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1/31/2007
Lots of ideas. No money.
I’ve got to side with Senator Fitzgerald – who said of the Governor, after delivering his State of the State: [it] “revealed he’s not living in the State of Wisconsin, but in a state of denial.” Actually, that line gets only a 3 on a scale of 10 – but you get the idea.
The point Senator Fitzgerald made was that the Governor’s State of the State was filled with a “long wish list of new programs” and “no details about how he plans to pay for them.” Or as Speaker Huebsch said, it’s a wish list that is “remarkably ambitious.”
Actually, of the 4,355 words in the State of the State message, only these 157 come close to mentioning anything about the financing end of all these programs.
“We must always stay true to a basic Wisconsin value: living within our means. In the 1990’s, state government created a huge financial mess for us. It was a ticking time bomb of runaway commitments and excessive spending that exploded four years ago, and we are still cleaning up the wreckage.
“We’ve cut the size and cost of government, eliminated overhead, balanced two straight budgets, and cut the so-called structural deficit in half. Yet we still have more work to do, or we’ll face a growing imbalance between what we spend and what we take in. In my budget, we’ll make some tough choices, and take the next steps to put our state on a permanent path of fiscal responsibility.”
And later, in talking extensively about health care:
“And so, after consulting with public health leaders from around the state, I am proposing to raise Wisconsin’s tobacco tax by $1.25 a pack … and set the money aside to pay the cost of tobacco-related illnesses.”
That’s it. 157 words. And 4,198 about new programs – mostly worthy programs at that. I can’t wait to see those tough choices… and getting a tax increase past the legislature.
It’s going to be a long summer…..
COMMENTS
Denial? That is the sole arena of the neocon. Even though the actual funding is not known, as the budget has not yet been released, you got your Kritol ball out and play Sean Hannity here. How about increasing the income tax on the very wealthiest 3% of Wisconsinites? adding the 'SMoke & Death" tax on cigarettes; repealling all the pork the GOP gave itself and created this massive state debt. It's our money to spend, and we want health care. X number of dollars come in, and we want it spent on what we want. Go find out how many Wisconsinites want universal health care and then, as Hannity loves to say to his guests...."Shut up" Denial is Mark Green shirking campaign finance laws, denial is Lasee putting guns in teachers hands, denial is hiding behind a failed conservative ideology that got the state and the nation into the horrific mess we now face. Denial is what the voters did to the GOP in November.
Editor's Note: Joe... please consider posting your full name next time! JE
Joe (Wed Jan 31 07:40:47 2007)
I also have a wish list. Last night I added it up the cost and found that it would lead me into serious debt. Common sense?
So.... if you find it will lead you into serious debt... then what? Do you refinance the tobacco money, er... your house? JE
Dale (Wed Jan 31 10:28:42 2007)
1. Prioritize
2. evaluate current programs in schools
3. cut programs not needed.
4. revamp special education.
By the way Jo-----there is a way to balance school budgets and not harm education of the kids.
How? JE
Dale (Wed Jan 31 20:20:56 2007)
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