In true Badger Herald style, the Editorial Board forgot to do its homework on the Add-a-Regent bill. The ed board consistently opposes student power and activism because, essentially, it thinks we are all dumb. Constantly educating us with misquotes and incorrect facts, the ed board would gladly trade the principles of representation and democracy for a great headline like ‘A Bad Bill.’

First, representation on the Board of Regents is essential to protecting student life. State Superintendent of Schools Elizabeth Burmaster, the only elected regent, is the only regent to oppose the recent tuition hike. The governor appoints the rest of the board, often without being confirmed. Maybe the ed board should do a story on how that process and its principles usurp democracy.

Second, a UW System committee of all 26 campuses would make the student regent recommendation, not United Council. But the ed board has insider info that UC is secretly run by the two-year campuses. Boy, somebody should really let all those hundreds of part-time students on two-year campuses know that they really have some ass-kicking to do. UC is a collection of UW students from across the state committed to working on issues like a statewide campaign on financial aid. For the record, UC has never had any stance on any of the campus-specific initiatives.

Lastly, the notion that UW-Madison should secede from UW System is a dangerously foolish idea the ed board supports so it can appear on the cutting edge by continuing its policy of opposing everything. UW-Madison already competes heavily with the rest of the UW System for state funding. Pulling out of the UW System would initiate a titanic battle for funding that UW-Madison would lose, effectively privatizing the university and sending tuition skyrocketing. The other 25 campuses are collectively represented by a significant number of legislators, and UW-Madison already depends too heavily on private support and federal money, which means we would be fighting a funding war alone on multiple fronts. Odd that an ed board terrified of UC because it is dominated by other schools doesn’t see the collective political weight of the UW System. But then again, it is all about the headline.

Jeff Pertl, L&S ASM Representative