Get Ready for Another Brain Drain? (Milwaukee, Madison: health insurance, student loans, how much)

[Empidonax]

Contrary to what many people in the state believe, UW is already very lean and efficient. The faculty and staff get paid below market rates, more and more cheap labor (TAs and Lecturers) is used to teach courses, more online courses are taught because of lack of physical space, programs have been slashed, and options for students have diminished greatly. The governor's and legislature's mishandling of the economy and budget will reverberate throughout the state. Good job, Wisconsin.

UW-Milwaukee Could Face Layoffs, Building Closures, Slowdown on Admissions - Media Milwaukee

Officials from UW have tentatively said that there will be no campus closures, but I'm wondering if there ought to be.

[Vegas_Cabbie]

Yesterday, Walker announced the Jock Tax... Which basically means any NBA player playing in Wisconsin will pay their usual state income taxes to WI... Only now those funds will go towards the new arena... Approximately $150 million worth.

So isn't that basically just taking that tax money out of the general state pool and using it towards a private arena? To me, that is no different than taxing the public... Just a different way of going about it.

Yet he is slashing funds towards education AGAIN.

[MassVt]

With an idiot like Walker as governor, Wisconsin is headed down the tubes. It's quite apparent, even to an out-of-stater. The de-emphasis on education is quite telling, considering the governor never even finished college. The state is heavily in debt, and even refused federal money for setting up health insurance enrollment programs, AND also refused funds for high-speed rail from Chicago, headed for Minneapolis.

If this keeps up, they will start mentioning Wisconsin in the same breath as Mississippi. Wisconsin children will figure out that they'll be better off in neighboring Minnesota, or any other more-forward looking state. Using the expression "brain drain" seems pretty appropriate..

I like Wisconsin, especially Madison and Milwaukee, but the current direction is in direct contrast to its reputation as the "Progressive State". Very sad..

[cheese plate]

Fer christsakes...he's a terrible governor, but many successful states have or have survived that without turning into Mississippi. Hit the brakes on the apocalypse, please...the country has had several successive awful Presidents, as well.

[Merkin]

Everyone likes to talk about the money, how much state funding money, how much tuition, how much student loans.

Few ever ask where does the money go? College tuition in America has gone up 7 fold in the last 30 years. Some cite reduced govt funding, but tuition has never gone down during economic booms when funding is available.

So where does the money go? If tuition is just ahead of inflation it would be under 2 fold.

Let's focus on how to provide affordable education by cutting administrators instead of flushing money down the drain. (applies to all public schools)

[MaseMan]

Originally Posted by Merkin

Let's focus on how to provide affordable education by cutting administrators instead of flushing money down the drain. (applies to all public schools)

That sounds great. Maybe Walker could have taken that approach rather than once again using "divide and conquer" tactics again.

[Milwaukee City]

Weather will always be the number 1 reason for the brain drain.

[Merkin]

Weather will always be the number 1 reason for the brain drain.

Yup, When I was in Austin this month, I met a lot of Packer fans during the NFC game. Most of them cite weather as the biggest reason, 2nd most is economy.

Plus that also answered my question "where did all the good looking WI girls go?"

[timberline742]

Originally Posted by Milwaukee City

Weather will always be the number 1 reason for the brain drain.

Nope. Boston is just as cold and it suffers no brain drain. In fact, it is a destination.

Not saying it isn't an issue at all, but it can be overcome by investing in an vibrant innovation economy through higher education and a start up infrastructure.

[ARrocket]

Originally Posted by timberline742

Nope. Boston is just as cold and it suffers no brain drain. In fact, it is a destination.

False. Boston is not as cold, it's significantly warmer.

You could, on the other hand, replace Boston with the Twin Cities to support your claim, though it's really not a destination either.