With budget cuts likely for county and university services throughout the next several years, the candidates for the highest office in Dane County have a wide range of opinions on how the county should interact with the University of Wisconsin.
The five most prominent candidates running to replace current Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk met in Stoughton Friday night for a two-hour forum addressing issues such as the county’s future in the face of possible budget cuts throughout the nation and state.
All agreed the current economic climate, said to be one of the worst in the Madison area’s history, will greatly affect the choices of the county’s next executive.
UW’s economic contributions to the county, specifically through research-related job creation, became a central point for many of the candidates.
Chancellor Biddy Martin’s proposal to decrease the university’s reliance on state government led to stark criticism from three of the five candidates, who said they feared further privatization of UW.
Former Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Joe Wineke said the New Badger Partnership reminded him specifically of the UW Hospital’s conversion from a public, state funded facility to a mostly private organization.
“This is d?j? vu all over again,” Wineke said. “Let us not buy into this propaganda. That university is all of ours, and do not give it away.”
Rep. Joe Parisi, D-Madison, said he plans to include negotiations with university officials as part of his proposed Office of Economic Development, a new initiative he has promised to create as a section of the County Executive’s office, if elected.
“Part of [the office’s] mission will be to coordinate between the university, the tech colleges, the businesses and the workforce to make sure they’re all on the same page,” Parisi said. “There’s absolutely opportunity to work with the university on job creation. Instead of looking at why we can’t, I think we need to focus on how we can.”
Zach Brandon, who served as the Deputy Secretary of Commerce during Gov. Jim Doyle’s administration, was the only liberal candidate to say he supported the New Badger Partnership.
Brandon said the initiative could allow the Madison area to capitalize on commercial research opportunities originating on the university campus.
“You’ve got a university that is one of the highest-funded research institutions in the country and we are lagging other cities when it comes to commercializing that research,” Brandon said.
The race’s most conservative candidate, Sup. Eileen Bruskewitz, District 25, said the responsibilities of the executive’s office do not extend far enough to have any substantial influence on UW policy, but as executive she would use political capital to lobby the university.
She added she would try persuading UW to be more of a partner with Dane County for job creation efforts.
The strongest opposition to the New Badger Partnership came from current County Board Chair Scott McDonell, who said he fell in love with Madison after attending UW for a cheap, in-state price.
“I think one of the bases of this state is a public land-grant university,” McDonell said. “I don’t want sifting and winnowing brought to you by Doritos.”
