Packers and politics don't often mix. But a political comment suggesting there has been more Chicago Bears starting quarterbacks than fired UW faculty members caught our attention.
We put the numbers to the Politifact Truth-O-Meter
There's been outrage among UW faculty over efforts to change tenure, a policy that usually gave job security to professors.
Governor Scott Walker comments added to the debate when he said people were upset because the UW Board of Regents "had the audacity to put just a slight restraint on this 'jobs-for-life' tenure program that they have at the University of Wisconsin System."
Is tenure really a job for life for the 4500 UW faculty?
Politifact found professors can be terminated for just cause such as misconduct or for financial emergencies that threaten the university's existence. But it doesn't happen very often. In fact UW officials say six have been fired in the last 20 years.
"We felt like Governor Walker had a point. It is extremely rare that people will lose their jobs, so you feel like it's a job for life situation. But it could be done, so we rated that claim half true," said Greg Borowski with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Keep that number six in mind when you hear what Speaker Robin Vos said. "The Chicago Bears have had more starting quarterbacks in the last 10 years than the total number of tenured faculty fired during the last two decades."
Ouch! Packers fans love this and so did Politifact, rating Vos's claim True.
"This was kind of a fun one for us," said Borowski. "We looked and said yes, there have been nine Chicago Bears starting quarterback in the last decade, please don't ask me to name them all but they had a lot."
