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Saving money without cutting class

State Rep. Mark Gottlieb, R-Port Washington, said his objective is to ensure the state is fiscally responsible when it comes to both economic and social issues.

Gottlieb, a member of the Assembly Colleges and Universities Committee who voted against the state budget, is a supporter of Republican presidential candidate John McCain and said the most pressing issue in the nation today is protecting the country from Islamic terrorism.

However, economically, Gottlieb said on both a federal and state level, the No. 1 challenge is restoring a degree of fiscal discipline.

"We have to start budgeting more honestly," Gottlieb said. "The budget we enacted here continues a trend of not running our financial house in a responsible way."

Given the fiscal situation of the state, Gottlieb said for a number of years he has been interested in an academic course redesign program, which further uses technology to provide undergraduate education and could cost 30 percent less to fund than regular university classes.

According to Gottlieb, UW participated in a pilot program in introductory chemistry and found they could deliver the same amount of instruction but dramatically reduce costs.

The saved funding could then be put back into the system and be contributed to other programs.

"To be competitive, we need a more educated workforce and accessibility to individual instruction has to be there," Gottlieb said. "It is either going to take a lot more money — we don't have to do that — or we have to change the way we do business to make it more cost-effective."

UW College Democrats Chair Oliver Kiefer said he thinks distance learning is a good part of education but is very hesitant to promote broad-based learning for 100 percent of introductory level classes.

Kiefer said he is concerned distance learning would diminish the UW System's reputation of academic excellence and damage the value of students' degrees.

UW College Republicans Chair Sara Mikolajczak said in theory, the plan sounds like a good idea but added success depends on the student.

Gottlieb said his fiscally conservative stance carries through on his social agenda and his choice to reject the need for domestic partner benefits in the state university system.

"When you look at the extension of domestic partner benefits, this is fiscally a big undertaking," Gottlieb said. "I don't feel my constitutes want the money spent in that way."

Gottlieb added it is unfortunate any time a valuable person leaves an organization like the university but said it does not mean the state should give them anything.

However, Kiefer disagreed with Gottlieb's position, adding domestic partner benefits are necessary for the UW System.

"I think it is fiscally irresponsible of the Legislature to allow these people to leave," Kiefer said.

In addition, Gottlieb said currently he does not support the bill dubbed Compassionate Care for Rape Victims — legislation that would require a hospital to provide a rape victim with information about emergency contraception and provide it upon request.

Gottlieb said because there are a fairly sizable number of medical professionals who are against emergency contraception — some saying it is equivalent to abortion because life begins at conception —he will not vote for the bill, as it would require medical employees to offer this option despite their personal beliefs.

"I respect that there are medical people who don't believe that this is the right thing to do," Gottlieb said. "That is why I voted against it."

However, Kiefer said doctors take an oath to provide the best medical care, including offering women emergency contraception.

"Far too many women in our society have to go through victimization," Kiefer said. "We need to take care of victims who have been victimized."