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:: Friday, September 12, 2003 ::
I Voted, So I Can Complain
I voted for Gov. Blagojevich (and actually never needed help pronouncing his name), so I feel kinda put off by his current fiscal behavior. He's a Dem, so why the hell is he so hell-bent on "cutting waste," especially from the University? Cutting funding, limiting tuition, and saying that you don't want to affect undergrad studies don't all work together. I have a class that is all lecture due to the budget cuts when it used to have a discussion section with it, and I got off easy - many have it worse. The library system - the largest public academic library in the world - can't even do basic circulation. The freshman Discovery program, putting freshmen in classes with full professors and capped at about 30 people, has been cut back. My Stat 100 class last year was a Discovery course, and I did at least a letter grade better just because I was more involved. The academic experience at the state's flagship university is hurting, Mr. Blagojevich. So, I ask a question on the lips of many democrats on campus: "You're a Democrat! Why are you cutting services?" That's something Republicans do. If I wanted to have a Republican in the Governor's mansion I would've - gag - voted for Jim Ryan. I didn't. The best way to deal with the state income shortfall is not to cut essential academic services here at UIUC and the rest of the state's colleges and universities, but to do as Alabama tried to do and restructure state income taxes to be more progressive. That's the kind of thing Democrats do. Why am I not seeing it?
:: The Squire 8:06 PM :: email this post :: ::
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