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12/17/2008
Parins: Wisconsin Whey?
Whey: A thin fluid left behind after milk curdles. A by-product of cheese making.
Similarly, the Wisconsin Way is a watery byproduct of politics.
And among the curds are policy pros – blue-ribbon commissioners occasionally tapped by politicians to develop reforms.
Professor Don Kettl ran two such commissions. They were jam packed not only with policy pros, but with 5 cabinet chiefs and 13 current or former elected officials – including lawmakers who could actually debate and champion bills arising from these commissions, as Sen. Margaret Farrow championed the Kettl Commission on State and Local Partnerships for the 21st Century.
And where are Kettl’s commission reports? Collecting cob webs, having never heard a chairman’s gavel.
If this is how lawmakers treat the curd, how seriously will they treat the watery whey?
The Wisconsin Way is a group of association lobbyists, organized by the same public relations firm which in 2004, partnered with the UW System on a similar statewide series titled Building the New Wisconsin Economy. No policy pros or cabinet chiefs, no elected officials, no lawmakers to gain legislative buy-in.
The Wisconsin Way was promoted as
“a series of public gatherings around the state in an effort to engage Wisconsin citizens in a constructive, solution-oriented conversation about what we can do to make Wisconsin taxes fairer and reduce the property tax burden without sacrificing the quality of public services.” “Engage All Citizens,” the website shouts. Everyone may get their ideas in front of the Legislature. But I know a citizen who wanted to join the coalition. He was told he was welcome to testify at a forum, but it would cost $30,000 to sit on the dais. Maybe they were just trying to say membership was closed.
After listening to more than 6,000 ordinary citizens, the Wisconsin Way issued a draft “Blueprint for Change.” Replacing the state corporate income tax with a regional corporate tax ... 3 year high school ... Ending a few sales tax exemptions … Tax and tuition breaks to keep college grads in-state ... Boosting funding for pre-K through 8th Grade ... among others. Sounds freeze-dried, though I can imagine ordinary citizens asking for some of these.
Tax shifts and spending hikes don’t sound like reform to me. The Kettl Commission will still be remembered in ten years -- it’s on Wikipedia. The Wisconsin Way will be buried and forgotten faster than y’all forgot Building the New Wisconsin Economy. Son of Wisconsin Way is counting on that.
Richard Parins is the president of the Brown County Taxpayers Association.
COMMENTS
I was one of the "ordinary citizens" that managed to find out about their NON-advertized (at least in any media that I had access to) meeting in Appleton. They didn't want to listen to me, not to the one or two others who called for government spending cuts.
All the other "ordinary citizens" who attended were government officials of some sort, or paid by the govt, or in the teachers union. And they all wanted the usual tax-and-spend. If the WI Way really wanted to have ordinary citizens' input, they'd have advertized it better. It was only a fluke that I found out about the meeting.
emily matthews (Wed Dec 17 08:04:36 2008)
Like the previous poster, I experienced the exact same protocol when attending the Green Bay meeting.
They did not want to hear about cutting...not part of the agenda
I note with humor, the second item they list as important.
"eliminate a state budget deficit that is crippling our ability to deliver essential governmental services"
Look close now. They want more money to cover "essential" services.
I was not aware that we were not doing that now ?
You can see that the lack of funds is crippling these services, WHICH by the way are un-named. Interesting !
thats because they are expansive services they seek ( in my opinion).
They recognise that Seniors will double from 2000 to 2020.
That jobs will not require anything more than a high School diploma, and our College graduates are leaving faster than Packer fan after a lost game.
Have they asked these graduates "Why?"
No, of course not.That would be logical.
What they may find is shocking.
There are no jobs for them.
High taxes and difficult laws make business owners nervious and they flee the State, the exact same thing with young educated people.
here's a hint WW...
Define what are these "Essential Services"
If we agree, maybe all the rest can be cut from the vulgar budget we have now, and make you happy.
Lets start first by removing the law that guarantees civil employees from ever having benefits or wages cut.
I don't want to do that, but why should they have a right that I as a tax payer do not have ?
My fixed income is cut with each and every increase in Taxes.
Lets start with the Non-essentials WW !
Rich Carlstedt (Wed Dec 17 23:24:05 2008)
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