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Then the Post-Crescent claimed they knew why the people would be skeptical – essentially because we Wisconsinites don’t trust our lawmakers, because the lawmakers don’t listen to their constituents (us), and because the lawmakers don’t act first and foremost in the public’s interest.

Well….trust goes both ways
Ok… it’s certainly true that Jim Doyle is a brilliant politician. You may or may not like his politics, but you have to admire his incessant politicking. He knows what we want to hear. And he tells us what we want to hear. Of course Mr. Doyle (and most any other politician in the world) is going to say “no” to increased taxes. But then after he says “no,” he has to do the right thing – he has to say “no” to all of us when we want the government to spend more on every program known to man.

And how will that happen when Governor Doyle listens to his constituents and what they (we) keep telling him about are all the things the state needs to spend money on?

The Green Bay Press Gazette just finished reporting on the Governor’s listening session this week in that community. According to the press report, here’s a sample of what residents had to say:

• We need more dentists and psychiatrists in the area who will accept Medicaid. Doyle blamed lack of funding by the federal government for much of the shortfall.
• We need a higher level of Medicare reimbursements. Employees in nursing homes must pay large premiums and deductibles for health insurance. Again, Doyle blamed federal shortfalls.

The Journal Sentinel recently ran an article that told us over and over how and why the Natural Resources Board just couldn’t cut back on its programs.

And of course, the cities and the counties and the school districts (all us) all want more as well.

Representative Kaufert has shared his experiences from the years he spent co-chairing the Joint Finance Committee. He talks of the hours and hours he spent both in his office and on the road when over and over again he heard from Wisconsinites who wanted more spent for the programs important to them. But of course, at the same time, most will not support increased taxes in this already high-tax state.

How will folks regain trust in the system? How will lawmakers do the right thing? It’s surely easy enough to pontificate about all of this, but it’s really hard to construct a budget, then to pass a budget that provides needed services and spurs economic development - when all that folks are telling you is what they want from the system.

It’s those famous words of Pogo – “We have found the enemy and it is us.” Perhaps we all must work to build trust in the system together by telling each other what the government can do less of for all of us.

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