In offering $1 million to purchase property near the UW Primate Research Center, UW-Madison has become a bully'overstepping its bounds and recklessly throwing its power around to put down a small group of harmless advocates.
The Primate Freedom Project, an animal rights advocacy group, claims Roger Charly, owner of Budget Bicycles Center, breached his contract to sell his property near the UW Primate Research Center to the group for $675,000 by offering the property to UW-Madison for $1 million. The animal advocacy group sued Charly Oct. 24. The building located on Charly's property was wanted by The Primate Freedom Project in order to construct a National Primate Research Exhibition to educate the public about the primate experiments at UW-Madison.
Granted, the Primate Freedom Project desires to construct a exhibit which only the fringe of the political left will visit, but it is the group's $675,000 to spend. The university, on the other hand, has demonstrated no legitimate use for this land other than preventing the advocacy group from purchasing the building. There is no need for UW to purchase Charly's property. If the Primate Freedom Project wants to use its money to send its message, more power to them.
Considering the dire financial conditions of UW-Madison, spending $1 million to counter an animal rights group should be unthinkable. The money could be better used actually helping students.
