Doyle Panhandling in D.C.

This is leadership?

While banks and automakers command Washington’s attention, Gov. Jim Doyle this week wants to shift the focus to state governments across the country that face “unprecedented” and “devastating” budget cuts that could weaken their economic competitiveness.

Doyle, who said he will propose severe spending cuts early next year for the coming state budget, flies to Washington, D.C., on Thursday to testify before the House Appropriations Committee.

“There’s no doubt that we’re going to have to make much deeper cuts, and they are really going to affect people’s lives,” Doyle said Tuesday in an interview.

As we saw here, the actual budget deficit after removing additional spending looks to be about $2.6 billion.  In the context of Wisconsin’s approximately $50 billion two-year budget, this represents about a 5% deficit. 

Doyle is seriously going to go to Washington and argue that a 5% cut in state spending would be “devastating?”  Give me a break.  He should talk to some businesses and families who are dealing with shortfalls in the area of 30%, 50%, and more. 

Frankly, I think it’s embarrassing that our governor is wandering around Washington with our hat in his hand.  It’s paints a pathetic picture of Wisconsin for the rest of the nation.  Leadership that can’t manage a 5% shortfall is incompetent.