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5/11/2007
Legislators - a deer in the headlights eeriness
Man, this budget is a bear. Not new news, I know, but geez, it surely gets “worser and worser” the more you know about it.
Representatives Roger Roth (R-Grand Chute), Steve Wieckert (R-Appleton) and Dean Kaufert (R-Neenah) and Senator Mike Ellis (R-Neenah) listened to a room of 50 or 60 folks last night. Brian Heyer, a new FoxPolitics News reader, wrote that he was “struck with how helpless the four legislators appeared.”
There’s just no way out of this budget.
The star of the evening might have been the pencil-pushing head of the Legislative Fiscal Bureau, Bob Lang, who was kind enough to venture out of Madison for the budget hearing. He brought along a few fairly simple charts and graphs to help folks get their arms around this complex budget – a budget that Lang showed us increased spending 6.4% the first year and 3.9% the second year.
One graph put numbers to Senator Ellis’ proposal to throw out the Doyle budget and start with the status quo. Here’s the bugger… if we do that – no new fees, no new taxes, no new programs – just projected growth in current revenues and very minimal increases in essential existing programs – we’re still $1B in the hole. Dang it. A billion bucks. And to that, Senator Ellis responds very matter-of-factly, they’ve just got to start trimming programs. Starting, for example, with 4 y/o kindergarten.
Still, many folks were there last night to ask for new or increased funding.
But believe it or not, even more folks were there to say “We are taxed too much in this state!”
John Gillespie from Theda Care and Mike Hert, Aurora, both shared what devastation Governor Doyle’s Hospital Tax will do to health care delivery in the Fox Valley. (On the other hand, Doug Gieryn, Director of the Winnebago County Health Department advocated for the extra $1.25/pack cigarette tax.) Phyllis Klee made an impassioned and informed plea to roll back the proposed doubling of the real estate transfer tax.
Heyer, a Greenville CPA, and financial advisor pleaded with the lawmakers to bring fiscal sanity back to Madison. “I’m not here for you to beg for my money back. I’m just here to ask you to get off my back!”
Greb Laabs, Appleton, said “You can tax these people until their nose bleeds – and be assured, they will leave.” Another taxpayer, pointing out the 6.4% spending increase was more than “double the cost of living,” said “If you keep going like that, you are pretty soon going to have all of what we earn!”
Here’s the bottom line - tremendous pressure by Senate dems, Governor Doyle, public unions, school boards, common councils and lots of different interests out there to increase spending – sitting against a backdrop of the drumbeat of fed up regular old Wisconsin folk that feel taxed to the hilt.
Our Republican legislators may, so sadly, be helpless as a deer in the headlights.
COMMENTS
The voters of Wisconsin re-elected Governor Doyle and gave control of the Senate to tax and spend liberal Democrats. Now apparently some of the very voters that put these people in office are complaining about the tax and fee increases they want to stick us with. To that I say: "Wisconsin voters wake up, get your heads out of the sand". If your Senator is a liberal tax and spender all you can do at this point is contact him or her and give them a piece of your mind.
Russ (Fri May 11 08:30:47 2007)
Sad but true, my wife and I are already looking for somewhere to move once our work lives come to and end. We are saddened by this prospect. Just when we may have time to enjoy the state and our friends and family, we may have to go. Tax burdens are just plain lower many other places and while we are aware that we may suffer for less access to healthcare, etc., the economic reality is what the legistocracy has made it, TAX HELL.
Richard Parins (Fri May 11 10:06:09 2007)
While I often disagree with Senator Ellis, at least he is willing to make a suggestion about a program that could be cut. It is time that those advocating reduced spending take the next step and pick out those programs they think are unnecessary. Then they can explain to that constituency group, "Sorry, your program is no longer a high enough priority." A recent article in THE MUNICIPALITY describes CAVE people (Citizens Against Virtually Everything). Unfortunately, they exist in droves self-described as taxpayers tired of high taxes. What they actually are for is the programs that help themselves. Perhaps the pundits and the CAVE people could stop the complaining and start pointing out the programs that should be eliminated. Not a novel idea and not popular with elected officials who almost always add spending for their pet projects to budgets, rather than accepting the responsibility for making tough decisions.
All good points Jeff. Thank you. I've asked Senator Ellis every step of the way what programs he'd cut. It's not easy, as all of us (CAVEs included) want more money spent on what WE believe is appropriate for the state to be spending money on. JE
Jeff Brandt (Fri May 11 10:17:29 2007)
I agree with Senator Ellis that we may have to scrap this budget and start with a budget from the Assembly. At a minimum this budget process will drag thru the summer and probably go to a conference committee to craft the next budget. Unfortunately, the Republican leaders in the assembly gave in a little too early in budget negotiations and now are forced to vote on the governor's budget as to what stays or goes. A tie means it stays and since the committee is made up of 8 Republicans and 8 Democrats, Guess what is going to happen. The only hope is that it does go to conference committee and that the Republican conservatives stick to their principals and force a vote. That and the fact that the press and political discussions such as you provide, keep the pressure on this process. The alternative is higher taxes and people looking at leaving the state.
Yes, the Assembly budget, how it goes to conference, how it comes out of conference and obviously, how it's voted on in the Assembly will be crucial. And then of course, it's the Frankenstein Veto. Quite a gauntlet that budget must run through. The Assembly Republicans must play offense and defense at the same time - I think they're up for it. JE
Mike Thomas (Fri May 11 14:42:38 2007)
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