A new blog post by Paul Fanlund, editor of the Capitol Times, seems to capture exceptionally well the predicament we all now find ourselves in as a result of the ongoing controversy over the New Badger Partnership:
Madison360: UW-Madison’s sad and confusing family feud
Perhaps Mr. Fanlund’s most salient point is that if Ph.D.s with deep knowledge of University affairs can’t agree, how can ordinary mortals, including on- and off-campus newspaper editors and bloggers, presume to make confident pronouncements concerning the “correct” path for UW-Madison?
And does this dilemma not underscore the tragic missed opportunity for a more deliberative process — one that would have included input from many thoughtful and knowledgeable campus citizens before committing irrevocably to a risky and controversial split from the UW System? Sad indeed.
I totally agree with the last part, too bad we had to start a discussion about the importance of publicly funded higher education, with proposed neoliberal reforms.