OPINION & EDITORIAL
Doyle policies harmful to students
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Also by Guest Columnist:
- Stop America's 'green scare' (December 10, 2007)
- Greek sexuality misconceptions unfair (December 6, 2007)
- Security fee shows UWPD's prejudice (December 6, 2007)
- Vote Democrat, vote equal LGBT rights (December 6, 2007)
- Free trade stagnates upward mobility (December 6, 2007)
Related Stories:
- Doyle promotes progress (September 4, 2006)
- Green unable to make his point (October 25, 2006)
- Muddy waters (September 11, 2006)
- Green, College Republicans distort Doyle's record (September 7, 2006)
- Thompson would be welcome alternative to Doyle (April 6, 2006)
by Guest Columnist
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Get Your Facts RIGHT!
I have grown tired of the Democrats' campaign of misinformation in their attempts to bash the conservative candidates this election cycle.
The most important race in Wisconsin this fall is the gubernatorial race between incumbent Governor and Democrat Jim Doyle and Republican Congressman Mark Green. If you have not watched either of the televised debates, not to worry: what you missed can be summed up in one sentence. These candidates agree on almost nothing. Doyle and Green are light-years apart, and I could not be more relieved that my candidate is the one who gets it right.
The most pertinent difference to students is their stance on education. The difference that is of most importance to our state as a whole is corruption. And the difference no one should concern himself with is abortion (I will explain later).
Something that all of us UW-Madison students should be aware of is the 52 percent increase in our tuition since Doyle took office four years ago. Doyle's claim regarding education is that he has increased financial aid. But why would we prefer a student loan to being able to pay for college out of our savings? If tuition is rising 52 percent every four years, no wonder Doyle has had to increase financial aid! On the other hand, Green wants to cap your tuition so that massive increases in financial aid are no longer necessary to keep tuition affordable.
Students need to pay attention to what Doyle does, as opposed to what he says in his campaign speeches, regarding education. At the same time, Wisconsin needs to pay attention to what is being done (or not done) about government corruption. Under Doyle, our state Capitol has had a giant "for sale" sign erected over it. If you have any doubts, simply look up the name Georgia Thompson, the state employee who is now serving a prison sentence for influencing the state to wrongly award a large contract to Adelman Travel Group. Was this company the best candidate to receive this contract? By no means. Their only qualification for the contract seems to be that they have given a massive donation to the Doyle campaign.
Mark Green is running a clean campaign fueled by clean campaign contributions. The money Mark Green is using in his campaign comes from perfectly legal donors; there is nothing dirty about them. Green first ran for Congress in 1998. Over the past six years, he has raised more than enough money to get re-elected three times. Mark Green converted this saved money into a state account to support his new campaign for governor. It has been legal precedent in Wisconsin for 29 years that this transfer of funds is perfectly acceptable. When Democrat Tom Barrett shifted his funds to run for governor four years ago and his then-opponent Jim Doyle challenged it, the State Elections Board ruled Barrett's actions as allowed and proper.
Recent e-mails released to the public provide evidence that Doyle's attorney lobbied the State Elections Board, which seems to be stacked with his aides and friends, to suddenly change a 25-year precedent. It is very strange that this 25-year precedent was altered just after Green transferred the funds, and then applied retroactively to him. Coincidence?
You may be wondering why I mentioned abortion as the issue of least significance this November. The governor is not the National Legislature, nor is he the Supreme Court. The Democratic Party uses this old crutch to treat women as pawns and win votes.
Democrats like to complicate this issue to panic women.
While Green may be pro-life, he has not insinuated that he would take steps to shut down legal procedures in doctors' offices. It would be preferable that abortions take place between a familiar doctor and patient. What the Republican Party does not want to see is this very private issue made public, and by public I mean public good, as in tax dollars flowing to Planned Parenthood. Let's be honest; if my ninth-grade sister needs permission to take Tylenol, then why should she not need the consent of my parents to get an abortion? I would say the loss of a pregnancy, wanted or unwanted, is not something 14-year-olds should have to cover up or go through alone.
Oh, and you can quit with your 92 percent stuff, because we are not amazed that Republicans actually agree 92 percent of the time.
Erica Christenson (eachristenso@wisc.edu) is the chair of the College Republicans.
Anonymous (October 10, 2006 @ 2:13am):
Finally!!! At least some students on campus see the light!
I'm especially sick of the dems admitting to the 52% increase but blaming it on Republican legislators. It was DOYLE that proposed the increase as part of his budget. Because legislators passed it, the blame gets put on them?
Doyle promised students he wouldn't raise tuition. As students, we need to let him know that we're not stupid. Fool us once, shame on you. Fool us twice...
Anonymous (October 10, 2006 @ 6:34am):
I dont know where to begin to point out your inaccuracies.
Anonymous (October 10, 2006 @ 6:47am):
Erica, haven't Republicans used abortion as a "crutch" since Bush V. Dukakis in 1988? Why else would poor fundamentalist Christians vote for the party of big business, wall street, and the rich? I guess you have to rationalize your opinions, but at least be realistic.
As far as "corruption" goes, does Mark Green's stance on war profiteering qualify? Why else would any American want to stay this miserable course if they didn't benefit them financially. Thank you, Haliburton.
College tuition: Change schools if Madison costs too much. It's called the "free market."
Is there a for sale sign on the Capitol, or do you just believe every commercial you hear?
92% sounds like a rubber-stamp. If Mark Green was doing Wisconsin's work, 60% would me more acceptable. Why have a congress if the blank checks have already been signed?
Anonymous (October 10, 2006 @ 6:54am):
Green would raise tuition more than Doyle because he is a movement conservative that hates public institutions like public 4-year universities.
Anonymous (October 10, 2006 @ 7:28am):
Very nicely written! Oncor!
Anonymous (October 10, 2006 @ 7:52am):
Both candidates hate students and Wisconsin families. Doyle is still a right-wing stooge, but Green is even worse.
Anonymous (October 10, 2006 @ 9:29am):
Doyle is a tool, but when a Democratic governor inherits a multibillion dollar deficit from a Republican governor who had a Republican legislature and does what he can to try to balance the books, you can't logically blame the Democrat. Our tuition increases have been on par with the national average despite the state's ridiculous financial situation. Green's fiscal policies would result in much greater tuition increases and would also cost the university billions of research dollars.
This election is about choosing the lesser of two evils. But as bad as Doyle is, Green is orders of magnitude worse. Elect Dubya clone Green and Wisconsin will end up in worse financial shape than the US as a whole, and our educational system will fall apart too.
Anonymous (October 10, 2006 @ 10:01am):
First of all- if Roe is overturned by the new supreme court, the abortion issue goes back to the states!
Secdond- Republicans right that budget that cuts UW Funding because they have control of the legislature. Common sense says Doyle is opposed to this since he line item vetoed $34 million of those cuts.
Third- Georgia Thompson never met Jim Doyle- NOT ONCE. In fact, she was appointed by Scott McCallum. Hmmmm.
Finally, you guys wine as much as Mark Green when it comes to returning his dirty money. If my candidate was a rubber stamp for Bush, I would sure as hell not want that brand of selfish politics in Wisconsin.
Anonymous (October 10, 2006 @ 10:07am):
Didn't Mark Green vote for the largest financial aid cut in history?
12 billion in cuts that have seen most students loan payments in crease by over $3,000.
Anonymous (October 10, 2006 @ 11:02am):
All the right-wing replies have criticized Doyle for balancing the budget. Judging by Mark Green's record, he believes in the "cut taxes and spend way too much" theory of economics. Mark Green, way to be a CONSERVATIVE (heckuva job, Greenie).
If Mark Green is elected Governor, I'm going to make key investments in corporations that produce red ink. We're going to need a lot of it.
Anonymous (October 10, 2006 @ 11:13am):
Don't vote the lesser of two evils, vote for who will really serve your interests.
Vote for the REAL Green- Nelson Eisman.
Anonymous (October 10, 2006 @ 11:17am):
OMG, this letter is so heavy-handed and full of half-truths! Is his really the best you can come up with? As someone else already posted, I don't even know where to begin to point out the number of false and/or misleading statements. Fortunately UW students are smarter than that. They can figure it out for themselves.
Anonymous (October 10, 2006 @ 11:33am):
Mark Green and the Wisconsin Republican party hates the UW with a passion. If Green is elected governor, it's Alabama here we come. They will stop at nothing to bring the UW down. Doyle is the only one who is keeping this university from losing its great reputation.
Anonymous (October 10, 2006 @ 11:37am):
Your ninth grade sister needs permission to take Tylenol? Can she go to the bathroom when she wants or is that restricted in your house as well?
Anonymous (October 10, 2006 @ 11:48am):
Did you steal the whole article from the Green campaign directly, or did you just steal the line about Tylenol? Oh wait, the line he used in the debate was about getting permission to take aspirin, not tylenol...my mistake.
Get your own lines, don't just steal them from Republican talking points, otherwise intelligent people won't take you seriously.
Anonymous (October 10, 2006 @ 12:36pm):
Wow this woman really knows her stuff. Erica I think I'm falling more in love with your logic every day!
Anonymous (October 10, 2006 @ 12:58pm):
Correct me if I'm wrong, but Madison is second cheapest to Iowa in the Big 10. This is just like Republicans, they always want something for nothing.
Welcome to 2006, your war for higher oil prices caused something called "inflation."
Anonymous (October 10, 2006 @ 1:00pm):
Erica- If you would like to talk about getting your facts straight, perhaps you should have mentioned that Mark Green voted for one of the largest cuts in Pell Grants and student loans in recent years. I also seem to recall that the rise in tuition has been mostly the work of our Republican-run congress, not our Democratic governor, who you have so conveniently pinned all this on. And though you may not mind the fact that Mark Green agrees with George Bush 92% of the time, those of us who find G.W. to be a horrible leader, and one who has done all that he can to destroy the values that our country stands for, might be slightly turned off by that stat.
Anonymous (October 10, 2006 @ 3:30pm):
If you vote 92% for one way of thought, you really only had to think 8% of the time.
Anonymous (October 10, 2006 @ 3:39pm):
"This is just like Republicans, they always want something for nothing."
Ha! Funniest thing I've read all day. That's the Dems you're talking about with all of their entitlement programs and such.
Also, dump Doyle.
Anonymous (October 10, 2006 @ 4:06pm):
I agree, get your facts right. A lot of Doyle-bashing going on here but no real evidence to support your claims. Perhaps more time should be spent at college writing classes and less at College Republican meetings. If you're the best the College Republicans at UW have to offer, Democrats have nothing to worry about.
Anonymous (October 10, 2006 @ 5:16pm):
This article proves that the Doyle brand is a total scam!
Anonymous (October 10, 2006 @ 5:41pm):
"entitlement programs and such"
It's all about trickle down or trickle up economics. If you're rich enough, I am all for you supporting the GOP. If you're in the bottom 95%, you're much more likely to benefit from the so-called entitlement programs.
Anonymous (October 11, 2006 @ 1:31am):
Wow, I can't believe this. Here Erica spells it out in simple language, even simple enough that any democrat to understand, yet everyone does not seem to understand it. If these are the type of people who vote dem. then the Republicans have nothing to worry about.
