Hunter's diary today about Scott Walker's proposed $300M in budget cuts for the University of Wisconsin system is, of course, great. But Hunter does not explore the real motive for these savage cuts.
It is not to help build a new playpen for the Milwaukee Bucks, IMHO.
Walker has become the latest shiny new thing to excite the national media about the 2016 presidential race, after his union-bashing speech to last weekend's wingnut get-together in Iowa passed their weird muster.
But Walker has two reasons, one personal, one political, for attacking public higher education that are his motive.
More, below.
First, as a college dropout, Walker obviously does not think much of a college education.
Hey, dropping out of Marquette (a private Catholic university) in the final semester of his senior year (!) in 1990 to run for state Assembly later that year worked out for him.
He lost that one, as he did a contentious student government president election (even though, or probably because, he was the College Republicans BMOC). Walker moved to more Republican district and won a special Assembly election in 1993, and has risen relentlessly since then.
The other major reason Walker wants to cut the UW system is that most college towns (in WI as everywhere, not counting Bible "college" towns like Lynchburg, VA) are a lot more Democratic than other places.
Students, when they are allowed to vote and do so, usually vote about 2-1 for Democrats. Faculty and staff generally also favor Democrats, and vote more often.
In Madison, that has led to a mayor, Paul Soglin, being elected three times (1973-79, 1989-97, and 2011 to now).
Soglin is a very liberal Democrat, with bachelor's and law degrees from UW.
Also too, Walker did terribly in Dane County (basically Madison and its suburbs) in the recent election. He won statewide by 52.3 to 46.6, but he lost Dane by 100,000 votes, 69.7 to 29.2.
Now Walker has the means, the opportunity, and a double-barreled motive to decimate the UW system.
So that's what he will do.
Walker's attack on public higher ed no doubt has the whole-hearted backing of his major patrons, the Koch brothers, and of the GOP primary base, for the obvious political reasons.
While Walker could've done this in his first term, doing it now will have more impact on his impossible dream to be President of the United States.