DOC DOESN’T GET THE ‘JOB’ DONE
Walker—Want government to be more fiscally responsible? Sell the Governor’s Mansion OPINION
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Wall Street documentary “Inside Job” lacks impetus for protest ARTS
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The Joint Southeast Campus Area Committee unanimously recommended plans for a new UW athletics ice hockey and swimming facility Monday. Associate Vice Chancellor of Facilities Planning and Management at UW-Madison Alan Fish presented committee members with updates on the plans for the 2,400-seat arena. Fish said the design of the facility is done and is ready to go out for bids, which will help fund the project. ice arena page 3
Two UW-Madison students, Kyle Szarzynski and Sam Stevenson will run for Madison Common Council next spring. Szarzynski will be running for Madison’s District 8 seat, which represents a large part of the UW campus. The district’s current alder, Bryon Eagon, said he has not yet decided whether or not he will run for reelection. Eagon said Szarzynski’s announcement does not have an effect on whether or not he will choose to run for re-election in the spring.
“I’m very much looking forward to staying on as the alder for District 2....” Bridget Maniaci Alderman District 2
“It’s not going to sway my opinion on whether to run or not,” Eagon said. Stevenson will run for the seat on Common Council representing District 2, which represents the area around the Capitol. “It’s not surprising to me at all to have someone trying to run for my seat,” Ald. Bridget Maniaci, District 2, said. “It’s something that I have anticipated really since day one.” Maniaci said she is planning on running for reelection in the spring. “I’m very much looking forward to staying on as the alder for District 2 and I’m going to be working to be reelected,” Maniaci said. Szarzynski and Stevenson will formally announce their candidacy Wednesday at Memorial Union. According to a statement, Szarzynski and Stevenson will speak about their experiences as “progressive activists and their vision for the campus and downtown community” at the event. —Maggie DeGroot
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Tuesday, November 16, 2010
DPI unveils education proposal
Committee recommends UW Ice Arena By Maggie DeGroot
UW students declare candidacy
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By Patrick Tricker The Daily Cardinal
danny marchewka/the daily cardinal
School of Education alumni and faculty attended the second grand opening of the newly renovated building Monday afternoon.
School of Education building reopens By Molly Reppen The Daily Cardinal
Thirty-four million dollars and over a year of construction later, the UW-Madison School of Education building officially reopened Monday. This was the second grand opening of the newly renovated building, where School of Education alumni and faculty attended the ceremony. Members of the program gathered in Morgridge Commons, named after John and Tashia Morgridge. The Morgridges donated $34 million toward the renovation and completion of the new building.
Chancellor Biddy Martin said the building fosters community. “This building gathers might, it gathers people, it gathers the past and the present and the future, and it gathers all of those things in a way that lets them all be. I love this building and I hope to spend a lot of time here,” Martin said. UW-Madison School of Education alumna and Wisconsin Gubernatorial First Lady Jessica Doyle said it is essential to have an up-to-date facility. “Making this historic place into one of the finest facilities anywhere, that really sends an jump to page 3
Ready, Sett, Go!
danny marchewka/the daily cardinal
Students at Memorial Union sampled features of the Sett, an area of the new Union South to open in April. The Sett includes a climbing wall, bowling and other games.
State Superintendent Tony Evers revealed a plan Monday to simplify education funding and increase funding for 93 percent of public schools, though Republican leaders have expressed doubt on new funding during the budget crisis. The plan would guarantee schools $3,000 per student, increase state aid by 20 percent for students requiring subsidized lunch and consolidate 11 public school funding programs to ensure that money gets to schools, according to a statement by the Department of Public Instruction. The plan would cost an additional $420 million over two years.
“Our current school finance system is broken.”
Tony Evers state superintendent The Daily Cardinal
“Our current school finance system is broken,” Evers said in a statement. “We can do better. We must do better. We must take a first step.” Governor-elect Scott Walker, state Sen. Alberta Darling, R-River Hills, and state Rep. Robin Vos, R-Racine, who both co-chair the Joint Finance Committee, expressed doubt about any increase in funding for public schools because of the budget gap. “[Evers] is looking for ways to change the funding for education: putting a priority on those districts which have the highest poverty,” Vos said. “The difficulty comes down to finding $500 million in additional money when we already have a $3 billion deficit, and we are concerned about paying for what we already have.” Others, including the American Civil Liberties Union and the Wisconsin Association of School Boards, heralded the plan as a realistic reform of public schools that bases funding on student’s needs rather than local property value. “Our state funding formulas need to be structured to ensure greater support for children with greater needs,” said Chris Ahmuty of ACLU of Wisconsin, in a statement. “Shifting away from the school levy tax credits—which benefit higher-wealth households more than children in need—is a start.”
“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”
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An independent student newspaper, serving the University of Wisconsin-Madison community since 1892
News and Editorial edit@dailycardinal.com Editor in Chief Emma Roller Managing Editor Todd Stevens Campus Editor Kayla Johnson City Editor Maggie DeGroot State Editor Ariel Shapiro Enterprise Editor Alison Dirr Associate News Editor Beth Pickhard Senior News Reporters Jamie Stark Ashley Davis Opinion Editors Dan Tollefson Samantha Witthuhn Editorial Board Chair Hannah Furfaro Arts Editors Jacqueline O’Reilly Jon Mitchell Sports Editors Mark Bennett Parker Gabriel Page Two Editor Victoria Statz Life & Style Editor Stephanie Rywak Features Editor Madeline Anderson Photo Editors Danny Marchewka Ben Pierson Graphics Editors Caitlin Kirihara Natasha Soglin Multimedia Editors Eddy Cevilla Briana Nava Page Designers Claire Silverstein Joy Shin Copy Chiefs Anna Jeon Margaret Raimann Nico Savidge Kyle Sparks Copy Editors Jacob Pearce, Jackie Pecquex, Duwayne Sparks, Julia Welytok
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Andrew’s guide to finding your niche on campus
Volume 120, Issue 55
2142 Vilas Communication Hall 821 University Avenue Madison, Wis., 53706-1497 (608) 262-8000 • fax (608) 262-8100
wedneSDAY: chance o’ rain hi 47º / lo 32º
andrew lahr spare me the lahrcasm
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adison is big. Real big. With such a large university comes a multitude of students from all walks of life, all with their own unique quirks and personalities. There are those people who have a great sense of humor and those that are chronic assholes. Some are musical, athletic, dorky, quiet or religiously outgoing. In any case, there’s a clusterfuck of humanity walking the streets of Madison, and if you feel like
you’re a little fish in a pond full of 40,000 other various-sized fish, you’re not alone. It’s normal to see completely new faces every day you walk down the street to class, and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed at the sheer volume of people here. Plus, if you’re like me—an incredibly studly fish who has its fins involved in a lot of different and random interests and activities—it can be tough to find a “school” of other likeminded fish. The best way to get out there and meet some people with your shared interests is to join one of Madison’s many student-run clubs. There are hundreds, and just looking through all of them might take quite some time.
Luckily, I’ve had some time to do some research about the more interesting clubs here in Madison and have created a little cheat sheet that will make the hunt for a community a little easier. Hopefully it will save you the time and trouble of walking up and introducing yourself to several thousand people across campus (many of whom could most likely be total douches) and soliciting your personality to strangers like an abstinent prostitute. This state of the art chart will help you to “find a niche” and flourish among like-minded peers. These are pretty specific groups, but anyone with half a brain knows there’s probably a chess or ski team here. These
are the clubs that are going to expand your mind and introduce you to strange new things and strange new people because, after all, the strange people are often the most interesting. BTW: I’m not making this shit up! These are all actual clubs at Madison. Look it up on the website! Also, this is all in good fun, so please no angry e-mails :). More UW clubs and organizations can be found at www.cfli. wisc.edu if this chart really doesn’t get your engines running. Have you been in or heard of other ridiculous clubs? If so, you should e-mail them to Andrew at aplahr@wisc.edu, because he’s probably going to want to join several of them.
dailycardinal.com/news
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
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Walker angles for redirecting rail funds By Ariel Shapiro The Daily Cardinal
ben pierson/the daily cardinal
The SSFC decided to decrease budgets for Sex Out Loud, Working Class Student Union and Badger Catholic Monday. They also held the last budget season hearing for the Multicultural Student Coalition.
SSFC decides Sex Out Loud, Working Class Student Union, Badger Catholic budgets By Alison Bauter The Daily Cardinal
The Student Services Finance Committee approved funding decreases for Sex Out Loud, the Working Class Student Union (WCSU) and Badger Catholic. Sex education and activism group Sex Out Loud was approved for a budget of $84,737 with only minor cuts. The budget for WCSU—a student group representing working class, first-generation and other non-traditional students—was approved without cuts at $55,449 for 2011-12. Badger Catholic’s budget was approved at $117,750, a $5,817 decrease from their original request. The committee voted to zerofund Badger Catholic’s food and supplies, and to make multiple cuts to the group’s leadership training and travel costs. The committee’s final budget
hearing of the season was for the Multicultural Student Coalition (MCSC). Student social justice organization MCSC requested a 2011-12 budget of $225,787. “On a whole, this budget is a lot more fiscally responsible than [MCSC] has posited in the past.” Jason Smathers Secretary SSFC
Although MCSC’s proposed budget included several spending increases, the overall request represented a $5,000 decrease from their 2010-11 allocation. MCSC’s budget presenters were accompanied by around two dozen supporters, several of whom made speeches and gave spoken word per-
formance to support the group during open forum. Among the speakers was SSFC representative and MCSC staff member Jair Alvarez. Alvarez said he considered this year’s MCSC budget—on which he collaborated—to be “the most comprehensively financially responsible in years.” Any cuts made by the SSFC, said Alvarez, would “slash” MCSC’s ability to provide its direct services to students. SSFC Secretary Jason Smathers said decisions on cuts would be made once committee members spoke with the group. “On the whole, this budget is a lot more fiscally responsible than [MCSC] has posited in the past,” Smathers said. “That being said, we’ll see what has to be cut in lobby meetings.” Following Thursday’s meeting, the committee will break for a week before moving into internal budget session.
Man sentenced to 10 years in prison for crack-related charges A 34-year-old Madison man was sentenced in federal court Friday to 10 years in prison for crack cocaine-related charges. Jermaine Shelly pleaded guilty to the charge of possessing crack cocaine with intent to distribute it in
September, according to a statement released by the Department of Justice. The charge stemmed from a June incident where Dane County Narcotics and Gang Task Force officers found more than 50 grams of crack cocaine in Shelly’s home.
U.S. District Judge William Conley noted during sentencing that Shelly had a history of violence with girlfriends and he supported himself through drug sales. After serving his prison sentence, Shelly will be on probation for five years.
Rep. Parisi to consider running for Dane County Executive State Rep. Joe Parisi, D-Madison, expressed interest in running for Dane County Executive Monday but made no official announcement. Parisi filed paperwork with the Dane County Clerk to form an exploratory committee, after which he will discuss the decision with his family, friends and advisors, according to a campaign statement.
reopening from page 1 important message,” Doyle said. “We value education and its vital role in this state, nation and world.” On her and the governor’s behalf, Doyle said the relationship between the new building and the education system in the
Current Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk announced in October she would step down from her position, leaving the upcoming race in April wide open. “I love serving in the state Legislature,” Parisi said in a statement. “Yet given this unexpected news and my roots as an administrator in county government, I
need to evaluate where I can make the greatest difference in my community.” Dane County Board Supervisor Scott McDonell was the first to announce his candidacy to replace Falk. Verona Mayor Republican Jon Hochkammer will also run, according to The Capital Times. Hochkammer will elaborate on his decision Tuesday.
state is important. “John and Tashia Morgridge have made the renewal of this education building a dream come true,” Doyle said. “This masterpiece is the ideal showcase of excellence and serves to remind us that education is the heart of our state and the key to our past, present and future.” School of Education Dean
Julie Underwood presented Doyle the School of Education Alumni Achievement Award for the work she has done in the education field since graduating from UW-Madison in 1967. Underwood also presented a bronze statue of a boy and girl reading books to John and Tashia Morgridge, which will be on display in the building.
Governor-elect Scott Walker is continuing to negotiate the alternative options for the $810 million in federal high-speed rail funding, which has sparked both ire and approval from labor unions. Walker said on “UpFront with Mike Gousha” there will be no new rail line connecting Milwaukee and Madison, but he has been in contact with U.S. Department of Transportation Ray LaHood about where that money could be redirected. “He’s looked at options related to rail, whether it could be this line or an alternative,” Walker said of LaHood. “I still think there’s a number of options on the table.” LaHood wrote to Walker last week, explaining the money could not be redirected toward roads and bridges, as Walker had requested. Although he did not directly say he would request to use that money for existing rail lines in the state, Walker said on Gousha’s program he has “no problem” with the existing line between Milwaukee and Chicago. The Wisconsin chapter of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial
Organizations asked Walker in a statement to reconsider his stance on the Madison-Milwaukee line. “This is an opportunity to create good, family wage jobs and set the stage for further economic growth,” Wisconsin State AFLCIO President Phil Neuenfeldt said of the proposed rail line.
“I still think there’s a number of options on the table.”
Scott Walker Governor-elect Wisconsin
However, another labor union, the Wisconsin Transportation Builders Association, joined Walker in his request that the federal government allow for the funding to be redirected toward other transportation projects if the new line will not be constructed. Although the WTBA did not come out in support for Walker’s decision to stop the train, Walker’s Transition Director John Hiller cited the union’s letter as evidence that Walker’s plan has the backing of private-sector unions.
photo courtesy of kahler slater
The new ice arena, to serve as a practice facility, will be connected through an enclosed bridge to the Southeast Recreational Facility.
ice arena
from page 1
The new ice arena will be adjacent to the Kohl Center and will be connected to the Southeast Recreational Facility through an enclosed bridge. The arena will serve as a practice facility for the men’s and women’s hockey team. It will also be home to the women’s hockey team’s home games.
“Architects did a good job of making it feel like an extension of the Kohl Center....” Alan Fish Vice Chancellor of Facilities Planning and Management UW-Madison
“Architects did a good job at making it feel like an extension of the Kohls Center’s … design elements,” Fish said. Co-chairperson of the committee Mary Berryman Agard proposed an amendment that would help prevent overcrowd-
ing if there were multiple events going on at the Kohl Center and the new facility. The condition requires that no more than 18,000 would be sold for concurrent events at both the Kohl Center and the new ice facility. Committee members unanimously approved Berryman Agard’s condition. “I don’t think we’ll be pounding on the door to stop [the condition],” Fish said. The plan will be up for approval at the Plan Commission Nov. 22. Fish also presented updates on ongoing projects such as the East Campus Utilities project and plans for the new Gordon Commons facility. Fish said there should be a bid going out to construction companies for the renovation of Gordon Commons around January. The construction of Gordon Commons will be done in several phases. It will take more than three years for the facility to be completed.
opinion Governor’s MTV-style crib not worth money 4
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dailycardinal.com/opinion
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
miles kellerman opinion columnist
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hen Governor-elect Scott Walker takes office Jan. 3, 2011, he’ll inherit a projected deficit of $2.7 billion and an unemployment rate of 7 percent. He’ll also inherit a beautiful new home worthy of recognition on “MTV Cribs.” The Wisconsin Governor’s Mansion, located in Maple Bluff village, is a $2.5 million manor sitting on 3.7 acres of prime lakeside property. The mansion, built in 1920, features seven bedrooms, 13 bathrooms and seven major gardens, including a gazebo. Not bad for a guy who, according to his website, packs the same brown-bag lunch (two ham and cheese sandwiches on wheat and mayo, in case you were curious) every day. But what Walker may see as his rightful reward, others view as exactly the kind of wasteful government spending he campaigned against. Sen. Bob Wirch, District 22, of Pleasant Prairie, Wis., asked Walker to sell or lease the mansion in order to show he’s serious about cutting government waste. Wirch made the same request of Gov. Jim Doyle eight years ago—claiming in both instances that such a move would not only supply the state with the sale money, but also eliminate $1 million of tax-funded upkeep per year. While Walker stated his intention to live in the mansion, Wirch’s proposal is still worth consideration. Walker is a public servant,
and in light of today’s economic conditions, the sale or lease of the Governor’s Mansion would not only save the state millions of dollars, but also serve as a symbolic sign of Walker’s intent to fix our growing deficit. In addition, Walker’s decision to ignore Wirch’s request goes against everything he campaigned for. The Brown Bag Movement, coined by the Walker campaign, focused on downsizing government, lowering taxes and eliminating wasteful spending. The Brown Bag Movement’s website went so far as to claim, “We can’t go out to lunch because Wisconsin’s government is out-to-lunch … How come regular folks have to adjust when money’s tight but the government doesn’t have to?”
We have enough hypocrites in public office; the last thing the state of Wisconsin needs is one as governor.
If Walker is truly the cost-saving Republican he claims to be, he should start by addressing his own wasteful spending as an employee of the state. The “regular folk” Walker refers to often have to move into smaller homes when in debt. The state of Wisconsin is running a debt of over $2.5 billion, but Walker doesn’t see the importance of following suit. Seven bedrooms and 20,777 square feet for a family of four? That’s not exactly “brown-bagging it.” Our governor-elect shouldn’t
mind much, either. Throughout the campaign he made a point of depicting himself as the epitome of frugality—just another regular guy who drives a 1998 Saturn with 100,000 miles on it. More importantly, such a move would serve as a praise-worthy symbol of his commitment to not only the interests of Wisconsin, but also to the validation of Walker’s campaign promises. The annual milliondollar upkeep might be minuscule in the grand scale of Wisconsin’s state budget, but I doubt most tax-paying families would support such extravagance if given a choice. Walker has suggested the elimination of free cell-phones for welfare recipients and that state workers pay toward their retirement funds. In doing so he expects the people of Wisconsin to make sacrifices in order to balance the budget—so shouldn’t he? We have enough hypocrites in public office; the last thing the state of Wisconsin needs is one as governor. Walker’s opposition to the $800 million dollar federal grant for a high-speed rail between Milwaukee and Madison has already put the governor-elect in hot water. He can send a powerful message to his constituents by refusing the unnecessary expense of living in the Governor’s Mansion. The decision would serve as a refreshing confirmation of the values he campaigned on; and though it may not please Mrs. Walker, Scott needs to prioritize the needs of the state over his own if he’s really serious about turning around the state’s economy. Miles Kellerman is a sophomore with an undecided major. Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
Hitler tweet gone horribly wrong nick fritz opinion columnist
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isconsin Republican state Senate candidate Dane Deutsch, District 25, has recently been criticized for posting a supposedly controversial tweet. It read, “Hitler and Lincoln were both strong leaders. Lincoln’s character made him the greater leader whose legacy and leadership still lives on!” The tweet opened up the floodgates for Democrats. They questioned whether Deutsch understood the devastation Hitler wrought, and they’re insisting that voters need to discuss and consider this statement during the election. Of course, Deutsch defended his tweet by saying that he was merely suggesting that Lincoln and Hitler were great leaders, but Lincoln had a righteous character that allowed him to succeed—something that Hitler did not. There are two sides to every argument. First of all, I think Deutsch is fully aware of the devastation and destruction Hitler caused. Who isn’t? The Holocaust was one of the most horrific genocides to occur in history.
As for the voters, I can definitely see how it may change the way they view Deutsch, and it is reasonable. The tweet has the potential to come off as offensive and completely inappropriate. However, it’s not fair to suggest that this statement was incorrect. Hitler was in fact a great leader. He mobilized an entire country to follow and respect him blindly. Was he a good guy? No, not even a little bit. That doesn’t mean he was a bad leader, just a lunatic. It’s like saying Joseph Stalin or Hernán Cortés were bad leaders. It’s just not true. They were excellent leaders who committed terrible crimes. Hitler brought his nation together and made it a world power just like every leader aspires to do, but he did it in a highly immoral and sickening fashion. You don’t have to be a good person to be a great leader. Although what Deutsch said may be true, the comment was not appropriate. As a politician you have to be very careful with your word choice. The extremely judgmental eyes of the nation are constantly on you. Every word is recorded as if it were some prophetic proclamation. Especially with right-wing loyalties and a German name like Deutsch, putting Hitler in any kind of positive light is a risk. In the political play-
ing field, mundane details—like the origin of your name—will come back around to bite you. Also, you would think Deutsch would learn from his fellow politicians. For example, take former president George W. Bush—the king of blockheaded remarks. We all remember his hilarious quote: “There’s an old saying in Tennessee—I know it’s in Texas, probably in Tennessee—that says, fool me once, shame on ... shame on you. Fool me ... you can’t get fooled again.” Now, if I were Deutsch I might think to myself, “Hey self, don’t say anything controversial because people will attack you for it.” But apparently Deutsch never got that message. Being an aspiring politician, Deutsch should know that when you are in a position of power people will find any reason to subject you to constant scrutiny. Even if what you say is true, it doesn’t matter to the general public. Your words will be dissected and examined until every last hint of potentially offensive material is exploited. Deutsch has to be careful about what he says and what he does, or before you know it, there will be a separate category of “Deutschisms” to add to political mockery. Nick Fritz is sophomore majoring in marketing. Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
GOP’s time to shine with economic reform Matt beaty opinion columnist
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ast week, Alan Simpson and Erskine Bowles, chairmen of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, released a proposal detailing a fivepart plan to reduce the deficit. Although their proposal has wellintentioned ideas, it lacks some necessary steps needed to adequately address the federal deficit. Many who read the proposal on fiscalcommission.gov will find something they dislike about it. Personally, I am wary of the many personal tax deductions, and some Democrats, like Nancy Pelosi, have voiced opposition against reduction in Medicare benefits while simultaneously increasing the age of retirement for Social Security. When the committee members meet in the coming week, they need to work together to properly address the growing federal deficit. Former Sen. Simpson and under former president Bill Clinton chief-of-staff Bowles gave many options to cut the federal budget. Between defense cuts, federal employee pay-freezes and eliminating earmarks, the cochairs estimate that their plan will reduce the budget by $200 billion in 2015. This is a positive step down the path toward reducing the size of our federal deficit.
But simply cutting the budget is not going to save enough money to meaningfully reduce the deficit.
However, these cuts might not be enough. According to economics professor emeritus Donald Hester, the cochairs’ proposed cuts will not adequately reduce the deficit. Instead, Hester suggests larger withdrawals from Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as drastic cuts to the military budget. Although the commission addresses cutting some defense spending, it does not go as far to account for the enormous costs of continuing our presence in Iraq and Afghanistan. For these plans to get the start they need, the new House Republican majority needs to make a departure from past spending habits. The Republicans are now in a position to control Washington’s spending, and they cannot revert to Bush-era fiscal policies. They need to lead by example by ending the use of earmarks and promoting budget cuts above and beyond those proposed by Simpson and Bowles. But it is still important that Republicans be mindful of the cuts they pursue. The proposal
suggests “protecting” education, research and infrastructure spending. Republicans would be wise to uphold these suggestions, as these three areas are vital components needed to keep America competitive in the global economy. By continuing to invest in our infrastructure, the government will begin to address the infrastructure deficit. According to Hester, these types of funds are needed but remain unavailable to properly finance America’s infrastructure initiatives. This puts the government in a bind, since they need to simultaneously cut the budget while continuing to invest billions in the infrastructure projects that America needs to support a thriving economy.
Republicans who generally oppose tax increases, like myself, may have to compromise on this issue to make any meaningful contribution to reducing the deficit.
But simply cutting the budget is not going to save enough money to meaningfully reduce the deficit, so tax reform will be needed to bring in more revenue. The reform proposed by the co-chairs aims to increase revenue by simplifying the tax structure to a three-tiered system—closing loopholes in corporate accounting, among other strategies like reducing the number of tax deductions. Republicans who generally oppose tax increases, like myself, may have to compromise on this issue to make any meaningful contribution to reducing the deficit. Taxes will have to increase, but any bill that comes out of the commission must clearly set aside a portion of the increased revenue for deficit reduction and infrastructure promotion. This is a tough pill to swallow, but it is important to ensure that American dollars stay in America and do not go toward interest payments to foreign nations. The process of reducing the deficit is not going to be easy. The co-chairs of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform need to improve upon their current draft and give Americans a more sound option to reduce the deficit. This includes—and I hate to say this—raising taxes more than the proposed amount after the recession is over to properly fund infrastructure projects and pay off foreign debt. And this definitely includes withdrawing from Iraq and Afghanistan. These are not going to be easy proposals to promote, but they are necessary if Americans are serious about combating the problem of a growing deficit. Matt Beaty is a sophomore majoring in mathematics and computer science. Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
arts ‘Inside Job’ not worth investigating dailycardinal.com/arts
By Todd Stevens The Daily Cardinal
Banking is complicated. This was the biggest hurdle facing “Inside Job,” the comprehensive documentary breakdown of what has come to be known as the “Great Recession”
of 2008. The film has an hour and a half to try and explain the largest economic debacle of the generation in a simple, movie-friendly fashion, and that is no easy task. But somehow it is successful. If only director Charles Ferguson could have managed to
photo courtesy sony pictures classics
The experts of “Inside Job” offer revealing and provocative analysis of the 2008 financial meltdown, but make for a boring movie.
make the movie interesting as well. Unfortunately, “Inside Job” suffers from a little too much educational preachiness. It too often starts to sound like a high school business teacher, albeit an effective one. Ferguson and his filmmaking crew are able to better explain exactly what it is Bear Stearns does––er, did––than any cable news network talking head. But while doing so, “Inside Job” begins to feel somewhat like a textbook instead of a movie, which caused me personally to nod off at least a couple of times. This is partly due to the film failing to capture the same thrilling vibe of past business exposé documentaries such as “Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room.” It would help if “Inside Job” had some villainous characters to anchor it, but it drops the ball here. Just because a film is based on fact doesn’t mean the audience doesn’t need characters to connect with. “Enron” provided us with the evil energy overlords of Ken Lay and Jeffery Skilling. All “Inside Job” gives
Sundance’s pre-selected seat a perk that other theaters simply can’t beat David Cottrell co-ttrell it on the mountain
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his week, the seventh Harry Potter film opens in theaters. I’ve been a pretty dedicated life-long Potter geek, having gone to a midnight release for every film since I was 10. But this will be the first one I’m skipping. I’d like to pretend this is because I’ve become an adult, developed patience and can now wait until the following afternoon. But the truth is that the Sundance Cinema at the Hilldale Shopping Center here in Madison has spoiled me, completely ruining midnight screenings at other theaters. I procrastinated too long in getting tickets and the Sundance showing sold out. I could go to see it at any of the other theaters in the area. After all, the AMC in Fitchburg is perfectly acceptable in quality and is offering four midnight showings and even two at 3:30 a.m. But the Sundance Cinema offers something most other movie theaters don’t: pre-selected seating.
I no longer have to dress in layers simply so I have territory markers to claim my seats with.
Back in my pre-enlightened days, midnight showings and even Friday night showings of new movies were ordeals. When my friends and I went to go see a midnight screening of “The Dark Knight” at our local theater, we had our tickets two weeks ahead of time. Yet, we still had to trek to the theater two-and-a-half hours early, and we were nowhere near the front of the line. We found out that the first few people in line arrived at 5 p.m., a full seven hours before the start of the movie. After standing in line for about two hours we were finally let into the theater where we got to sit together,
but in mediocre seats. One group of four that we saw arrive a half-hour before the movie had to sit in four separate, awkward seats. As we waited, only two of us could leave at a time to use the bathroom or hit the concession stand since we had to leave bodies behind to guard our place in line or, later, our seats. Despite being diligent moviegoers, we still had to spend hours standing in line just to sit together in less-than-ideal seats and guard them with our lives—all this effort for tickets that we had purchased weeks before. Frankly, this system is ridiculous. In contrast, when I plan on going to a packed showing at Sundance Cinema, I go to their website, pick from the available seats, buy my tickets, and my responsibilities are over. I arrive about five-to-ten minutes early, find my seats and enjoy the movie. This has saved me a world of frustration. I don’t have to show up hours early just to wait in line with a ticket I bought weeks in advance in order to get an acceptable seat. I don’t have to worry about saving my seat or my friends’ seats. I no longer have to dress in layers simply so I have territory markers to claim my seats with. Even if you are a spontaneous person who decides to go to movies at the last minute and don’t buy in advance, this is a system that still benefits you. You can pick your seat at the ticket counter. You may not have the best selection if it’s a popular showing, but you still enjoy the benefits of having a concrete seat in your name. You can just enjoy the movie, and you won’t blindly buy a ticket to discover the only remaining seats make you regret your purchase. I would like to think it’s not simply for mercenary reasons that theaters have refrained from adopting this method of ticket sales that is so obviously beneficial for consumers. But the reality is that the current first-comefirst-serve method allows theaters to manipulate customers by trapping them in long waits that increase concession sales and expose them to more advertising. After all, theaters make most of their profits from concession stand sales. I’m sure the people waiting in line for five hours for “The Dark Night” bought quite a bit from the
concession stand. However, the Sundance approach has obvious benefits for theaters as well. While pre-selecting may make it harder for theaters to sell those last crappy front-row seats, it allows them to better gauge audiences’ interest and alter their schedule accordingly. If a particular screening is close to selling out through advanced sales, this allows theaters to add additional show times in response to consumer interest.
Why can I check online how much time is left on my laundry but not pre-select my seats at most movie theaters?
Canada, England, Germany and China do this, and we do it for large concerts, sporting events and air travel. Many premium theaters have already implemented this. But this isn’t an amenity that should be reserved for premium theaters. This should be a basic right available to every moviegoer. The technology is nothing fancy––it’s 2010, for god’s sake. Why can I check online how much time is left on my laundry but not pre-select my seats at most movie theaters? The infrastructure is already in place. One can already buy advanced tickets to almost every theater in the U.S. via fandango.com. And unique theaters like Sundance Cinema that offer pre-selected seating offer selection through their own website. Large chains like AMC need to work together with Fandango to implement this in more theaters. Movie theaters are only facing stiffer and stiffer competition from home video equipment. These large theater chains need to make more of an effort to cater to consumers. Until they do, I’ll be sticking with the smaller chains like Sundance for popular screenings. As a sort-of boutique theater, they may be more expensive, but the extra dollar is worth it to me for my vastly improved experience. Think you should be able to order popcorn and Reese’s Pieces online too? E-mail David at dcottrell@wisc.edu.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
us are a bunch of shiny glass buildings serving as monoliths for the nefarious cabal that is the American financial industry. “Inside Job” wants you to be angry, but it doesn’t provide any lightning rod to be angry at. Even more problematic is that the goal of “Inside Job,” to induce anger in the populace, is already done for it. Rage directed toward Wall Street is nothing new, and “Inside Job” is hopping on that bandwagon a couple of years too late. The entire premise of the film, from its rather fact-challenged assertions about United States economic success to its moralist narration from Matt Damon, is targeted mostly at building fury, not a reasonable call to action. The best message Ferguson can muster is that we probably shouldn’t have crooks running our financial system. He doesn’t craft any sort of take-home message his audience can carry with them as a personal mission. Even “An Inconvenient Truth,” a film that suffered from many of the same
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anger-mongering and preachy flaws, gave movie-goers some tangible things they could do in order to bring about change. “Inside Job” just offers vitriol. That’s not to say “Inside Job” doesn’t have any engrossing stories to tell. Its overarching narrative of financial destruction is one of the most important cautionary tales of this past decade, of course. And Ferguson even throws in a decent amount of guilty-pleasure vice, taking some time to detail the sex and coke parties that became a regular staple of Wall Street banking executives. These high points just don’t add up to a fully engrossing feature, and in a year chock full of excellent documentaries such as “Waiting for ‘Superman,’” “Restrepo” and “The Tillman Story,” it is rather surprising that Ferguson’s film is getting as much critical praise as it has received. Instead, it would be much better off following in the footsteps of Bear Stearns: vanishing into the ether, only to fade away behind its superior peers.
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‘Til death do you paint. Vincent van Gogh painted approximately 900
paintings in 10 years. During his lifetime, he only sold one of them.
dailycardinal.com/comics
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Absence due to inclimate weather
Today’s Sudoku
Evil Bird
By Caitlin Kirihara kirihara@wisc.edu
© Puzzles by Pappocom
Beeramid Classic
By Ryan Matthes graphics@dailycardinal.com
Solution, tips and computer program available at www.sudoku.com.
Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9.
Eatin’ Cake
By Dylan Moriarty eatincake@gmail.com
Crustaches
By Patrick Remington premington@wisc.edu
Today’s Crossword Puzzle
Hot Sauce
By Oliver Buchino buchino@wisc.edu
Answer key available at www.dailycardinal.com
RUN FOR THE ROSES ACROSS 1 Gymnast’s apparatus: ___ horse 7 Hushed “Hey, you!” 11 They frequently pop up 14 Come on the scene 15 Imitation is his vocation 16 Vientiane inhabitant 17 Lighten up 18 Method of memorization 19 Aves lay them 20 Get tough 23 Hindi equivalent of Mr. 26 Part of a stable snack? 27 User-friendly 28 Escorts to jail 31 Himalayan Sasquatch 34 Handwoven rug 35 Incubator sound 37 Small Australian parrots 41 At work again 44 Elvis’ expressions 45 Eye part with color 46 Certain Ivy League student 47 Homeowner’s paper 49 Teach a different skill 51 Astonished
54 Self-esteem, taken too far 56 In addition 57 Allow without restrictions 62 Doc’s group 63 Relaxed gait 64 Heir apparent 68 According to 69 City near Des Moines 70 One with a claim against him 71 Bridge authority Culbertson 72 DNA element 73 Indian dresses (Var.) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
DOWN Buddy Sample for an assayer Title acquired in marriage Goof “Will they ___ learn?” “Stormy Weather” singer Horne Hooded Arctic coat Lacking consistency Fourth man Chart with ancestors Hawaiian salutation Lincoln’s Confederate counterpart Lathered up
21 22 23 24 25 29 30 32 33 36 38 39 40 42 43 48 50 51 52 53 55 58 59 60 61 65 66 67
Math subgroup Very unusual Stinging remarks Indo-European, formerly Prepare for a collision Taper upward Wound up Elmer the Bull’s mate Hot bread ___ Beta Kappa (honor society) Just right Upper New York Bay’s ___ Island Fish net with floats Light anchor Blunder Extend farther down Give, as an apology With an open mouth Third letter of the Hebrew alphabet Egg source Skein fliers It waves patriotically Apple variety Spawning fish Pieces of pelvises Fiji-to-Samoa dir. Date Some NFL pass catchers
Washington and the Bear
By Derek Sandberg kalarooka@gmail.com
sports
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Men’s Basketball
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
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Men’s Hockey
Against inexperienced Sioux, Badgers look for second win By Sam Sussman the daily cardinal
While the North Dakota Fighting Sioux looked stellar on the ice in a series sweep of the Badgers last weekend, the hardwood should tell a completely different tale as the Badgers play host to North Dakota Tuesday night. Not only is home where the heart is, but home seems to also be where the Badgers are virtually unbeatable. After finishing 16-1 in Madison last season and outscoring opponents by an average of 17.7 points per game, head coach Bo Ryan enters Tuesday’s contest 67-5 in non-conference games and an inexplicable 24-0 in home games during November. No. 24 Wisconsin’s homecourt confidence will only be intensified after an explosive win over Prairie View A&M Sunday. Wisconsin racked up 58 second half points on their way to a resounding 99-55 victory, marking the most points for a Wisconsin squad in a single game since the scoring 105 in a game during the 1995-’96 season After losing last season’s starting backcourt of Trevon Hughes and Jason Bohannon, the biggest ques-
tion mark in the offseason was who would pick up the slack. “With the team we have this year we are going to have to do it by committee,” head coach Bo Ryan said. “There is no question it is going to have to come from different sources.” While senior forward Jon Leuer was a steady contributor in Sunday’s lopsided victory, recording a gamehigh 24 points, it was the underclassmen who spurred Wisconsin to victory. Freshman guard Josh Gasser had a dominant debut, totaling 21 points and a game-high nine rebounds, including six off the offensive glass. “Maybe he’s the next Devin Harris,” sophomore guard Jordan Taylor said. Taylor’s comment may not be as far-fetched as it sounds. Gasser’s 21 points places him second all-time for scoring in a Badger debut, just ahead of none other than NBA all-star Devin Harris and his 20 point debut. However, Gasser isn’t the only underclassman playing beyond his years. “We have guys right down the line that can step up,” senior forward Jon Leuer said. “You don’t know who’s going to put up numbers or score
points on any given night.” In the season opener, the emerging backup frontcourt, consisting of sophomore Mike Bruesewitz and redshirt sophomore Jared Berggren, chipped in 18 points, seven rebounds and three assists, helping the Badgers’underclassmen amass 66 percent of the team’s points. As good as things have been recently for Wisconsin, they can’t get out to a slow start against North Dakota. In their last game out, the Fighting Sioux went up 25-3 after six minutes of play and never looked back on their way to a 77-46 victory over the Waldorf College Warriors. The victory was largely attributable to the 18 points apiece by the guard combination of junior Patrick Mitchell and freshman Troy Huff. Even with the scoring prowess North Dakota exhibited last week, the Fighting Sioux can expect a much different opponent Tuesday. Wisconsin led the Big Ten in scoring defense last year, allowing a meager 56.9 points per game and, after only one season facing a full Divisoon 1 schedule, the Sioux are still adjusting to competing against the heightened size and athleticism of top-level opponents.
NHL All-Star Game reform a big step in the right direction Ryan Evans compelling evandence
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ockey fans have long complained about the NHL All-Star Game. Its just about corporate schmoozing, the ballot process sucks, the game isn’t entertaining, the best players don’t want to play— so why should the fans care? I can admit that as a hockey fan, the All-Star Game has lost a lot of its luster in my eyes. The Winter Classic has become the must-watch event. The All-Star skills competition is still fun to watch, but the game itself just doesn’t have a big appeal for me, and has become a joke to a lot of other people. There was no bigger example of this than when then Vancouver Canucks defenseman Rory Fitzpatrick, despite having zero points in 18 games played, finished third in the Western Conference defenseman vote behind Scott Niedermayer and Nicklas Lidstrom in 2007 due to the fan-driven “Vote for Rory” campaign, designed to be a humorous campaign to show the flaws in the NHL’s voting system, and it almost worked. The other problem fans have with the event is the apathetic attitudes some of the game’s star players have toward the game. It always seemed like the best players always found a way to come up with an injury or some other obligation that kept them from participating in the game, and if the best players aren’t being showcased, what is the point of an All-Star Game? That situation got so bad that before the 2009 game in Montreal, the NHL actually implemented a suspension policy that forced every player selected to the All-Star roster o participate or be subject to a one-game
suspension. It is kind of sad that that is what needed to happen to get star players to participate and it just goes to show how little relevance the All-Star game has, even among players. The NHL needed to do something to regain fan interest in the game other than finding ways to make fun of it, and this past week the league implemented new policies for this year’s game in Raleigh, N.C., that are a step in the right direction. The new format will break down as follows. The fan balloting process hasn’t been completely eliminated, but it has been modified. Instead of the fans determining the starting lineups for both conferences, the fans will vote for six players— three forwards, two defensemen and a goalie— from an NHL-dictated list of 100 players, regardless of which conference they play in. The top vote getters from that list will be the first all-stars. After that the NHL will name the remaining 36 all- stars for a total of three goalies, six defensemen and 12 forwards per team.
It brings hockey back to its roots, something the NHL has been trying to promote in recent years.
Those 42 players then select two team captains, and from there it becomes like the games of pick up hockey we played as kids. The East-West format has been eliminated, and instead the two captains will pick their teams, the first pick being determined by a coin flip. This draft will be televised at the end of January. I, for one, am really excited by this new format. Lets just say this
turns into “Team Ovechkin” versus “Team Crosby.” That type of format has potential for the drama and intrigue the fans want. That is mostly because of the playground-type feel this selection process has to it. It’s like back in the days when you were a kid and you and your friends threw your sticks in the middle of the street and two captains picked sticks to determine teams. It brings hockey back to its roots, something the NHL has been trying to promote in recent years. But the real thing is the drama and excitement of two captains picking their own teams. Players like Ovechkin or Crosby, two potential captains, are conducting their own fantasy draft and have to strategize and decide what is the best way to beat the other. It has the potential to take rivalries to new levels. What happens when one of them picks a teammate over someone who many see as a better player, or a rival over a teammate? Do accusations of bias surface? And which player is going to get the distinction of being the last player picked? But the best thing? The players are fired up. The NHL has given control back to the players, and if the players are entertained and excited by the new format, then the fans will be as well. Fans can watch all of this unfold starting this season, and the NHL hopes that these changes will be the answer to the woes its All-Star Game has experienced in recent years. Only time will tell if these changes will promote the level of interest in the game that the NHL is hoping for, but for now, it looks hopeful. Do you have a different solution for NHL reform? Is the event just fine as is? Should other sports adopt this process too? Let Ryan know your thoughts at rmevans2@ wisc.edu.
Danny marchewka/the daily cardinal
In just 12 games, senior Sean Dolan has already equaled his goal total from last season with five. Dolan has 13 points overall.
Eaves, team put North Dakota behind them By Tom Czaja the daily cardinal
After a humbling pair of home losses to North Dakota this past weekend, the Wisconsin men’s hockey team is beginning to regroup and regain its focus as the Badgers get ready to host a weekend series against MinnesotaDuluth, the newly ranked No. 1 team in the country. At his weekly press conference Monday, head coach Mike Eaves showed he is as ready as the team to put their youthful mistakes behind them. To move forward, he stressed the ability to be forthcoming about the growing pains the team is experiencing and learn from the adversity. “This weekend was a real good dose of reality,” Eaves said. “We talked about everything after the game. We need to be honest and go back to assess what our strengths are.” When asked if there were any positives to take away from the weekend, Eaves admitted there weren’t many. However, that is not to say there were no silver linings. Senior goaltender Scott Gudmandson played well over the weekend and received credit as being one of the team’s bright spots, while the lines and players in front of him need to step up. Senior forward Sean Dolan, has already equaled his goal total from last season and looks to help the rest of the underclassmen as the team still attempts to gel and find new role players. Even though Minnesota-Duluth comes in as a formidable opponent, Eaves considers them to have a different style than that of the bruising, physical North Dakota. Instead, Minnesota-Duluth relies on presence
bielema from page 8 Michigan (3-3 Big Ten, 7-3 overall) is coming off a 27-16 win over Purdu, and is currently ranked ninth in the country in rushing yards per game, averaging over 263. The main threat of Michigan’s offensive attack is sophomore quarterback Denard Robinson. Robinson leads Michigan in both passing and rushing, while racking up 26 combined touchdowns. “[Robinson] has a live arm, and because of what he can do in the run-
and poise in the pockets. Ultimately, no matter who is on the schedule, the potential and talent is there for the Badgers to win games. “I think it’s an honest look in the mirror today, to be truthful,” Eaves said. “We’ve had glitches in our season before— one in Denver where we responded well, and another in Minnesota. But this sets us back on our heels.” No one on the Badgers is panicking so early in the season, with this being their first back-to-back losses in 62 games. “That’s really difficult not to lose back-to-back games in college hockey, because most of the time we’re playing that team back-to-back nights and it’s hard to beat the same team twice when they’re all fired up.” Eaves said. “We take great stock in that. It is disappointing to lose that, but now we get to start a new streak.” The team will also look to bank on the strong home crowd support, with Wisconsin hosting its first sellout of the season Saturday. The Badgers have become accustomed to that “extra man” on the ice and, with MinnesotaDuluth looming, the team hopes for a couple more sellouts. Ultimately, Eaves will go into practice the rest of the week inspired to coach and endure. “The great part about coaching is that you understand the realm is coming together, growing together, suffering together, and hopefully regrouping together and continually growing together so you can celebrate together,” Eaves said. “That’s the process in which we work, and that is one of the things that makes coaching rewarding, going through these tough times.” ning game [he] really throws your secondary and linebackers a lot of times into isolated coverages,” Bielema said. Robinson has carried the ball almost as many times as he has thrown it, so for the Badgers to be successful,they must force Robinson to be a pocket passer. Robinson has shown that he can be susceptible to bad decisions while in the pocket, throwing four interceptions in his last two games. Michigan leads the all-time series at Ann Arbor 27-6-0. The Badgers have not won in Michigan since 1994, losting five straight games in Michigan Stadium.
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Tuesday, November 16, 2010
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Football
Plenty of honors to go around following IU win
By Ted Porath the daily cardinal
In his weekly press conference Monday, head coach Bret Bielema praised some of the key players in Saturday’s 83-20 trouncing of Indiana and previewd the Badgers’ upcoming game against Big Ten rival Michigan. Bielema’s pick for offensive MVP this week went to someone who normally fails to see much recognition. Junior fullback Bradie Ewing was awarded the honors for his role in opening holes all Saturday for the running backs, as well as catching two passes for 26 yards. “[Ewing is] a guy from game one to where he is today, [who] is playing as good of football at that position since I’ve been here, and [I have] had
some good ones,” Bielema said. Bielema also gave a lot of credit to freshman running back James White. White carried the ball 19 times for 144 yards and two touchdowns. For his performance, White was named Big Ten Freshman Player of the Week, an honor he has received three times this year. The defensive MVP was shared by junior free safety Aaron Henry and junior defensive end J.J. Watt. Henry had three total tackles and returned an interception 37 yards for a touchdown. Watt, though playing just 34 snaps, was incredibly productive, finishing the game with two fumble recoveries, two tackles for loss and two quarterback hurries.
Bielema also addressed the current health of his team. Junior running back John Clay, who missed Saturday’s game against Indiana, could see some action in this week’s game against Michigan, but most of the carries should still to go to running backs Montee Ball and James White once again. Sophomore center Peter Konz who also missed Saturday’s game against Indiana, isn’t expected to be in the lineup this week either. The plan is for last week’s starter at center, senior Bill Nagy, to again resume that role. Bielema then shifted his focus to this week’s opponent, Michigan. bielema page 7
Danny Marchewka/the daily cardinal
Junior J.J. Watt added two fumble recoveries against Indiana to an already impressive season that includes 18 tackles for a loss.