Education and Sacrifice, Part 1 of ?

Warning, this will be a long, long, long post. But I hope that you will read it, as in it, I will address what I feel are the major pratfalls facing our society (Wisconsin in particular as that's the situation I know most about) and what I think needs to be done to fix it. This is a long time coming, but, given the recent front page article on CNN, concerning the alarming exodus of faculty from UW-Madison to not just Ivy League institutions, but now to universities traditionally below us on the totem poll, I feel the time is ripe for a frank assessment of the problems facing us, and what can be done.

The reason that UW-Madison, the state of Wisconsin, and the U.S. face problems ranging from sky-rocketing education costs, to inadequate and excessively expensive health care, to continued exacerbation of climate change in the face of irrefutable evidence is that our election system is fundamentally flawed. Too many of our 'elected' representatives are beholden no longer to the people but rather to those who finance their reelection. A bone may be tossed to the masses every once in a while, but it can not be argued that the best interests of the constituents, the state (or country), and humanity are not served in our current system. My thesis is that the public financing of all elections (given some small showing of actual community support for the candidates) will result in a lower overall tax burden while simultaneously resulting policies that result in actions that are in the best interests of society.

To achieve this, a short-term sacrifice is required of not only the people, but also those in power. They must put at risk the comfortable and safe position that they hold being financed by special interests. This 'sacrifice' must in most cases be imposed upon the politician by the people by a massive uprising demanding change. The question then arises, who shall rally the people in this massive call for change? That I do not know. Caution, and the inability to ask their constituents to sacrifice now for a greater reward for themselves and their progeny seem to be abilities that are gradually ground out of politicians. Perhaps here, a lesson may be learned from the earthly sacrifices asked of those of a religious persuasion with the promise of a greater reward in the next life. Regardless, each day that goes by without the people and their 'representatives' accepting a small level of short term hardship, the hardship that we all must endure in time grows greater and greater.

Allow me to use as an example the current situation at UW-Madison. These are the facts. Madison's in state undergraduate tuition is the 2nd lowest in the Big Ten. Madison's tenured faculty rank near or at the bottom in compensation in UW's peer group. A new fee, doubling the previous fee, has recently been introduced for the employment of graduate research and project assistants. Many faculty state that the outstanding graduate assistants is the major draw of UW-Madison. Fewer graduate assistants can now be hired due to the new fee. Graduate students teach around 30% of all undergraduate credit hours. State funding of UW-Madison is at the same dollar level (not adjusted for inflation) that it was 10 years ago. Undergraduates are exiting their college experience with the greatest debt burden ever. A diverse, educated populous is needed to attract businesses to the state. UW-Madison faculty are flocking to other universities at an unprecedented rate.

To me the solution is simple. The state must fund the university at a higher level to increase faculty salary, lower tuition (yes further lower from the 2nd lowest in the Big ten), invest in clean energy (for a little background on this, check out this article on the pollution spewing from the EPA complaints against one of the UW's power plants), and take the lead on issues such as a living wage for all employees, divestment from countries with abysmal labor and human rights records, and contracting only with companies that respect workers right.

To achieve these goals, I prescribe the following course of action. 1. A significant increase in state funding to the UW system - financed by an increase in taxes of high income households, closing corporate tax loopholes, and increased taxes on alcohol and tobacco. These increase can be gradual,, for instance to retain companies until the increased tax burden is offset by a more attractive pool of workers. Income tax increases can also be offset by further subsidies for the implementation of green energy policies. The fact is, the state must collect more taxes to provide not only this generation, but generations to come with an adequate quality of life. 2. The increase of faculty salaries, the lowering of tuition, and an increase in graduate assistant salaries to ensure that top researchers come to and stay at UW-Madison. This small investment will reap significant rewards in the form of federal research funding, tax revenue from start-up companies, and an increase in businesses in the state due to an improved workforce pool. 3. Reinvestment in the state and the country. UW must ensure that with this improved funding, they act as a steward for the state by investing in research that will improve the quality of life of the state's citizens. 4. Educate the populace about the positive repercussions of a world-class institution being located in the state (this also must really be done before point #1 to make it politically feasible in the current climate).

For this issue, and for so many more, we need leadership from our elected representatives, our community and business leaders, and the populace. We must, we must, step back from the ease in which we slip into apathy and stand together and demand that our interests and the interests of our children and our children's children are protected.

This course of action is akin to preventive medicine. We MUST take action now or face a much more dire situation in the future. This applies not only to the situation at UW-Madison, but also to healthcare, K-12 education, continuing education, energy and environmental policies, and a litany of other examples. The system is broken. Shall we continue taking water from the well in a bucket with a leak in the bottom to put out the fire, or shall we allow the flames to burn brighter for a short time knowing that the time we take to plug the holes will allow us to put the fire out rather than merely keep it in check?

I ask each and everyone of you to take leadership in this task. Wherever you live, the story is playing out the same way for your university, for your K-12 system, for your healthcare system, for your environment. Contact your representatives. Demand a change to public financing of elections. Demand that they protect our future by investing in renewable energies and taxing polluters. Demand that they provide health care for all and emphasize preventive medicine to avoid greater costs down the road. Demand that they invest in an education system that doesn't teach to a test, but rather teaches critical thinking, social skills, and a variety of subjects to ensure that our children are able to do more than recite facts and figures. Demand that they respond to you! You hold the power. Embrace it, use it, demand accountability, reject apathy, embrace a better tomorrow today.