Two prominent University of Wisconsin System officials issued a statement Thursday analyzing Gov. Doyle's proposed budget.
UW System president Kevin Reilly and Board of Regents president Mark Bradley stressed the importance of sufficiently funding the UW System in the still undecided state budget.
The statement expressed appreciation for the new budget Gov. Doyle proposed early this week, but said it does not fund the university in a manner in which it can thrive.
Gov. Doyle's new budget includes a $25 million UW System cut, compared to the Republican-run Assembly's budget, which includes a $120 million UW System cut.
"We urge the governor and the Legislature to restore full funding to our university, and to do so quickly," the statement said. "With swift legislative action, the state can restore the flow of financial aid to hard-working students and help avoid drastic cuts or tuition surcharges next semester."
More than the alternatives, UW System spokesperson David Giroux said the fact that there still is no budget "is the scariest situation of all."
"Having no budget this year is a complete and utter disaster," Giroux said. "The governor's budget helps avoid that, while still expecting us to do some belt-tightening."
Giroux did say, however, that the governor's new budget is "the best option that's out there."
"We're moving in the right direction," Giroux said. "I think it speaks volumes when a $25 million cut seems attractive."
Gov. Doyle spokesperson Carla Vigue said "there has not been a bigger advocate for the university than Gov. Doyle."
"He has stated time and again that he will not sign a budget that includes the deep, deep cuts proposed by the Republican Assembly," Vigue said. "The governor is committed to ensure that everyone in the state has access to higher education."
Vigue added major priorities for Gov. Doyle include funding the UW System, providing sufficient financial aid for students in need and "insuring that the K-12 system is sound."
Giroux said the UW System is already suffering from repercussions due to the lack of a budget, as universities have been running on last year's budget, which does not take inflation into account.
"It's just a reality," Giroux said. "It's not crying wolf, it's not Chicken Little syndrome, it's just reality."
