigned to them to identify the user.

Staff monitors who enters the building, where and at what time they entered. Cameras detail who was with them in case of crime or incident.

“It’s so if people let someone in they shouldn’t have we can better question them,” the worker said. “We’ll question them. ‘Did you let the guest in because you know them or because they were following you in?’ Then we look to the cameras to identify the (culprit).”

Sept. 8 brought at least five false fire alarms at Kenilworth and the day before at least three.

Memos from the resident program manager were posted on all residents' apartment doors and throughout the facility:

URGENT MESSAGE -- PLEASE READ IMMEDIATELY

To: All Kenilworth Square Apartment Residents

From: Rich Givens, Residential Program Manager

(414) 229-0514

givens@aux.uwm.edu

Date: Thursday, September 14, 2006

Subject: Fire Alarm System

You have probably noticed over the past week or so that we have had intermittent fire alarms sounding in Kenilworth. We are currently working on rectifying the situation.

The Peck School of the Arts is on the same Fire Protection and Alarm System as Kenilworth Square Apartments. The system is fully functional; however, there is a lot of dust and dirt that keeps setting the system off as the construction company finishes work at the Peck School of the Arts.

If a fire alarm sounds, strobe lights and horns will go off. This is considered a full alarm and we ask that you exit the building immediately through the closest available stair well (sic). These emergency stairwells are located in the southeast corner or the exit off of the elevator lobby.

If the alarm is not for an actual fire, we will make an announcement over the public address system to let you know.

For your own safety, it is very important that you do not disregard an alarm unless directed by a Housing Staff member, police or fire personnel. Also, if you witness smoke or smell something burning, please report it to the Service Desk or dial 911 immediately.

I will keep you informed through this type of memo should the situation change. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at (414) 229-0514 or givens@aux.uwm.edu. Thank you for your time and cooperation in this matter.

Leak to shut down water at Kenilworth for 8 hours

In an "urgent message" to all Kenilworth Square Apartment residents, 1925 E. Kenilworth Pl., residential program manager Rich Givens wrote that water will be completely unavailable to all residents from 12 a.m. to 8 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 6.

"In doing routine maintenance to the water pipes for Kenilworth Square Apartments, plumbing contractors found a small leak," Givens wrote. "To ensure the leak gets taken care of promptly, the plumbers will begin work on it next week. Consequently, we will need to shut down water to the entire apartment building."

During the maintenance, washing machines, tubs, showers, toilets, sinks, everything that provides water will be shut down.

Green comments on planned Student Forum

U.S. Rep. and Wisconsin Republican gubernatorial candidate Mark Green was at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee campus today, and said he is committed to students.

"Believe me, there is nothing more I would like to do than debate Gov. Doyle on higher education," Green said when asked why he hasn't formally committed to attending a planned student forum at UWM in October. "But it's important to consider Doyle's calendar too."

The Society of Professional Journalists on campus continue to work to get Green to commit to the Oct. 8 event.

We Energies transformer goes down, heats UWM up

A We Energies transformer went down Aug. 25, causing the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee to heat up due to the transformer's role in providing the campus air conditioning.

"The transformer draws water from Lake Michigan," said UWM Chancellor Carlos Santiago.

That water is then used in university air conditioning units, he said. Because of the muggy conditions, people at the university were a little warm.

We Energies is working to repair the transformer.

"It's a little muggy (in here), but at least it's not 95 degrees outside," Santiago said.

SA donation adds 50 bikes for student use

BY BRADLEY WOOTEN

A $15,000 donation from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Student Association enabled the Union Outing Center to purchase 50 brand new bicycles for its U-Bike program, where students utilize the bikes throughout the school year.The proposal came from last year's SA president Russ Rueden and was fully realized under current president Samantha Prahl.

UWM Chancellor Carlos Santiago, Union Director Scott Gore, Union Outing Center representative Gary Miller and Third District Ald. Michael D'Amato remarked on the importance of the U-Bike program.

"It shows what we can do between our campus, community, student representatives, and individuals prompting environmentally friendly alternatives to travel to campus," Santiago said.

Ultimately, he said, UWM is attempting to find student and community friendly ways to manage the university’s growth growth.

D'Amato said alternative methods of transportation to UWM make it easier on students, the environment and current infrastructure.

"The students really put the money where their mouths are," D'Amato said. "What a great thing--for students to use their own money to find a solution."

The new bikes bring the total number of bikes in the program to 100, Miller said. The bikes will be distributed from Sept. 11 through 15 from the Outing Center.

Green unveils economic development plan

As published in the Small Business Times' BizTimes Daily.

BY BRADLEY WOOTEN

Wisconsin Republican gubernatorial candidate Mark Green today unveiled his new economic development and job creation plan at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Green proposed a list of tax, regulatory and litigation reforms that include replacing the Wisconsin Department of Commerce with a business-like entity headed by the governor, which would eliminate duplications in other state departments and pull resources together.
That entity would be the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. (WEDC), to be led by a non-partisan 12-member board of directors.

As governor, Green said he would be "Wisconsin's chief jobs officer." Green said he would create a jobs hotline in the governor's office.

"Anyone looking to create new jobs in Wisconsin will need to know only one number – Gov. Green's," Green said. "If we are going to attract business to Wisconsin, our state's economic development activity needs to operate like and move at the speed of business."

Green criticized Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle for failing to aggressively pursue a Honda Motor Co. assembly plant project, which was recently landed by Indiana, bringing 2,000 manufacturing jobs to the Hoosier State."

According to many reports, Gov. Doyle never even picked up the phone to Honda. Instead, he directed someone to see if Honda was interested," Green said. "I'm not saying I'm sure we would have won that fight, but I sure would have been in their fighting (for the plant)."

Green also said Wisconsin has an "idea drain."

"The top age group leaving Wisconsin are 20- to 29-year-olds," Green said.

Green said would provide growth-oriented tax relief to enable new businesses to come into Wisconsin and a $1,000 job creation tax credit for businesses creating jobs that pay 10 percent above the county average salary.

Student forum launched with gubernatorial candidates

By BRADLEY WOOTEN

I'll be bringing Mark Green, Jim Doyle and Nelson Eisman to campus Oct. 8 for a student forum with the three gubernatorial candidates. That is, if they actually make students a priority. We'll see.

There's a heads up though.

Thoughts on the UWM Post

Editorial

By BRADLEY WOOTEN

UWM Post editor in chief Dan Polley and I are friends. We've always had open communication and trusted one another. However, since I've lanched this blog, he's been less than straight forward with me and has garnered a PR spin on every question I ask him.

What's up with that?

If you really want a good story on the UWM Post, look in to its lack of compliance with the Wisconsin Open Meeting laws.

UWM SA dedicates bike loan through ceremony

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Student Association will be hosting a bike loan program dedication ceremony in the Union’s Alumni Fireside Lounge Monday, August 28, 2006 at 4 p.m.

The UWM Bike Loan Program has transitioned from an Eastside Transportation Management Association subcommittee to an in-house operation.

The program loans bikes out to UWM students with the intent of reducing automobile traffic around the university. On April 23, 2006 the SA Senate passed legislation which authorized the SA to give $15,000 to the Union Outing Center.

That money has increased the size and scope of the program, and allowed 50 additional bikes to be purchased, ensuring the continuity of the program. The bikes will be loaned, free of charge, to UWM students at the onset of the fall semester.

UWM students, university officials and neighborhood leaders are all invited to witness the SA dedication of the $15,000 to the Union Outing Center. Among those invited are Third District Ald. Michael D’Amato, State Rep. Jon Richards and UWM Chancellor Dr. Carlos Santiago.

“This is a great way for the students, university, and community to come together to try to alleviate the parking problem around the UWM campus,” said SA president Samantha Prahl. “I am very excited to work with both university officials and neighborhood groups this year. This is a very positive way to start off the new school year.”

There will be a dedication ceremony with refreshments that follow. Please contact the SA office at (414) 229-4366 for more information.

SBT launches robust new Web site

**As a matter of disclosure, I am an intern at Small Business Times.

In fact, here's my mug: http://www.biztimes.com/news/authors/bradley-wooten/.

BY STEVE JAGLER, of SBT

Small Business Times today relaunched its Web site, www.biztimes.com, as a robust new resource for its readers.

The revamped and expanded Web site features a wide array of tools for the readers of SBT. The Web site complements the publication's mission of providing news and operational insight to the owners and managers of privately held companies throughout southeastern Wisconsin, including Milwaukee, Waukesha, Ozaukee, Washington, Racine, Kenosha, Walworth and Sheboygan counties.

The new Web site features highlights from the current issue of SBT, breaking news from the BizTimes Daily e-mail bulletin of Wisconsin business news, exclusive columns of operational insight, streaming videos of SBT business events and many other resources.

Features of the new SBT Web site include:

- Companies featured in the exclusive SBT "Made in Milwaukee" Manufacturing Spotlight.
- The SBT Commercial Real Estate Spotlight.
- The SBT Technology Spotlight.- Business people in the news.
- Exclusive SBT columnists.- Viewpoints from SBT readers.
- Past issues of SBT.
- The exclusive interactive SBT Business Calendar, which enables readers to post information about their events for other readers to see.
- Information about upcoming SBT events.
- Insight about the annual Wisconsin Business & Technology Expo.
- Profiles and contact information for SBT staff.
- A link for submitting news to SBT.
- A link for advertising with SBT.
- The exclusive BizTimes Stock Index, which tracks the values of the stocks of publicly traded companies headquartered in southeastern Wisconsin.
- A link for submitting news to SBT
- A link for advertising with SBT.
- RSS (Real Simple Syndication) feeds to have SBT content delivered directly to your computer's desktop. Custom RSS feeds include links to stories from the current print edition of SBT and links to commercial real estate news and technology news.
- Links to other tools to help companies grow.

One of the most significant upgrades to the new Web site is the capability for readers to search for news content by industry, including: banking & finance; business services; commercial real estate; economic development; education and human resources; government; health care; insurance; manufacturing; retail; technology; and transportation.

Readers seeking advice about managing and growing their companies can search the Web site by “Best Practices” categories, including: banking & finance; commercial real estate; corporate leadership; education; health care; human resources; insurance; manufacturing; sales; and technology.

In addition, readers can search the Web site for all SBT archived content by keyword.Unlike some publications, SBT does not charge a fee or require a paid subscription for access to its electronic content or archives."

Our Web site was redesigned and re-engineered to directly complement our company's mission, which is to facilitate commerce," said SBT publisher Daniel Meyer. “We want our publication, our Web site, our BizTimes Daily bulletin and our live events to help the owners and managers of southeastern Wisconsin businesses grow their companies. Our Web site is an extension and a reflection of our own corporate culture."

In keeping with SBT's tradition of doing business with local companies, the Web site was designed and developed by Red Anvil LLC of West Milwaukee.

The Web site's archives currently include content from SBT issues published in 2005 and 2006.

Content from previous years will be added to the archives soon.

Companies featured in SBT articles and archives are welcome to post links to the content at their Web sites and in their e-mail bulletins.

The SBT Web site will be fine-tuned and additional upgrades will be implemented over time.

To sign up for SBT's free BizTimes Daily e-mail bulletin of Wisconsin business news, visit www.biztimes.com/daily.

UWM loses employee to smoke inhalation

JSOnline is reporting that Linda Kopp, 58, assistant to vice chancellor of University Relations and Communications Tom Luljak, died from smoke inhalation while on vacation in Montana.

Kopp, her husband Edwin Gohlke, 60, and their friend Susan Koeppe, 53 died from a fire in a popular fly fishing area in Montana.

Kopp had worked for UWM's library for 30 years and in the office of university relations and communications for six years.

New SA committee reallocates student monies

Office of Student Life units must adapt to changes

BY BRADLEY WOOTEN

After recommendations made by the Senate Finance Committee on how to allocate segregated fees to the six Office of Student Life units, a newly created Student Association committee examined budgets and redistributed a lump sum of money to the units.

The Office of Student Life Oversight Committee (OSLOC) was created in April and officials identified what they said are “gross over-expenditures of student monies.”

“Personally, when I look at a budget that has more than $200,000 being spent on a professional staff, with salary and benefits, students should be able to decide,” said SA President Samantha Prahl, who served on OSLOC last year and will again this year.

There is a regular funding process for units on campus fueled by segregated fees, which all students pay. For the OSL departments, which include Be On the Safe Side (BOSS), the Center for Volunteerism and Student Leadership (CVSL), the Lesbian Gay Bi Transgender (LGBT) Resource Center, LINKS Peer Mentoring Center, the Student Activities Office (SAO) and the Women’s Resource Center (WRC), this means they must annually present a case before the SFC for financing.

“We took a really close look at the budgets of all six units which is something the SA should have done a long time ago,” said Joe Ahlers, who sat on OSLOC from April through August. “Out of all the groups that are funded by (the SA), those are the six that are the closest connected to the SA – geographically because they’re in the Union and because they provide very unique student services.”

The SFC convenes each fall to allocate segregated fees. This committee then makes recommendations to the senate on how to allocate money.

Departments make presentations to the SFC to request funds for the following year. Last fall, the SFC was making decisions about budgets for the 2006-07 school year, which began July 1.

Usually by December, the OSL units are given their budgets so they can plan their resources for the year to come.

This year was unusual in that former SA president Russ Rueden vetoed the senate’s OSL allocations. Oversight of these units’ funding was given to OSLOC

Some of the OSL units suffered programming cuts while others suffered operational cuts. The CVSL and LGBT were the only two units that suffered cuts in programming, but all six units can apply for that funding.

The committee broke down each units’ expenditures to see where the money was being spent. OSLOC committee members said they found problems.

“We found people over spending money and problems from the dean of students’ office,” Ahlers said. “For what seems like years, the dean of students’ office has not overseen these units. They had gross overspending.”

Ahlers cited the CVSL’s $6,000 over-expenditure for student salaries last year.

“Where is the oversight in that?” Ahlers said.

OSLOC will now take budgets to the SFC and funding will be determined by monthly budget analyses by the oversight committee.

Further, the SA believes there should be more unity and collaboration for printing and copying between the OSL units to save students money.

The SFC approved about $470,000 for BOSS; however, OSLOC knocked that number down $20,000 after a recommendation from BOSS Director Courtney Gotz. With its currently approved funding, BOSS will be able to pay off the approximate $155,000 debt it currently has while expanding its services. At its current funding, $72,000 will be put toward its debt —roughly half of its over-expenditure.
The CVSL had $5,500 taken from its operational budget and placed into a general OSL operational fund. An additional $11,000 was taken from its programming budget that was then placed in a general OSL programming fund. Laurie Marks, the center’s director, did not receive the $2,500 salary increase she requested.
The LGBT Resource Center suffered a $19,000 cut per its request for funding for the 2006-07 school year. Of which, $9,000 was removed by the SFC and OSLOC took $5,000 from programming and another $5,000 from office supplies and printing—both of which were placed into a common OSL fund to be used by all six units.
LINKS had $7,000 taken from its operational funding per OSLOC. OSLOC also placed a $19,000 cap its assistant director position and encouraged a student or AmeriCorps employee take on the role to further save money.
SAO requested roughly $50,000 for a second assistant director from SFC, but the committee did not honor that request. OSLOC cut $5,800 from operational costs from SAO and eliminated all $15,000 from the SAO Organization Resource Center – a training facility for new student organizations on the Union ground floor that opened in March, effectively closing it. The assistant director for SAO will take a $10,000 salary cut.
The WRC requested about $260,000 for the upcoming school year. SFC recommended $240,000 be allocated in segregated fees. OSLOC knocked that number down to about $238,000 with the stipulation that one of two assistant director positions be eliminated. The $1,700 cut was for office supplies and operational costs.

This spring, membership of OSLOC was comprised of the six student chairs of OSL,the SA president, the OSL unit directors, Jim Hill, of the Division of Student Affairs, and Tom McGinnity, Dean of Students. The SA president and six OSL student chairs were the only ones with voting rights.

This coming school year, however, the directors of the OSLs will no longer serve on OSLOC. The student chairs will be six students appointed by the SA.

WRC appeals, suffers additional cut

The WRC appealed the committee’s decision to cut funds. At the appeal, four of the seven voting students were present. At the end of the appeal, now Senate Speaker Rueden and Prahl voted to keep the cuts and additionally eliminate one of two assistant director positions in the WRC.

“Personally I feel a director and assistant director should be able to fulfill the mission of the unit,” Prahl said.

Prahl said despite the 2-0-2 vote, she was comfortable with it.

“With everything, state and national government, if every citizen could vote, things would be better,” Prahl said. “We need to be responsible with what we have. We need to keep that in mind and be fiscally responsible.”

OSLOC’s committee decision is final and does not go before the Senate.

Of the seven voting OSLOC committee members, Anna Kasper called in ill, Jonathan Tingley was unable to attend because of a two hour distance separating him from UWM and Antwan Jones had other plans, committee members said.

The four present members constituted a quorum, but Joe Ahlers and Neal Michals abstained from voting on whether or not to completely eliminate the WRC assistant director position or use the position as originally recommended by OSLOC.

“When we looked at this whole process it was very difficult,” Ahlers said. “Some of the directors were not honest with us, Cathy (Seasholes, director of the WRC) was. But when she explained what that position did, I was not convinced that that position was needed. We decided it wasn’t fiscally responsible.”

Feingold fields questions, speaks to Milwaukee

U.S. Senator Russ Feingold (D) fielded questions and addressed an audience of journalists and citizens at a sold out Milwaukee Press Club noon luncheon Wednesday, August 9.

A transcription of the event is below. The opening remarks made by MPC President Steve Jagler* and Feingold are unedited.

*As a matter of disclosure I am Jagler’s intern at Small Business Times.

A transcription in Q&A format from the media panel is below.

An audio version is available from wispolitics.com. Time Warner Cable’s Wisconsin On Demand, channel 1111, also has the luncheon available.

Jeff Mayers, president of wispolitics.com, Charles Benson, of TMJ4, Greg Borowski, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter, and Bradley Wooten, a student journalist, sat on the media panel.

Steve Jagler, MPC president, made opening remarked on the paradigm shift in partisan beliefs.

“When I was growing up, being a Democrat usually meant you believed in a strong federal government with lots of social programs. You believed the federal government could solve or at least help society’s problems and contribute to the quality of life. You weren’t overly concerned about budget deficit and you were an advocate of human rights abroad. These are all personal observations of course.

“When I was growing up, being a Republican usually meant you were in favor of a smaller federal government, were fiscally conservative, wanted the federal government to keep the heck out of people’s personal life, and you generally were not in favor of nation building or military actions abroad unless our national security was a direct threat.

“I daresay that somehow, 30 years later, things are getting turned upside down. Today in many ways what once was considered right is left, what once was considered left is right. Today there’s a presidential candidate calling for fiscal responsibility, calling for protecting the privacy of individual citizens, calling for the protection of people’s personal lifestyle decisions and calling for bringing out troops home.

“But he’s not a Republican; he’s our guest here today. So red states, blue states today as you know we’re more divided than we have been in 30 years. It’s a pleasure for me to introduce our newsmaker guest today, U.S. Senator Russ Feingold.”

Feingold followed with opening remarks of his own, including honoring outgoing TMJ4 anchor Mike Gousha.

“I want you to know that my focus has been in the last couple of years has been first and foremost the responsibilities here in Wisconsin. I continue to do my town meetings. We have already done 40 this year, listening sessions. Later this year, God willing, we will hit number 1,000. And we continue to work with the highest numbers of people we’ve ever had.

“Of course my work in Washington is just amazingly challenging. There’s no problem with being bored in the job and now as a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, the Judiciary Committee, the Budget Committee and the Intelligence Committee, the events over the last five years have made these clearly where the action is and in many cases has been a very big part of the focus of my life and my work and I’m enjoying it a great deal and still consider it the greatest honor of my life to continue to serve you as a senator for Wisconsin.

“But I also am spending time, as you know, to change this one party rule in this country. And I’ve been to some 16 states and to get Progressives elected across the country. This is a milestone election this year if we Democrats miss this opportunity to change this one party rule that has basically existed for 12 years, we will have missed a tremendous opportunity.

“But I am especially focus and excited about what’s going to happen politically in Wisconsin. You may not know it but I’ve been working my tail off on this. We have got a great situation in the 8th Congressional District, where I think we’re going to pick up a Democratic seat. We have an opportunity to pick up the state senate. And I’ve made appearances and will make an appearance today in those races where I think we can pick up seats in the state senate. We have incredible young candidates in places like the Fox River Valley. I am very excited about working on that in the coming months.

“Of course, reelecting Governor Doyle is one of my highest priorities. I am excited about that and believe he will prevail. Finally, I am just nervous as a cat about getting Herb Kohl back in. Everything I can do to make sure Herb squeaks by for his fourth term. Frankly it’s not enough to just win elections in order for us to win the way I want us to win. Which is to win for a lot of years as is the chance the Republicans have had over the last few years to really govern this country. And that means we have to say what we will do. What will we look like? What will we try to do? Both in the short term and the long term.

“What will we do on January 3 or whatever it is, the first day is going to be. Well first, maybe take a little page at a much lower level from FDR – talk about the first 100 days. Let’s talk things that we can do fast, fixing the Medicare prescription drug benefits. We have a majority in both houses already to allow medicines in from Canada, force the federal government to negotiate lower drug prices.

“There’s tremendous anxiety in American about these voting machines. We can pass a bill right away to require a paper trail as Wisconsin does in the 22 states where that doesn’t happen. We can overturn the Supreme Court decision that’s threatened the wetlands in this country with a clear legislative statement that we should be able to get at non-navigable waters as well as navigable waters.

“We should do everything we can to reverse the president’s really unwise and unfortunate veto on stem cells. And yes we should continue our new mantle of which (Jagler) referred to as the party of fiscal responsibility, which the Democrats are—based on our record in the 1990s.

“So we should do all of that.

“But we should also in this period talk about the longer term. And we should be bold and we shouldn’t try and play it safe. I’m a little concerned that the Democratic Congress is … for 6 for ’06. It’s nice. I agree with it. But it’s not strong enough. It doesn’t show that the Democrats are really going to take bold steps. For example, I think it should say the Democrats are willing to go on record and do everything they can to work with Republicans to guarantee health care for every single American. We shouldn’t be nibbling around the edges.

“Now I’ve proposed a bill that would allow for various states to start to be pilot projects for this. I’m hoping that will attract Republican conservatives. But we should be bold in our statements on that.

“The public is crying out for a party that will be very aggressive about alternative energy, putting real dollars into things like biodiesel, ethanol.

…

“It’s not enough to try and defeat bad trade agreements. We need to have creative approaches to our trade policy that allows us to protect America while also having the opportunity to have free and fair trade.

“And finally affordable housing. Everywhere I go in Wisconsin … people are talking about the lack of affordable housing for people who used to live in those communities.

“So all of that should be part of our domestic agenda.

“But in the end, the most important thing will be whether or not we have the guts to say what needs to be said about foreign policy.

“We have got to stop this Iraq mistake. This was an error. This was a major strategic error. It is damaging our national security. It is absolutely reasonable to talk about a public timetable to withdraw the troops.

“Now that even these generals who used to say to me that this wasn’t a good idea are essentially admitting that the longer we stay there, the more of a mess that we’re going to be in. Let’s focus on those that attacked us on 9-11 and as we do it, let’s make sure that the president of the United States obeys the law of the United States. I still believe that there has to be some accountability for the fact that he clearly broke the law with regard to the illegal wire tapping.

“Finally, the greatest concern I have about all this is if somehow Democrats are perceived as being something simplistic as anti-war. That’s not what I just said. I supported the Afghanistan invasion. I support military action where it’s necessary. And so Democrats have to be muscular about this. Democrats have to talk passionately about how the 9-11 attacks have affected them and their hopes for their children and the future.

“And so we should not be afraid to say that we will be tough militarily and otherwise where we need to be. But we should say that we’ll be smarter about it. And do a better job. And do a better job of protecting the American people.”

Jeff Mayers:
“So there was a big election in Conneticut last night – I don’t know whether you know about that.”

Feingold:
“I hadn’t heard about it.”

Mayers:
“Well then I’ll let you know personally, (Conneticut Democratic Senator Joe) Lieberman lost (the primary). How’s that going to effect the fall elections? Is it going to have a big impact or is this just affirmation of what you thought was happening?”

Feingold:
“I thought it was an affirmation of something much larger than just Joe Lieberman or Ned Lamont (the political newcomer, who founded a cable company, and would have challenged the incumbent Lieberman) both of whom I admire. Joe Lieberman is a wonderful person; he’s a great guy. He’s been a very good friend. Net Lamont I don’t know well personally but I really admire the campaign he’s running. And I talked with him this morning. He and I both know that this is about what I just mentioned. The fact American knows a disastrous mistake was made in Iraq. That this administration, in order to cover its tracks, in order to somehow avoid the inevitable judgment of history keeps us there and keeps making the mistake over and over again. This is an enormous tragedy that has to stop.

“Ned Lamont understood that. He had the courage to run a campaign on that issue – that’s what that was about. And that is a warning to everybody out there that this is not something that’s going to go away and be replaced by other issues this year.”

One of Feingold’s former staff members made a comment to him that if he was looking for a reason not to run for president, Feingold didn’t receive that reason last night (with regard to Lieberman).

Charles Benson:
“Are you going to run for president? And do you want to be president?”

Feingold:

“That is a very important part of the question. The way I’ve handled it so far is I haven’t dealt with the question.”

Feingold said he won’t deal with the question until the various things he’s speaking to resonate.

“Once the election is over I have to look at three things.

“Number one, do I believe I am ready to be president of the United States? Obviously, if I can’t answer that question in the affirmative after thinking about it, I shouldn’t run. And that’s a pretty cocky thing to think you’re ready to do. So I got to think about that.

“Secondly, I would only run to win. There are people out there who say we would love, we need you out there, you’re the only guy that voted against the Iraq war, I just—that isn’t in me. To just do it to make a statement. Although I make my statements in my current position and I am very comfortable with that.

“I would have to believe that I would not only win the nomination but that I would win the election for the Democrats. Because we have to win in ’08 and have a Democratic president. And I have to answer that in affirmative.

“And third, I’d have to answer that one (Benson) asked. And that is, from a personal point of view, is this what I want? I love what I’m doing right now. This is the job of jobs for me. It’s the greatest thrill I could ever imagine. I think I’m doing it pretty well. I think I have a good relationship with the people of the state and I’m having a good time personally. So to change all that is something I have think about and I am going to give it some serious thought. Those are the things I’ll have to think about and I’m not ready to do that.

“But you’ll be the reporter. I’ve made that promise to about 100 people already.”

Borowski:
“I always thought that I would be the reporter. Shifting gears a little bit. We seem to hear a lot of generals talking about concerns that the situation in Iraq … and a civil war. Do you consider that more likely to happen or less likely to happen if we were to pull out on the schedule you’ve set?”

Feingold:
“I know this is a little counter intuitive for people, but I really do believe our presence there promotes a climate without anything other than appropriate action by our troops. It creates a climate that tends to cause these various sides to think, ‘Hey, Americans are out there guaranteeing this situation. We can take potshots at the others.’

“It’s very different when there is no, as they call it, an occupying force. So I believe it’s our presence there. And of course (U.S. Generals) have said this. It tends not only to feed the insurgency, which (the generals) have said, but it also I think feeds the sectarian violence. Through no fault of our own. It’s simply a militarist environment – a militaristic environment – that leads to people being violent. Now I’m not saying there won’t be any problems after we leave. There may be continued violence. My guess is it would be less. When it’s not the focus of all of our attention. When it’s a question of whether Iraqis really want to just spend the next 15 years killing each other, I actually think that the situation could be better.

"Here’s the overall point: Even if it got somewhat worse, we have a greater responsibility to the American people to protect our national security. We’ve done a great deal for the Iraqis. To continue to deplete our ability to deal with the terrorist problem all the way from Indonesia to Afghanistan to Somalia to the middle east, to let all that go because of the possibility that things might get worse in Baghdad, that’s not a foreign policy; that’s just continuing to make the same mistakes. We need to take a chance on improving American national security by removing our troops and hopefully it will not get worse. We need to give it a chance."

Wooten:

“I’m going to play a little bit of a devil’s advocate here.”

Feingold:

“Go ahead.”

Wooten:
“Let’s say per chance running for president is in the cards long term. Earlier when you were making your opening remarks you were discussing a few issues at hand. What I’ve seen as long as I’ve been alive is a lacking political platform. Taking religion out of it, and taking what I would call ‘value-driven issues’ and putting those aside, what are the issues that the American public and Wisconsin citizens need to be focusing on here and now?”

Feingold:
“It’s clear as a bell. It’s the same old thing you’d expect. Families want to be able to make it economically, and they will tell you, number one, health care. The health care system is destroying businesses and families that we have in this country. We have to be aggressive on that. I mentioned secondly, they’re tired of these energy costs. You see, these concerns weren’t just coming up when gas prices were high. This was going on earlier in the year when they were lower. This is an ongoing belief that we are hurting agriculture, we are hurting business, we are hurting families, we are hurting older people who may just want to be able to drive their car around, with an inability to get away from a dependence on foreign oil.

…

“(People) continue to suffer from the enormous job loss that occurred in the late 1990s and early years of this century. We have failed the American people with our trade policy, which hasn’t worked. And you can see that when you start adding conservative Republican senators from Southern states voting against these unfair trade agreements that the American people and especially people in Wisconsin deserve better. So it’s that sort of thing. As I mentioned, affordable housing, issues of that kind. If you’re really in a community whether large or small in Wisconsin, those are the things you’re going to hear the most about.

“So of course I’m going to talk about Iraq and I’m going to talk about foreign policy. I happen to think this fight against Al Qaeda and others is our number one priority. But if you talk only about those things and don’t talk about the meat and potatoes – realities for American families – then it isn’t a complete agenda. That is what I think is very, very important and is very, frankly, exciting to be able to say to people, ‘you know we know the Republicans have had the house for 12 years and have had the senate for a very long time, George Bush has been president for a very long time, I said it’s five months until we have the chance to undo and fix and move forward. And I find that excites people and gets them going.”

Mayers:

“So I’m kind of stuck on this Lieberman thing here. He was once the vice presidential candidate for the Democratic Party and aided Clinton to sort of help put the party in the middle of the spectrum through the Democratic Leadership Council, are you and others pulling the party to the left? What happens if Lieberman wins as an independent? Doesn’t that undo the party as a whole?"

Feingold:

“Well obviously that would be a disappointment. It would really hurt our chances of getting a majority we want in the Senate, although Lieberman said he would organize as a Democrat. So it wouldn’t necessarily affect that. But the real question here is whether or not someone is trying to pull the party to the left or just trying to get the right answers. You have to understand those DLC people are the ones that gave us those trade agreements. They are the ones that coelesque with the big corporations to pass on those trade agreements that hurt America. It was the DLC that came up with the health care plan with Clinton that was so complicated that nobody could understand it. It’s the DLC that has cut off our ability to say things like, ‘Let’s get out of Iraq because it’s a bad idea.’ They take things, their consultants come into Washington and they come in the room and they say, ‘hey, you can’t say that.’ They’ll say you don’t support the troops. They instill fear in Democrats. What I want is us to get the right answer. Whether it’s liberal, or conservative or middle of the road.

“John McCain and I didn’t take conservative or progressive ideas when we came together on banning soft money. He’s a Conservative; I’m a progressive. We just said, this is corruption. When it comes to health care, doesn’t matter if you’re liberal or conservative. Doesn’t matter. Everybody’s coming to the same conclusion. Any country worth its salt will guaranty health care for all its citizens. Not only for all its citizens but all the businesses, which are being ruined by the burden of health care costs so this isn’t about left or right. You know I’m known as the fiscal hawk in the senate…and I’m proud of that because that’s a Wisconsin value and it’s common sense. That’s who we should be, not somebody who just tries to be just a little bit different from the Republicans and hope that we win. I think that’s what they brought us and it hasn’t worked."

Benson:

“You were talking about the generals and their assessment of Iraq and the possibility of civil war. General Peter Pace also said last week in that committee hearing, ‘Our enemy knows they cannot defeat us in battle. They do believe, however, that they can wear down our will as a nation.’ How do you balance all that? And what if Iraq becomes another Vietnam and if it does won’t that empower the enemy?”

Feingold:
“It’s the complete opposite. Nothing made these terrorists happier than when we made the mistake of going into Iraq. They knew exactly what it was: it was a trap. It was a place where we would go, get stuck with 140,000 troops, have a good part of the world turn on us because of an alleged and false claim that this was an attack on Islam. Allowed them to send terrorists from around the world to train on our people, which is exactly what they did and the previous head of the CIA had said that is the number one threat to America right now.

“In other words, the mistake would be to continue making the same mistake. They will wear us down if stay stuck there. If we become smarter about this, withdraw to the point where we have the ability to do special operations as we do in other places. I mean this is what we do in the rest of the world. We work with the Indonesians to deal with Imam Samudra, who’s connected with Al Qaeda. In Afghanistan we’re working with other countries; it’s not just an American operation.

“This is what the task is, it took all the resources for that, and I’ve heard people say it in those countries and in person, are drained into Iraq. It fits into their game plan. And there is no question that there game plan is to wear us down internationally. Iraq is the biggest gift that was ever given to those who are willing to do us harm. And the longer we stay there the more they benefit, the more they deplete our resources and our military and the less safe we are. So they’re just dead wrong about that.

“And I’ll tell you something. I was in Iraq with (General) Peter Pace; I was in Iraq with General (John) Abizaid, and I was in Iraq with General (George) Casey (Jr.) and they all said a year ago this wasn’t going to be a civil war and I just looked around me and went, ‘Well what do you call this?’ And now they admit it. There’s too much cover up.

“There’s too much cover up of the truth in Iraq. And the truth is this isn’t working. Let’s cut our losses there and make sure that we focus on a more intelligent strategy which will include doing things in Iraq. I mean look at what happened with Al Zarqawi. That wasn’t a land operation; that was a special operations deal where they got intelligence and they came in and dropped the bombs. That sort of work should continue.

“It doesn’t require 140,000 people to be sitting there for people to take potshots at.”

Borowski:

“Staying in the Middle East but shifting a little bit, could you talk a little bit about the situation with Israel and Hezbollah and what you think should be done there if Israel is appropriately in Lebanon attacking these terrorists and how that may parallel or not parallel and how that relates to the United States.”

Feingold:
“Well the first thing you need to do and this is really hard for everybody, is to distinguish each of these situations. Afghanistan is not the same as Iraq is not the same as Somalia is not the same as Israel and Hezbollah and Lebanon. People tend to lump it into one thing. Republicans like to say this is the third World War. I suppose you can argue that, but what that really does is simplify things and it makes it hard to achieve a cessation of the violence which is absolutely essential between Israel and Lebanon.

“I find this is a subject where people are so passionate on every side that the conversation almost breaks up immediately if you’re trying to talk about who’s responsible and who isn’t. And I’m happy to do that if you want, but I think the best thing for me to do as an American policy maker is to talk about what we should be doing. This call for a special envoy that both Republicans and Democrats have talked about, to have a prominent American appointed to this who will work on this 24 hours a day, that isn’t just a window dressing; it’s critical. Right now you have our president and our very talented secretary of state who I think is very able. (But) she’s not in the Middle East. They’re worrying about Iran; they’re worrying about North Korea; they’re worrying about Iraq. She doesn’t have the time to spend all the time on this.

“We need somebody like James Baker, or Colin Powell (both former secretaries of state) or (U.S. Sen.) George Mitchell (a Democrat) if you want to create a team who will do this every day. Because our enemies really do mean us harm, sense we are not as engaged in this as we should be.

“We of course know Israel has a right to defend itself. We of course know Israel should not have to tolerate, and will not tolerate having … thrown into their communities. We wouldn’t tolerate, they wouldn’t, nobody would tolerate it. Nonetheless I think it’s in Israel’s interests, Lebanon’s interest and America’s interest that we figure out a way to have this end as soon as possible and in as fair a way as possible.

“But I think it won’t happen unless the American involvement is much more intense than it’s been.”

Wooten:
“Not completely staying on Iraq, but staying on an issue that really divides this country, my question involves this cliché of compromise and meeting each other in the middle. We’ve very much a two party system – one or the other. And usually examples are given from both extremes, the far left, the far right. How do we bridge the gap and is that moderate, is that middle ground, whatever label we attach to it, how do we get Americans out there and actively thinking about how we can resolve our differences whether they be extreme right or extreme left and come together as a country?”

Feingold:
“By not getting hung up on this idea of ‘moving to the center.’ In Washington, moving to the center means all the special interests get together and cut a deal. That’s what it is. And that doesn’t mean that sometimes it isn’t going to be a compromise on the merits, for example this health care thing. It was hard for me to propose a bill that wouldn’t guarantee health care in every state. It was hard for me to not make it absolutely mandatory because I believe it should be. But in order to engage Republicans, I said, alright; let’s figure out a way we can agree on an experiment that we could both look at. That to me is not sort of cut and split the difference. It sort of acknowledging each others’ ideological differences and trying to come up with a practical solution.

…

"It isn’t a question of giving up your beliefs. It’s being willing to engage in good faith experiments to try and figure out who’s right. And I think that is the way to go. The answer is not trying to be very cautious and do everything in the middle. The answer is to have both ideas and to see if we can get people of very different philosophies to agree that a bold idea is a good idea."

Mayers:

“So if you run for president, you have to raise a lot of money. So how does a campaign reformer like yourself, raise a lot of money without getting swallowed up by the corrupt system?”

Feingold:
“Well, in 1989, I took a young reporter with me in my van around the state."

Mayers:
“I wonder who that is.”

Feingold:
“And he asked me the same thing. He said, ‘how does a guy that has no money running against a wealthy congressman from Milwaukee and a wealthy businessman from Milwaukee against an incumbent Republican, how is he going to do this without becoming co-opted by the special interests?’ You were the reporter and I told you, money doesn’t do it. Money isn’t the answer. Ideas and grassroots organizing and raising dollars in smaller amounts that generates excitement is the way to go. Howard Dean showed, even though the campaign didn’t end the way he and many others wanted it, he showed that frankly a lot of money can be raised from a lot of active people who now have something that I of course didn’t have in those days: the Internet, direct mail and some of these things.

“We saw the recent reports that Craig Gilbert wrote about. I didn’t even realize it. But he raised that I raised the most funds of that kind of support of any candidate other than Hilary Clinton.

“So if I choose to run, I’m confident that there will be more than enough funds to support the kind of campaign that I would run. I’d be embarrassed if I were running a campaign where the only guy with the money and I was buying the election. I just can’t – that’s not me. And so I would be thrilled to have less money and a better organization and more excitement. That’s how I’d do it.

“I’m not saying I would win this time. It’s a little bit bigger fight than the one you and I were talking about but after the state senate, the state of Wisconsin seemed like a pretty big bite. So that’s how we look at it.”

Benson:
“One month from tomorrow, we will mark the five year, five years since Sept. 11. Do you think we are safer today? Or is it a false sense of security?”

Feingold:
“I don’t even know if people have a false sense of security. If you turn on the television, and you’re not watching the shopping channel, I don’t know how you’d have a sense of security. I’m not saying nothing’s happened. What I am saying is historic opportunities to do it right have failed. Inadequate resources domestically for homeland security is really part of the problem.

“But the biggest problem is after a rather good start was made by carefully focusing on Afghanistan, and getting all of the other Islamic countries and others to join us and waiting a month, sort of having – I remember the African countries I’ve worked with with large Islamic populations really, sincerely wanting to help – this was all a push away. And it made those individuals meek within their own countries to help the United States. We lost that because of this mistake.

“And I believe this administration for whatever reason doesn’t see the whole picture. They don’t see who attacked us on 9/11. Being on the intelligence committee only confirms what I’ve already sensed: that this is a much more complicated, intricate issue involving groups that have been mentioned all the way from Indonesia to the former Soviet Republics. We all know about Madrid, and London, Paris and Canada, this is something that is a very different kind of problem than the administration even thinks it is. So they aren’t thinking about it the right way.

“And I’m not the only one saying this. There’s book after book being written including by people who were right there in the administration who are talking about how they just don’t get it. They see it through a prism of some other time, some other challenge. They see it as a military issue rather than an issue that involves intelligence, diplomacy and long-term strategies of reaching out to people all over the world.

“So the fact is I think we are less safe. And thank God we haven’t had the attack here in the United States. That I recognize and I’m grateful for that. But tell that to the people that have been, including Americans, who have been killed in many other communities around the world where terrorist attacks have continued and probably will continue.”

Borowski:
“Returning a little bit to the campaign finance issue. It has been some years now since the efforts you put through with Sen. McCain went into effect, yet we’re in the middle of another season where simply there’s a lot of money being spent by outside groups that is not disclosed, campaigns themselves – the cost has gone way up. Do you think your effort was a success?”

Feingold:
“It did exactly what it was supposed to do. And if you look at what we said all along, this is a modest first step which did what it was supposed to do. All McCain-Feingold was supposed to do was make it so members of Congress, senators and others couldn’t call up corporate CEOs, labor leaders and individuals and ask them for $100,000, $500,000 or $1 million. That is now a federal crime.

“Any body who’s doing that might have a Cunningham new for a roommate. That’s not happened. That’s one of the reasons these trade agreements passed. Because that kind of money was floating around. We have eliminated that from the system. We won. The Supreme Court agreed with us. That is done.

“What you’re referring to, in part, is these 527s. Now that relates to the 1974 post-Watergate law. I believe that law plainly prohibits these 527s from doing what they’re doing. Sen. McCain and I have litigation which we are winning that will prove that. That will order them to stop once that litigation is done. But in the mean time we are also offering legislation that would make it even clearer, although I don’t think it needs to be, that they can’t use that type of approach to basically gain the system.

“In the end though, as I’ve said, all of that is only a small part of what needs to be done. What needs to be done is a guarantee to public financing of all campaigns – state and federal. We used to have a successful system for the presidential. I have a bill in that would fix that, and make it up to date. It has succeeded in Arizona and in Maine where a majority of the legislature there is now elected by public financing. We’ve never had it for congressional races. One of my dreams is to somehow convince Sen. McCain or President McCain to join me on this idea of public financing. Because I do think that’s the ultimate way to solve many of these problems."

Wooten:
“As you already know the student vote is very low. Anytime there is an election or any kind of call for a turn out that can influence the outcome of an election, your best bet is on the senior citizens. My question to you is how do you reach out, teach (students) this is how a democracy is supposed to work and this is how you should look at things in order to be active and make a difference in the American government?”

Feingold:
“Well, maybe I’m in a different position than most political figures. Lord knows I’m grateful for the senior vote, especially as my generation gets closer to that age. For me, we kid around about our backbone t-shirts. My backbone has been students every time. Students have always been there for my races in huge numbers on all the campuses in Wisconsin.

“They have been the driving force behind the energy of my campaign. Now you would know better than I would, because you’re young and I’m not anymore. But in 2004, I couldn’t believe the amount of young people that were working on the campaigns. It was the best I have seen. And maybe that was just an illusion to me, maybe it’s because I was a candidate. But I felt that this generation which you’re a part of is more engaged in the political process than a number of previous generations which were engaged in issues such as sweat shop issues and other stuff. They were turned off by electoral politics.

"So you would be able to correct me on this, but I’m feeling kind of good about the way people are acting…"

Wooten:
“I'd like to follow up if I may..."

Feingold:
"Please, follow up."

Wooten:
"A 40 percent turn out rate is what the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee had at the last presidential election. That’s still less than half of the students enrolled at that university who are eligible to vote. What I’m saying is how do you get that number higher? I look at that number and say that’s not good enough…”

Feingold:
“First of all you have to take your campaigns on to the campuses. The candidates shouldn’t just wait for the students to find some other spot. I’ve noticed a resurgence for example of the College Democrats at a lot of places is much stronger. Secondly, you have to have not only the general issues and I find students passionately in agreement with me on things like the USA PATRIOT Act and civil liberties, you have to have positions that will attract students.

"And then you have to have positions that will attract students. And then you have to have positions on things that really matter to students. In particular the cost of higher education. An that’s a sad story all over Wisconsin. I was told by the chancellor of UW-Stout the other day when I did a town meeting up in Menomonee that the average debt of any student from Stout after they graduated was $18,000. And these are a lot of kids who are from families that do not have money. Very little money.

"This is unacceptable. We have to make a commitment to not just increase but dramatically increase Pell Grants. The Pell Grants were starting to move under Clinton. They were under $3,000 and we got them a little over $4,000. But the program was set up to cover 80 percent of the cost. And so I have proposed that we by the end of the decade that we try to get this up to $10,000. This isn’t just handing money to kids saying here’s some money we want you to support us. When I was applying to college years ago, nobody said, ‘oh I wonder how much debt you’ll have to go into.’ Maybe this is something I remember incorrectly, but as I remember if you got into a school you got to go.

“So I consider this a major denial of the American dream. That people your age have to face this kind of debt. As candidates we talk about this every day. Because why should I have had the opportunity to go to University of Wisconsin and have the thrills of that campus and that experience and not worry about money. Why should you have to worry about if you’re going to be so scratched with debt you’ll have to figure out what you’re going to do once you’re out of school.”

Jagler:
“Thank you senator. I’m getting signs from our media panel that all of their questions are answered.”
…