University of Wisconsin-Madison
Since 1892 dailycardinal.com
Thursday, February 8, 2018
l
r u o y e v a s o t w o H y a D s ' e n i Valent
+L&S page 2
Last-minute gift and +L&S date ideas page 4
Arrival of Uber, Lyft sparks clash with Madison’s Union Cab Co-op By Luisa de Vogel ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR
When David Rossing finished graduate school and began driving for Union Cab in 2010, it was a temporary job while he looked for a tenured position at a university. But eight years later he has fallen in love with the organization and takes pride in his career as a cab driver and partowner of the Union Cab cooperative. “You have a sense of dignity; you’re able to wear a lot of hats and have a lot of growth,” Rossing said. In his time at Union Cab, Rossing said he has witnessed increasing competition from Uber and Lyft. However, the worker-owned cooperative has been able survive, in part, by changing their business model to focus on steady contracts, such as with the Morgridge Center on UW-Madison’s campus and by
working with members to collectively determine the best places to cut costs, according to Union Cab’s former business manager, Jason Glomp. “We’ve had to really look at what we do, tighten things up, and make sure we’re in a position where we can survive and thrive while they’re here,” Glomp said. “The [taxi cab] industry worldwide is getting killed.” Increasing account business has helped Union Cab survive in the changing market. These contracts are regularly scheduled drives, such as transporting Medicaid recipients to appointments and taking students involved in Badger Volunteers to and from volunteer sites. State-funded groups must abide by state procurement regulations when drawing up long-term contracts for services such as transpor-
Perkins Loan page 2
MPD reform page 2
Relations Specialist Greg Bump. These regulations are made, in part, to address safety concerns.
Union Cab page 2
UW students may see a gap in aid following demise of the Perkins Loan Program STAFF WRITER
GRAPHIC BY MAX HOMSTAD
UW applications rose by 20 percent after switching to the common app.
Madison saw 20 percent more applications this year with Common App By Robyn Cawley STAFF WRITER
The Common Application is a win for both the University of Wisconsin-Madison and prospective college students, according to UW-Madison officials, as it increases the number of applications received while decreasing the amount of time spent applying. 42,627 freshmen applied to UW-Madison for the 2018-’19 school year, a 20 percent increase from last year. Out of those students, domestic non-resident applicants rose 29 percent, while Wisconsin resident applicants
only increased by 8 percent. “By adding the Common Application we are now able to reach a significantly larger cohort of potential applicants from around the country and beyond,” said André Phillips, Director of Admissions Recruitment. Adding more out-of-state students also has a financial benefit for the university. Non-resident students pay $34,783 in tuition, compared with $10,533 for instate students. Top university officials have
Common App page 2
The Perkins Loan Program, which provided $25.4 million in low-interest loans to UW System students, has expired, with seemingly little hope of congressional renewal in sight. The program offered unique financial services to students, offering a comparably low interest rate of five percent and a nine-month grace period after graduation before payments begin, all without requiring any annual funding, as all loans given are provided by those already paid back. “Eliminating this program, to put it clearly, will affect who can and cannot go to college,” said Nick Webber, government relations director for the UW System Student Representatives. “The reality is that the next time 13,600 UW students open their financial aid packages, they will be missing out on make-or-break money.” Webber and his team have been working with lawmakers to encourage legislation to extend the program into 2019, even discussing the matter with House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., who benefitted from the program himself as a student. The bills to extend the pro-
CITY NEWS EDITOR
gram currently have 243 cosponsors in the U.S. House and 20 co-sponsors in the U.S. Senate, including U.S Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis., and U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis. Despite significant bipartisan support, legislation in neither chamber has left its committee, largely due to opposition by their Republican chairs. Founded in 1958, the Perkins Loan Program was the longestrunning student loan model in the country. The $1.2 billion federal loan program offered up to $5,500 per year for undergraduate students who expressed extreme financial need through the FAFSA application. Without renewal, recipients will have to find other options to fill the gap in financial aid. Private banks and other government programs still provide student loans, but the Perkins program filled a unique gap in financial aid services. Critics argue that the program added unnecessary complexity, considering other loan programs are provided directly from the government or another servicer, without the added layer of university involvement. A recent op-ed in Forbes sup-
CAMERON LANE-FLEHINGER/THE DAILY CARDINAL
By Jessica Lipaz
By Max Bayer When a city-funded review of the Madison Police Department was published in December, the work toward police reform had taken its first step. Last week, the department and the city attorney released their official response to the study, furthering the process even more. But now, the work toward reform is in the hands of city officials and committee leaders tasked with reviewing the department. At the forefront of this discussion is the city’s Madison Police Department Policy and Procedure Review Ad Hoc Committee, a group of Madison residents who will decide how to move forward in light of the report’s recommendations. Matthew Braunginn, a member of that committee, says he believes improving accountability is a major place of improvement. “One of the biggest issues is how do we hold officers accountable especially when our laws give a lot of leeways to officer discretion,” said Braunginn, who is also a senior associate at the Center on Wisconsin Strategy with the Mayor’s Innovation Project and a co-founder of the Young, Gifted and Black Coalition. A notable recommendation by the report was the need for the department to have an independent auditor’s office that reported to a citizen review body. In their response, the department noted the body would come at a cost to the city and advised it be free of political influence. Braunginn said that asking for more resources has never been a previous worry to the department, saying the department’s budget has never been cut. “To me it’s completely hypocritical to put cost as a concern when MPD doesn’t put cost as a concern for its own budget,” he said. MPD Chief Michael Koval said his department is open to the idea but it would be odd if the money came from his budget. “I can’t fund that, nor should I. It just does not have a good optic look that I’m funding an independent arbiter,” Koval told The Daily Cardinal.
Union Cab has fought to stay afloat amid rising city competion. tation. Because these regulations require proof of insurance from all vendors Union Cab doesn’t face Uber and Lyft as competitors in these markets, according to University
City leaders to assess possible reforms after review of MPD
“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”