UW SYSTEM
Explore alternatives to increasing taxes
The letter by Michael Hawes really incensed me ("More tuition increases are not acceptable," April 22). I worked three jobs to put myself through school and was just happy to have the opportunity to be in school.
Maybe one alternative to raising my taxes so he can have a lower tuition would be to close one of the University of Wisconsin campuses and consolidate students and instructors. That would certainly help keep tuition low and foster competition among the students for those coveted few positions on campuses. If tuition goes up and Hawes really wants to continue his education, he'll find a way.
Bill Hadley
Franklin
The letter got me thinking, just how absurd is the situation, so I went and found a map:
http://www.wisconsin.edu/campuses/images/smap.gif
No, that isn't a joke, and no I didn't add UW-Marathon County or UW-Barron County, and I didn't even make up UW-Marshfield/Wood County. Can you honestly look at this map and tell me there is nowhere to make cuts? Is it too much to ask for the people at Waukesha to go to Milwaukee of Whitewater (20-40 minute drive) or the people attending Richland to make it to one of the THREE surrounding schools? Can Fox Valley and Fond du Lac not be absorbed into Oshkosh? I get Superior, I get River Falls, but STOUT? A four year school, nestled neatly between two other four year schools. Waste in the UW system? If you want to talk serious spending cuts, lets get rid of Parkside, Platteville, and Stout for starters. Next, absorb some of the seemingly hundreds of two year schools into four years and combine those close, like Sheboygan and Washington County.
If we tackle this problem we are talking serious, dramatic cuts in expenses to the UW system and in turn a possible cut in tuition expenses (or plasma TV's for every dorm room) . It boggles my mind why this is never looked at as a serious alternative to raising tuition/taxes.
