"I don't care if I lose my job over this, to be honest with you," [UW-Madison Chancellor Biddy] Martin told the Madison Rotary Club. "Because it's the right thing to do for UW-Madison."
What's amazing is that she hasn't lost it already, given that she went behind the backs of the Board of Regents and negotiated a secret deal with Gov. Scott Walker to cut the Madison campus loose from the rest of the UW System and give it some unique powers.
The Regents voted 18-1 to oppose the change, and every chancellor in the state system except Martin opposes it, too.
While it may be "the right thing to do for UW-Madison" in her eyes, the Regents and the state legislature also have a responsibility to do what's right for the other campuses across the state, too. And they would get the short end of the stick in the Walker-Martin plan.
Here's an earlier rundown, in some detail, on what this is all about. What's happened since then is that State Rep. Steve Nass, a Republican who represents Whitewater (and UW-Whitewater) and is not exactly the UW's best friend, has proposed a study rather than acting to include the plan in the current budget. Several other GOP legilators also have expressed opposition or doubts.
According to WisPolitics.com:
After the speech, Martin backed away from those comments [about losing her job], which she acknowledged were "hyperbolic."
She told reporters she has no indication that her job is in jeopardy, that she loves her job and she intends to stay.
"This is not about me. This is not about Biddy Martin," the chancellor said.
Whatever you say, Chancellor.