Have a passion for fashion? Check out our recap of September’s international fashion frenzy ARTS
l
PAGE 5
STEPAN AND STREET BACK ON THEIR FEET UW men’s hockey looks to rebound with tricaptain Ben Street returning to form
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Complete campus coverage since 1892
l
dailycardinal.com
SPORTS
l
PAGE 8
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Mayor emphasizes small tax increases, relies on unions
Legislature puts IT project under fire
By Caitlin Gath
State lawmakers put pressure on UW System administrators Tuesday to provide cost efficiency and oversight measures on both an $81 million payroll and the benefits computer system. In the oversight meeting conducted by the Joint Committee on Information Policy and Technology, lawmakers prodded Tom Anderes, senior vice president of Administration and Fiscal Affairs, on data security and assurance that someone will be held responsible if the project fails. State Rep. Kitty Rhoades, RHudson, questioned Anderes on capping future costs that could force the project to go over budget. Rhoades mentioned previously failed IT projects, and said Wisconsin should not waste taxpayers’ money. “[This project] sounds very familiar to the $28 million that we gave when we did the first shot at this,” she said. “In fairness to taxpayers, we really need to [say] that this is more than a $81 million dollar project because we have already invested almost $30 million in trying to learn how to do it.” She said taxpayers are “very concerned” about IT projects, and said the oversight panel will look “incredibly critically” at the IT process. “If I sound skeptical, I am ... we have been down this path [before],” she said. The UW System’s consultant, Huron Consulting Group, recently came under fire for overstating its earnings the past three years. State Rep. Phil Montgomery, R-Green Bay, pointed out Huron’s issues with reporting their tax liabilities and asked Anderes for a “back-up plan” if Huron failed to fulfill its contract. Montgomery cited $170 million state dollars lost in previous IT project failures, and asked who would be held accountable if the UW payroll project fails. When asked if he would be fired if the project failed, Anderes said, “I would assume yes.” Montgomery said he needed more than an assumption and stressed the need for accountable leadership. “I would like to know what the consequences are to the owner of this project,” he said. Anderes said he recognizes the risks involved in IT projects that promise to protect sensitive data, but said implementing the new system is the best way to reduce the risk for faculty and students.
THE DAILY CARDINAL
Mayor Dave Cieslewicz emphasized a steady budget with minimal tax increases, small cuts and a “great deal of cooperation from city employees” when he introduced his 2010 Executive Operating Budget Tuesday morning. “We’re going to get through this together,” he said. Home owners will face a property tax increase of 3.85 percent, but it is less than the 4.3 percent average over the course of the last 15 years. “It’s more than I would like, but it is better than the alternatives of basic service cuts or doing damage to our long-term fiscal stability,” Cieslewicz said in a statement. “It is better than ... basic service cuts or doing damage to our long-term fiscal stability.” Dave Cieslewicz mayor Madison
The mayor will continue his city hiring freeze, which has been in place since May, through 2010 to help increase sal-
THE DAILY CARDINAL
ary savings. Cieslewicz will also cut the travel budget by onefifth of last year’s costs, and will encourage voluntary furloughs. In addition, city unions will have to face zero pay increases for the next two years. At the end of the two-year contract there will be a 3 percent increase. “We want to ensure that everyone has a job ... we don’t want the city to dig itself into a hole.” Joe Conway union president Fire Fighters Local 311
“I think it’s a very responsible contract,” the mayor said. According to Cieslewicz, the city has already seen cooperation from the Fire Fighters Local 311 union, which will be the first union to settle. “We want to ensure that everyone has a job ... we’re looking out for the other people in the community,” Joe Conway, president of the union, said. “We’re here to serve. budget page 3
Drunken driving bill could cost Wisconsin over $70 million Funding for a bill that increases penalties for drunken driving offenders may cost Wisconsin over $70 million per year, according to a new estimate from the Legislative Fiscal Bureau. Original estimates on the drunken driving bill that passed through the Assembly were closer to $40 million, assuming fourth-time Operating While Intoxicated offenders were sentenced to probation rather than prison. The report from the LFB proposed increasing the tax on hard liquor by 50 cents per liter, which could generate as much as $25 million annually. The LFB also suggested eliminating the annual appropriation of $20 million from beer and liquor tax revenues to
By Hannah Furfaro
help pay for increased costs related to the drunken driving legislation. The Assembly bill makes a first offense a misdemeanor if a child under age 16 is in the car, and makes a fourth drunken driving offense a felony. The proposal from the LFB requested increasing a third OWI offense term of imprisonment from 30 to 45 days. The Senate Committee on Judiciary, Corrections, Insurance, Campaign Finance Reform, and Housing supported increasing the liquor tax during a panel meeting Tuesday night. The Senate bill could cost significantly less than the report’s estimates if the liquor tax is passed. —Hannah Furfaro
DANNY MARCHEWKA/THE DAILY CARDINAL
At the Common Council meeting Tuesday, Mayor Dave Cieslewicz introduced his 2010 budget, noting slight tax increases, minimal cuts and union cooperation.
City council OKs individual assault rifles for police By Caitlin Gath THE DAILY CARDINAL
Students could soon see members of the Madison Police Department patrolling the streets with assault rifles. The Common Council voted Tuesday to establish a voluntary rifle purchase program that would allow commissioned employees to voluntarily purchased rifles. By establishing this program, the AR-15 assault rifles would become individual property of the officers much like the handguns they currently carry. Once acquired, the rifles would become the officer’s property for life. However, some alders were uncertain about the standard they were setting by asking city officials to buy their own tools for
a job the city hired them to do, especially when those tools can give lethal force. Ald. Paul Skidmore, District 9, and member of the Public Safety Review Committee, said he has been working on the proposal for years and would like to see the rifles bought through the capital budget, and then given to individual officers. Ald. Judy Compton, District 16, said she was glad that safety of the officers would be addressed. “This is a tool, not a weapon,” she said. Executive Cpt. of Field Operations Vic Wahl said officers would be provided with training, as well as with protocol for council page 3
Hello, nurse!
DANNY MARCHEWKA/THE DAILY CARDINAL
Witte Hall resident Spencer Strand prepares for the flu season with the help of a UW School of Nursing student. Flu shots will be offered Tuesdays and Thursdays through Nov. 19 from 4-7 p.m. at various campus locations.
“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”