One of the contributing factors of high unemployment among recent college grads is out of control government spending. Note to college students, beware public employees who want more public spending.

Amanda Achtman of Intercollegiate Review reports.

Commencement speaker exhorts students to advocate more public spending

What makes a university great? Is it being part of a state-wide network of public universities? Is it an astounding enrollment of 181,000 students? Is it being able to boast a 5.5 billion dollar budget? How about being an institution with 33,000 employees? Is it a place with 36,000 graduates state-wide? Could it be about being the top university for receiving merit-based grants?

If you were at the commencement ceremony at the University of Wisconsin-Madison this past weekend then you probably found the speeches about the university’s greatness about as enthralling as a recitation of the state budget numbers.

At the ceremony, Mark Bradley, a member of the University’s Board of Regents, who was appointed in 2003 with a term that expires in 2017, delivered an address to the graduates. He spent the first full minute and a half flattering the chancellor who had spoken just before him. Bradley proceeded to enumerate the aforementioned statistical information.

Then, in his five minute speech, he used the word “system” 5 times, “public” 7 times, “state” 4 times, and “federal” 2 times. Here is an excerpt:

There is today, a great debate about the future of higher education and I urge each of you to engage in that debate. When you understand the issues, I am confident that you will understand the need to advocate for greater investment of state and federal funds because without increased investment of state and federal funds, the cruel reality is that, this great public university will not be affordable to all members of our public. We will not be able to retain the wonderful faculty that has enabled you to receive such a high quality education and we will no longer be the leader in research dollars.