While University of Wisconsin Chancellor Biddy Martin certainly has zeroed in on a comprehensive, all-hands-on-deck strategy for coping with the impending budget deficit, her official appointment of Dawn Crim as special assistant of community relations is an unnecessary maintenance of the status quo. And considering the way Crim has dealt with the issue of alcohol in Madison, we have reason to be concerned.
Crim may not be the worst choice for the position, especially considering she’s had the job on an interim basis since 2007. Aside from her alcohol focus, she was part of the Labor Licensing Board that cut UW’s ties with New Era, a move that demonstrated UW would not tolerate companies that refuse to reform their sweatshop practices.
However, this position is mainly a liaison between UW and the city. A large part of communication between city leaders and UW deals with curbing alcohol abuse. While we understand every university has problems with underage drinking and alcohol abuse — and UW is one of the most spirited offenders — the views represented by UW leaders such as Crim and others on the anti-alcohol project Policy Alternatives Community and Education border on prohibitionist, not pragmatic.
The university’s official approach has forced bans on drink specials at Madison bars, condemned a beer pong display at Walgreens and, most egregiously, supported the Alcohol License Density Plan, which limited the number of liquor licenses issued by the city. Furthermore, when the downtown neighborhood lobby Capitol Neighborhoods, Inc. recommended an increased tax on alcohol, increased penalties for drinking and the implementation of ID scanners at 50 percent of downtown drinking establishments by 2009, Crim seemed more than willing to help. In addition to agreeing to take the subsequent recommendations into consideration, Crim took full credit for UW’s purchase of eight ID scanners at liquor stores.
Unfortunately, these moves have done nothing more than inflame student leaders and have had little effect on the drinking patterns of the average UW student. If Martin truly wants to get serious about reducing alcohol abuse and underage drinking, she should steer Crim away from her anti-alcohol zeal. Her liaison role requires outreach out to students, as well, not just schoolmarmish attempts to curb their behavior.