Former WI GOP Governor Tommy Thompson says that state government/UW collaboration is the key to the Wisconsin Idea and crucial to the state's success:
Details, here.
Walker tried to kill the Wisconsin Idea by distorting it through the budget, lied about it being a "drafting error," but has figured out how to destroy it piecemeal by a) using the DNR to sever science ties and data, before b) completely destroying the agency by breaking into pieces and scattering the remaining staffers he hasn't already removed through position cuts across a down-sized and intentionally ineffective state government.
Fine that Tommy has posted a high-minded essay and made a speech: let's see him really get his hands dirty and take on the anti-environment caucus which he helped enable within his own party when he killed the Office of the Public Intervenor and set government against the people and a clean environment to please his big business backers.
Wisconsin has a well-earned national reputation for public policy innovation, due in large part to the cooperation and genuine partnerships between government officials and university scholars...I believe strongly that this collaborative approach remains the most effective way to solve them and ensure prosperity and health for the people of our state.Is he aware that GOP Gov. Scott Walker's "chamber of commerce mentality" Department of Natural Resources just scrubbed climate science off its climate change page, took down a teaching unit in climate change and ended its collaboration with UW scientists at the system's highly-respected Wisconsin Initiative for Climate Change Impacts?
Details, here.
Walker tried to kill the Wisconsin Idea by distorting it through the budget, lied about it being a "drafting error," but has figured out how to destroy it piecemeal by a) using the DNR to sever science ties and data, before b) completely destroying the agency by breaking into pieces and scattering the remaining staffers he hasn't already removed through position cuts across a down-sized and intentionally ineffective state government.
Fine that Tommy has posted a high-minded essay and made a speech: let's see him really get his hands dirty and take on the anti-environment caucus which he helped enable within his own party when he killed the Office of the Public Intervenor and set government against the people and a clean environment to please his big business backers.
