From The Capital Times

Friday, December 17, 2004

Gov Better Watch Out - Carolers' Message Frosty

carolers

Uw Students Deliver Christmas Jeer To Doyle

By Aaron Nathans The Capital Times

They came in Santa hats, caroling as they wandered through the Capitol halls toward Gov. Jim Doyle's office.

When they arrived, the lead caroler, Mike Quieto, greeted his front office staff with a less-than-cheery greeting: "The governor's been naughty this year."

Someone yelled: "And we thought he was a Democrat!"

The pack of about 40 caroling University of Wisconsin students had a message for the governor: Give the UW more state funding, and decrease or freeze tuition. In Doyle's last budget, the university took a $250 million cut, and raised tuition by 37.5 percent over two years to help cover that cut.

They delivered their message through a series of comical, derisive Christmas carols including this one, sung to the tune of "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch":

"You're a mean one, Mr. Doyle/You really are a heel/You're as cuddly as a cactus, you're as charming as an eel, Mr. Doyle."

And this one:

"Silent dorms, empty classrooms/All is quiet, all is doomed."

"He's looking more than a Republican. He's looking super-conservative. And we don't need a conservative agenda," said Lyntrel Smith, a senior in history and political science.

"We're just trying to force the governor to do his job, which is to serve the people, and the people who got him into office," Smith said. "A lot of people who got him into office are students and the minority community."

Bill Anderson, a sophomore, said it's getting to the point where people have to be from a pretty wealthy family to afford to go to UW-Madison.

"The university's gradually being privatized, and we don't want that to happen," Anderson said. "The state keeps de-funding it and raising tuition."

Doyle was not in the office when the protesters arrived, his office said.

Melanie Fonder, a spokeswoman for the governor, said: "Clearly, education is a top priority for the governor. At the same time, we are going into another tough budget situation. But what's really important is we find ways to make sure the outstanding university system that we have, that we continue to make it accessible and affordable to all students. We will continue to look for ways to do that."

She noted Doyle's office had recently asked state agencies to make 10 percent cuts in administration.

"We don't want to affect students in the classroom," she said.


12 days of Christmas and "Naughty and Nice" list

UW Students & Workers Give 'Grinch' Doyle a Lump of Coal from Madison Indymedia

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