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Democrats Defend Milwaukee Area Technical College
From Republican Attacks

6/23/2006

Posted on WisPolitics.com 6/23/06

At Tuesday’s Legislative Audit Bureau Hearing to discuss MATC’s progress on an earlier audit, three Republican lawmakers launched an unprincipled attack on Milwaukee Area Technical College, its faculty and staff. Democrats defended the institution, citing the success it has had transitioning students from high school to four year colleges and preparing them for the workplace.

“MATC is the state’s largest technical college with 58,000 students and should be supported not castigated,” said Representative Tamara Grigsby. “It educates more students of color than all of the state’s other colleges and universities combined. The college is a great investment of our tax dollars because for every tax dollar invested in MATC, the college generates over $9 in the local economy.”

“There is a severe shortage of skilled workers in our state”, noted Representative Barbara Toles. “Students have a real need for the classes and training MATC provides so they can obtain good-paying jobs to support their families. MATC works and the college will definitely help solve our labor shortage problem,” Toles added.

"Studies show that MATC plays a vital role in the economic growth of the city. It provides low skilled workers with the educational opportunities necessary to secure higher wage earning jobs. Instead of criticizing MATC, we should look for ways to work with them more, so that we can lower our unemployment and poverty rates", said Representative Jason Fields.

“These types of attacks on MATC are not only harmful to the institution, but to our community as a whole. I applaud MATC for its ability to produce job-ready graduates who are able to meet the challenges posed by today’s workplaces,” Senator Spencer Coggs declared.

“The real issue is how to get resources to our technical college to get students off the waiting lists, into programs and jobs where employers are waiting for them,” said Representative Christine Sinicki.

“MATC has a five year waiting list in radiography and 1000 students backed up in nursing,” added Representative Fred Kessler. "Wisconsin is going to face a serious nursing shortage and MATC is an important player in providing skilled nurses to fill that gap," Kessler concluded.

“Republicans have starved the tech colleges over the past five years, and these attacks represent nothing more than a classic bait and switch,” commented Representative Josh Zepnick.

Democrats pointed out that for more than a generation the Republican dominated legislature refused to meet its obligation to provide tech colleges with one third of their funding. As a result, state support for MATC has fallen from 33.7% in 1990 to 15% today. MATC will receive $7 million less next year from the state than it did six years ago.

“With Milwaukee’s high school graduation rate the fourth lowest in the nation, the burden for transitioning students to succeed academically in college falls to MATC and other technical colleges more often than not, which takes more time and support than the Republican majority has been willing to concede,” said Senator Taylor. “Of the almost 60,000 students this institution serves, nearly 50% require basic skills training and MATC has, without a doubt, done more to prepare these adults to enter the workforce than any other entity in the state.”

Democrats further noted that the Milwaukee area community supports MATC. At a recent public hearing 23 citizens, employers, labor leaders and taxpayers testified in support of MATC, with not a single negative comment. In addition, survey after survey of employers and students confirms that the college’s most important strategic asset is its dedicated faculty and professional staff.

The Democratic lawmakers issued a joint statement that said, “As Milwaukee area legislators, whose constituents are served by MATC, we support the college, its students, administration, faculty and staff, and would hope that Legislators around Wisconsin would recognize its value."

Contact: Rep. Fred Kessler (608) 266-5813
Rep. Barbara Toles (608) 266-5580
Rep. Josh Zepnick (608) 266-1707