Political Science 203 — state government — freshman year. It was the last poli sci class I took until this semester (my last), when I decided to take a course on game theory to fulfill a math credit.
I remember Prof. Dennis Dresang starting his discussion of Wisconsin government by saying that the Badger State used to be called “Squeaky Clean Wisconsin.” Outsiders joked that only naive nimwits would construct a government so straight-laced and square as that found in Madison. Silly Sconnies.
Of course that all changed. At the time Dresang was giving that lecture the former Speaker of the Assembly had been convicted of misuse of state resources in what was part of a far-reaching scandal in state government. Dresang contrasted that with a “scandal” from his day: The son of a legislator making personal calls from his dad’s office phone. Misuse of state resources.
But you got a glimpse of squeaky clean ‘Sconzin yesterday, when the Department of Transportation announced that it was at fault for providing free food to residents at a town hall meeting on…nobody actually knows because the only people there came for the delicious fish fry.
By the way, it is Friday. There are fish fry deals a plenty all over town. The Orpheum, Nick’s, Wando’s –– those are just the ones I’ve seen in the last day.
March 13, 2010 at 4:48 pm |
Fascinating. Of course, Dresang himself was fired from UW-Madison for grade fraud. Please examine this document:
http://counsel.cua.edu/FERPA/FPCO//University%20of%20Wisconsin-Madison.pdf
March 15, 2010 at 5:48 pm |
Yes. Dennis Dresang was a massive academic fraud. Give Chancellor Martin credit for firing him.
March 15, 2010 at 8:19 pm |
I have had doubts about this scandal, but that Rooker letter is a truly amazing document. Who else is to be fired over this mess in the UW-Madison Political Science department?
March 16, 2010 at 1:04 pm |
Chancellor Martin is under pressure to fire Martin Cadwallader over this fiasco.
March 16, 2010 at 8:41 pm |
Well now we know who “Nameless UW Administrator” is. Having fun posting from the same IP over and over, David?
March 18, 2010 at 12:27 pm |
Fun? Do you know how big a catastrophe will occur when the Paul Barrows book is published? The entire UW could be destroyed.
March 20, 2010 at 1:27 pm |
Interesting. The Badger Herald ran this story about Barrows and his book:
http://www.badgerherald.com/news/2007/08/06/barrows_i _have_a_hec.php
March 20, 2010 at 1:32 pm |
Sorry. Try this one:
http://badgerherald.com/news/2007/08/06/barrows_i_have_a_hec.php
June 3, 2010 at 3:22 pm |
Martin Cadwallader has been fired. They are searching for a new Graduate School Dean.
June 7, 2010 at 12:36 pm |
Yes. Well, Cadwallader had to go. There is also speculation that the Department of Political Science may face a criminal investigation due to its massive grade fraud problem.
July 19, 2010 at 2:26 pm |
The Leroy Rooker letter has moved to a new URL:
http://counsel.cua.edu/res/docs/ferpa/fpco/university-of-wisconsin-madison.pdf