State shouldn't scuttle support for UW System's Growth Agenda

As alumni of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology we have observed the impact of university research on local employment, dramatically demonstrated by university research spinoffs in Madison as well as in Boston, MIT's home.

We believe Wisconsin needs to prime the pump to speed up our state's economy. The UW System's Growth Agenda budget request is a measured and reasonable approach to further advancing the research and education base our state needs. Efforts by some in the legislature to scuttle the agenda are a serious mistake in our opinion.

The UW System is at the core of our state's well being. Beyond educating tomorrow's talent, the UW System is the wellspring that gives rise to new companies, as Dane County has shown in the past and Milwaukee is beginning to demonstrate.

Because significant funding in support of this research comes from the federal government, the UW is like an export industry, bringing dollars into our state.

The UW System also helps attract and retain employers. It holds the key to keeping our manufacturing sector on the cutting edge of technology. Without the UW System, Wisconsin will not be able to weather the growing technology sophistication of Asian competitors.

Carlos Santiago, UW-Milwaukee's chancellor, stated that lowered state spending, proposed by legislators in Madison, would "severely" impair his campus' effort to build a new engineering campus and business incubator in Wauwatosa. A stronger Milwaukee economy will also benefit our region.

Countries and other states are investing even more in higher education and research. This is no time to reduce our own. We need to fund the Growth Agenda proposal for the UW System if we want our state's businesses to prosper.

MIT Club of Wisconsin

Rit Booth, president

David DeBruin

Lynnanne Huber

Jacob Kain

Kay Plantes

Stephen Roe

Allyn Ziegenhagen

Herb Zien