In the Wisconsin State Journal, columnist Tom Still sets the stage for the coming debate on funding the UW System.
“The details aren’t known because Gov. Scott Walker is keeping his cards vested, but the UW System is bracing itself for a round of state budget cuts in the two-year cycle that begins July 1. That’s the ‘stick,’” Still writes. “The ‘carrot’ may be enhanced management flexibility for the UW in areas such as hiring and pay decisions, certain tuition categories, construction projects and other areas now overseen by the state.”
“The question is whether the budget cuts, which may total hundreds of millions of dollars, will be offset by cost savings and other efficiencies generated by looser apron strings tied to state government.”