As Governor Doyle addressed a packed state capitol last night, his misleading rhetoric produced hope for a University of Wisconsin System badly neglected of late. But his numbers told a different story, one with as much heartbreak as his hyperbole had delivered hope; one where students will now be forced to fork over a five to seven percent tuition increase, neatly packed onto the steep hikes already thrust upon undergraduates last time the governor delivered his budget.

With this hike, out-of-state undergraduates will now pass through a symbolic financial gateway into a world of five-figure tuition. The governor gleefully boasts UW places near the bottom of all Big Ten schools when it comes to tuition; we wonder if this ranking won’t soon slip just as the football team’s equally boast-worthy record plummeted late last season.

Indeed, much of Doyle’s speech relies on spin-heavy rhetoric used to paint a picture of a UW budget “on the move.” However, declaring affordability in higher education as a priority in an applause line before subtly dropping the tuition-hike bomb is an insult to the intelligence of students at this fine university.

In addition, Doyle’s decision to eliminate 200 administrative positions while adding 125 faculty members strikes us as a possible solution in need of clarification. What jobs have been deemed expendable? What faculty positions will be added? We are glad the governor has highlighted possible bureaucracy in need of trimming, but wonder which jobs have been earmarked for pink slips.