WiscNet to be eliminated?

In addition to dramatic cuts in school funding the WI state legislature is taking steps that will increase costs of operating public schools. The latest budget amendment would eliminate "WiscNet" the non-profit internet service provider used by most schools (including Monona Grove) and libraries across the state. WiscNet provides low cost internet service that is significantly less than privately funded alternatives.

The argument for the amendment is that public entities should not compete with private business. But this is not about competing with the private sector, but an effort to divert taxpayer dollars from a public non-profit to private businesses. What it should be about is providing essential services to taxpayer supported public institutions at the lowest cost. Eliminating WiscNet will result in fewer dollars in our classrooms or higher taxes.

State Superintendent Tony Evers notes

it will prohibit any UW campus from participating in advanced research networks linking research institutions worldwide.

The internet as we know it was created by public research networks and organizations like WiscNet - what future revolutionary inventions will we pass up by getting out of this game?