Getting a majority of the voters, however, wouldn't be enough under the Murphy-Jacque plot. The referendum would need to pass by 50% plus one of the entire student enrollment — and not in just one year, but in two consecutive elections. Just try getting 100% turnout in a student election.

In other words, these two "big supporters" of the UW would make it virtually impossible for such referendums to pass. They justify this because, they claim, the student fees are going up way too fast and they're only looking out for them.

What they forget, of course, is that student fees and tuition wouldn't be rising so much if the Legislature actually supported the university system. The state now provides about 15% of the Madison campus budget, yet politicians like Murphy and Jacque believe they should still have all the say. They'd rather let university facilities crumble than fix them up.

But, Steve Anderson has an even better idea, one that would likely rid the state of the Murphys and Jacques — and maybe even the dynamic duo of Robin Vos and Scott Fitzgerald.