Get Ready for Another Brain Drain? (Milwaukee, Madison: universities, to live, costs)

[Milwaukee City]

In the end a 2-3% budget cut of the state's share towards UW System is not the end of the world.

[Empidonax]

Originally Posted by Milwaukee City

In the end a 2-3% budget cut of the state's share towards UW System is not the end of the world.

Correction: It's a 12.7% cut of the state's 2014-2015 share:

Pdf : Proposed UW budget cuts by campus

As the graphic shows, some campuses would get hit harder than others. The 2015-2016 reduction shown would be repeated in 2016-2017, so overall, the cuts are significant.

Is it the end of the world? No, but severe cuts like this would lead to layoffs, program closures, delayed graduation times, etc. for many. Having the profs at Madison and UWM teach an extra class per term sounds like a good soundbite, but it wouldn't come close to closing the budget gap, and it would change the nature and mission of the schools considerably.

Both campuses would have to lower their ambitions, and their impact and importance would take a hit. The effect would not happen immediately, but changes would be noticeable after around 5-7 years. In fact, the hit has already begun--quite a few people have left both schools since Act 10 (either retiring or taking jobs elsewhere), but not all of the positions have been replaced. In this tumultuous climate, many job candidates do not consider the UW System to be a stable and supportive bet.

UWM has never been funded equitably, even though it is a designated research university. Lately UWM has been trying to solidify its role as a research university, but these cuts would probably stall that. So, the cuts would be inconvenient for many and quite damaging for others.

[cheese plate]

It seems to me that Walker and his cronies have a "hit list" like Nixon, but instead of having his "enemies" rubbed out, he's systematically eviscerating the institutions where his "enemies" lie. Eff you, teachers. Bye bye, unions. Later, state colleges. I'm not sure how anyone could see his moves in a different light.

And this will be cheered by conservatives across the country, so these moves are also grandstanding for the country as a whole so he can reach his only true goal of national office. After he's gone, you can't tell me he will care one bit about his "home state" (though he's not even a native).

[timberline742]

Originally Posted by craptacular

Gov. Walker would probably love Boston in this regard. Almost every one of its institutions of higher learning, and all of the well-known ones (BU, BC, Harvard, MIT, Northeastern, Tufts) are private and expensive.

And with the best, like Harvard, if you can get in and don't make much, you'll get so much financial aid (not repayable) that you'll get out in great shape with a world class education. Money is not an impediment.

Originally Posted by ARrocket

Guess what bud. I live in Boston as well. Boston is the warmest place I've ever lived. Sure, today is cold. It gets really cold. But on any given day, it's not going to be as cold as Milwaukee.

But, anyway, on topic, I don't think the weather is the MAIN cause of brain drain, but it certainly plays a factor.

I've yet to read through the 6 pages of this thread that I've missed, but I couldn't resist responding to your smugness.

I'm not your bud. I have lived almost all my 40+ years in Boston, Madison, and Burlington VT, they're effectively all the same.

But if you think Boston's climate is a factor in people re-locating from Wisconsin to Boston, then I think you're off your rocker.

People don't move to Boston, NYC, Chicago, Twin Cities looking for a milder climate. They just do not.

[ccjarider]

Originally Posted by cheese plate

How am I "subsidizing" an adult who is paying for college classes?

Your take is the same as Pol Pot's - cut off the heads of the intellectuals! Yeah, that's always been shown to work...go team tyrant!

Geez- what melodrama!

Tuition in public university systems is subsidized as it does not cover all costs. I am sure you know this.


As far as the ridiculous second comment goes - disagree. Asking reasonable questions that challenge the status quo of the great ivory tower known as the UW system is not akin to killing off intellectuals.

[thefragile]

Originally Posted by ccjarider

Geez- what melodrama!

Tuition in public university systems is subsidized as it does not cover all costs. I am sure you know this.


As far as the ridiculous second comment goes - disagree. Asking reasonable questions that challenge the status quo of the great ivory tower known as the UW system is not akin to killing off intellectuals.

Great ivory tower? Yeah, we have a fantastic university here. We're proud of it. How awful.

[MassVt]

Originally Posted by timberline742

And with the best, like Harvard, if you can get in and don't make much, you'll get so much financial aid (not repayable) that you'll get out in great shape with a world class education. Money is not an impediment.



I'm not your bud. I have lived almost all my 40+ years in Boston, Madison, and Burlington VT, they're effectively all the same.

But if you think Boston's climate is a factor in people re-locating from Wisconsin to Boston, then I think you're off your rocker.

People don't move to Boston, NYC, Chicago, Twin Cities looking for a milder climate. They just do not.

Point taken, but Burlington and Madison are both at least 10 degrees colder than Boston, based on decades of data. I've also lived in all three..

[ARrocket]

Originally Posted by timberline742

But if you think Boston's climate is a factor in people re-locating from Wisconsin to Boston, then I think you're off your rocker.

People don't move to Boston, NYC, Chicago, Twin Cities looking for a milder climate. They just do not.

I never said that. All I said was that Boston is noticeably warmer than Milwaukee.

Originally Posted by timberline742

I'm not your bud.

Thank God.

[cheese plate]

Originally Posted by ARrocket

I never said that. All I said was that Boston is noticeably warmer than Milwaukee.

And he's saying it isn't. Both of you have lived in each area. I've lived in Madison and Stevens Point, which are the same degree colder than where I live in Milwaukee as Boston is to Milwaukee, and essentially, in terms of day-to-day life, it's the same winter. So I'm prone to believe him and not you, the guy with a weird chip on his shoulder and a clear agenda.

[ARrocket]

Originally Posted by cheese plate

the guy with a weird chip on his shoulder and a clear agenda.

Yeah, you've discovered my secret life mission

Perhaps one day you can live in Boston, and then make your own judgement.