In response to the Nov. 14 Point Counterpoint, “Are the recall Walker protesters too smelly”? the more than 100,000 Wisconsinites who joined the anti-budget repair bill protests last winter came from all walks of life to speak out against Gov. Scott Walker’s attacks on labor rights.
  

In his short tenure as governor, Walker has attacked more than just the collective bargaining rights of public sector workers. He has cut more than $315 million in funding to higher education, directly affecting learning on this campus. He has cut K-12 education to the tune of more than $2 billion, hurting Wisconsin’s youth before they even have a shot at getting here. He has cut assistance to the neediest in our state, by slashing BadgerCare. And the list goes on. 
  

I collected recall petition signatures at Union South today and was heartened by the breath of support from our campus. Through the Teaching Assistants’ Association, we collected more than 500 petition signatures in only one day. Students led the way back in February calling on Walker not to “break our hearts” and to restore funding to the UW System. Let’s continue that lead today.
  

As students and community members, we must stand up for the integrity higher education in our state. The UW System cannot sustain Walker’s war on education. Now is the time to fight to keep our university great. And, it’s a good investment in Wisconsin’s future. Figures from the UW System’s Office of Policy Analysis and Research show that 81 percent of in-state students live and work in Wisconsin after they graduate. In total, 67 percent of alumni stay in the state.
  

A recall petition signature is a step in the right direction. On Wisconsin!  

Jill Hopke ([email protected]) is a doctoral student in mass communications.