Act 10, Education Issues Resonate at UW-Milwaukee on Election Day

Act 10, Gov. Scott Walker’s controversial move restricting collective bargaining for public employees, still resonates on the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee campus. Professors and staff members are often hesitant to reveal their voting preferences, but those who did so Tuesday said they voted for Walker’s challenger Mary Burke.

And education was a key reason many gave for doing so.

“I am an educator, my mother was an educator, and it (education) has been instrumental in my life, and I have seen the impact of some of the decisions made on education,” said Amy Westmoreland, associate life coordinator at UWM, who voted for Burke.

Professors and staff members at UWM also expressed repeated concerns about Walker’s cuts to higher and secondary education funding, which they worried would affect students. They were interviewed randomly on Election Day by a team of student journalists from the Journalism, Advertising, and Media Studies Department Living Learning Community. In Living Learning Communities, students live together in the dorms organized around a common interest, in this case media professions.

Later Tuesday, Walker soundly won his third election to remain the governor of Wisconsin. Burke, the Democratic contender, conceded around 9:40 p.m. much to the disappointment of her supporters – many of whom work on campus.

Professors and staff members also repeatedly cited social issues – especially women’s rights – as driving their voting choices. A few brought up other topics as overriding concerns, such as Film Lecturer Renato Umali, who said he voted for Burke because of the Penokee Hills mining debate. He is concerned a Wisconsin mine could harm the environment. He felt Burke was stronger on that issue because Walker supports the mine.

Another of Burke’s supporters, Ayron Vanderlinden, was hopeful during the day but still felt it was unlikely Burke would win. Vanderlinden, a human resource assistant at UWM, felt Burke’s views on higher education were on the right track.

Burke spoke to the UWM community during the campaign, and Vanderlinden was in attendance. “She spoke on how most students fund their education through loans and grants and how they should have easier access to higher education,” she said. “Her plans to lower interest rates and consolidate loans were on point.”

Vanderlinden is finishing her undergraduate degree. Also, as a state employee, Vanderlinden remembers the fallout from Walker’s Act 10 and how she felt Walker was not concerned about state workers.

“Win or lose, I let my voice be heard. Voting is one of the view rights I intend to continue to exercise as long as I can,” said Vanderlinden, a registered Democrat who votes regularly in all elections.

Duane (DeeJay) Johnson, a 28-year-old assistant director of the UWM LGBT+ Resource Center, also said that the most important issue to him in this year’s gubernatorial race is education and its access.

“My involvement with higher education makes me realize the need for a good education, which is one of the reasons why it was my most important issue,” said Johnson, who voted in the Riverwest community.

Johnson has been exercising his right to vote since the age of 18 and remains a regular voter active in both presidential and midterm elections. He also chose his candidate based on education issues. He declined to give the name.

When asked why it is important for him to vote, Johnson said: “It is important that I exercise my right to vote for the people who fought for the right for me to do so in the first place. It’s especially relevant since these issues directly affect me.”

Linda Christnacht, manager at Restaurant Operations at the Enderis building on campus, said the election for governor was “time for a new leader.”

Christnacht, who votes in Glendale, said she chose Burke because she believes Walker stands more for the wealthy community.

When asked if she typically votes for the Democratic Party, she said that she can go either way and that she doesn’t vote for one particular party. She chooses a candidate when she knows the candidate’s goals and based on who makes her comfortable.

Women’s issues also mattered to UWM Senior Lecturer Judith Tolkan. She said she voted for Burke this Tuesday to help create a better Wisconsin.

Tolkan said she was voting for Burke for reasons like more jobs, rights for women and a community that takes care of each other rather than giving breaks to big corporations like she believes Walker does.

She says she was really upset over Act 10. Tolkan also disagrees with the educational decisions that Walker has made, like cuts to schools’ budgets. She is a regular voter who planned to do her voting at Fox Point.

Tolkan believes everyone should always vote when they have the chance. She said other people in different parts of the world don’t have the same opportunity and students shouldn’t take it for granted.

Professor Kyle Swanson said he was voting for Burke because he, too, disagrees with Walker’s approach on education and feels Wisconsin needs a change.

Swanson is a UWM math professor, with three kids and a wife, who is an urban educator.

Swanson says he doesn’t really engage in a lot of political matters, but he still votes. Swanson votes every election and hasn’t missed one since 1988.

Social justice, urban issues and education are important to Swanson. “It’s hard enough to get people to focus on education here,” says Swanson. Swanson feels that education isn’t important to Walker so he is voting against him.

James Frederick, a professor of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and regular voter, said he planned to vote in his Waukesha hometown after work Tuesday.

“It’s important to voice our opinions and share our views,” Frederick said.

When asked what issues in government are most important to him, he quickly responded with “health and the economy.” Even though he is a professor, he was unique in revealing that education had little to no impact on his voting decisions and views on candidates. He wouldn’t reveal his voting choice.

That was the case also for JAMS Senior Lecturer Mark Zoromski. When asked why he didn’t want to reveal whom he voted for, Zoromski said, “being a journalist, I think it’s important to not take a side in politics. Therefore, I cannot answer that question.”

However, he said the following were important issues in the election, including “the economy, environment, social issues, and fundamental human rights.” He said education also matters.

He made it clear that he tries to vote in every election, whether for local school board or president.

“Now if you did some research, you may find that I’ve missed a couple,” he said. “However, I’ve probably voted in at least 90 percent of them.” He also said that the on campus get-out-the-vote booths had no effect on his decision because of his Grafton residency.

He added that he personally believed that local to state level government was much more influential in his daily life than congressional or presidential offices.

Rachel Baum, a professor of Jewish Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, is a regular voter who voted at 8 a.m. in Shorewood.

She said she believes voting is “important to the community.” The most important issues to her were women’s rights and social programs but education issues also drove her choice.

She said she feels that state funding for UW-Milwaukee and other schools is incredibly important and essential for a quality education. She also would not reveal whom she voted for.

Barbara Garncarz, who works at UWM in the Peck School of the Arts as a university services program associate, voted after work in the Gordon Park Pavilion near her home in Milwaukee.

When asked how she feels about voting on the UWM campus, she said she feels that “it’s good for kids to see part of (one’s) democratic obligation. Voting is a civic duty and right.”

Garncarz managed to bluntly sum up the concept of voting in one statement: “if you don’t vote, you don’t have the right to bitch.”

Garncarz said she was worried that the race would be tighter than it ended up being, saying she was concerned it would end up in a recount that would cost tax dollars. Garncarz alleged that Walker, alongside the Koch Brothers, seemed to be going back to government similar to that displayed in the Civil War.

Garncarz had strong opposition to lobbyist and special interest groups, saying they should not even be in existence. “It’s swaying the vote,” she said, adding that campaign fundraising distracts from the real issues. When asked whom she’s voting for, she playfully pulled out a coin, flipped it in the air, and quipped, “I’ll let you know.”

English instructor Jennifer Dworschack-Kinter​ is in her early 40’s and is registered to vote in the Milwaukee area. She did vote Tuesday and votes in every election. She was particularly passionate about this election, saying she supports the minimum wage being raised, tuition costs being lowered, and better public transportation as those things would benefit college students and the rights of most Americans.

She is also a strong supporter of the rights of women as she even voiced her opinion of the long fight of women who couldn’t vote in the past and that this election has a huge effect on the future of women’s rights. She voted for Burke because she believes Burke’s platform is best for her students as well as the rest of Wisconsin.

But not everyone on UWM’s campus can vote.

Ann-Marie Blanchard, Australian born UWM English instructor, has lived in the U.S. for three years with her husband, an American citizen. She’s unable to vote due to her lack of permanent residency, though she was subject to the political atmosphere nonetheless. Whilst reflecting on Australian and American voting differences, she referenced the disenfranchising attributes of the American voting system. Even if she were a citizen, Blanchard added, she doesn’t know if she would vote.

“Here, I feel people are pretty apathetic about voting,” she said, a problem she sees very little of in her home country.

In spite of the fine Australians face if they don’t vote, “people are more actively engaged and excited about voting,” she said. “In Australia, there are more parties than just the left and right. I think the Democratic Party and Republican Party are disappointing.”

Blanchard’s husband, an American, also chose to not vote, something she was “surprised” about. According to Blanchard, her husband grew up in a strong right-wing home which later swung left, and “he didn’t know whom he wanted to vote for.”

Blanchard also spoke of the higher number of Australian independent parties, saying, “since everyone votes, independent parties get stronger.” She also advised apathetic voters to, “just vote,” adding that, “apathy does nothing, not being involved does nothing.”

“Give it a bash,” she said with a grin. “If you do nothing, nothing changes.”

Student journalists contributing to this story were: Miguel Browne, Brock Daul, Samantha Drizner, Joshua Dukes, Molly Hassler, Kenya-Janae Hickman, Isiah Holmes, Gina Huth, Christina Luick, Zachary Maynard, Patrick McCoy, Benjamin Slowey, Gabriel Stoltz, Hunter Vannieuwenhoven, and Quinlan Voet.