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Doesn’t the public have a right to know who came up with these ideas? This would let voters hold their elected officials accountable at the ballot box and look for potential conflicts.
The biennial state budget is, in theory, fundamentally about numbers. So here are some numbers from and about the 2013-15 budget as crafted by Gov. Scott Walker and the Wisconsin Legislature.
A summary of what happened, news coverage and the Center’s response to the budget provision that would have evicted the Center from the University of Wisconsin.
“We believe the Center can contribute much more in the future to Wisconsin citizens, faculty and students through its present location at the university. Thus, we respectfully request removal of language that would curtail what has been a productive and rewarding collaboration for all, providing students with pay, real-world experience and expanded opportunities for employment while helping residents understand major issues facing their communities.”
The Legislature’s action, wrote Hall, would “diminish opportunities for students” and “limit the freedoms of faculty members to determine how best to teach.”
“Beyond the impact of the stories it tells, the Center stands as a unique training ground for a new generation of young reporters learning the skills of investigative journalism under the guidance of executive director and former IRE Board member, Andy Hall. Targeting such work is indefensible.”
Motion 999 was approved 12-4 down party lines, with Republicans in the majority, around 6 a.m. The controversy and coverage began shortly afterward, from news organizations and groups across the nation and the political spectrum.
Charlie Sykes, a conservative radio host on Milwaukee’s WTMJ, came to the Center’s defense in a June 5 column, reprinted here from RightWisconsin.com.
It’s hard to deny that Walker is doing pretty much exactly what he promised to stop. But that doesn’t mean the pork projects and policy items included in his budget are bad ideas.