Sunday, June 28, 2009

Doyle to Sign Budget Tomorrow

You know what’s annoying?  You write a column about the budget to publish on Tuesday that you don’t think will be signed until Wednesday and then you find out it will be signed on Monday.

Grrr....

MADISON, Wis. (AP) - Gov. Jim Doyle will sign Wisconsin’s 2-year budget on Monday, two days before the new fiscal year begins.

Lawmakers gave final approval to the spending plan early Friday evening. Doyle can use his expansive partial veto power to rewrite large portions of the $62 billion budget. It wasn’t immediately clear whether Doyle planned to make any vetoes before signing the measure at the executive residence late Monday morning.

The budget closes a record $6.6 billion shortfall that was brought on because state agencies’ spending requests outpace projected revenue.

Doyle’s office says it will be the first time a budget has been completed on time since 1977.

Couple thoughts… 

First, it’s a remarkable feat of bad governance for the legislature to craft a budget behind closed doors, pass it late Friday afternoon, and have the governor sign it on Monday.  Nobody - I mean NOBODY - really knows what’s in this budget.  We’ll be finding Easter Eggs for months. 

Second, I am bemused by the bragging about passing the budget “on time.”  That’s easy when there’s not real contention except HOW MUCH will we increase spending, borrowing, and taxes.  Unfortunately for all of us, a piece of crap passed through government’s bowels on time is still a piece of crap.

(7) Comments
Posted by Owen at 2220 hrs
Politics + Politics - Wisconsin

  1. I recall once hearing someone, somewhere, say “haste makes waste.”  Perhaps I’m wrong, perhaps I drink too much…I don’t know; it just sounds really familiar.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on June 28, 2009 at 2300 hrs


  2. real exam

    Posted by braindump on June 29, 2009 at 0138 hrs


  3. And are the people of this state going to elect this same bunch back in next year to retain (or even gain more) control?

    :zzdeadhorse:

    Posted by hsgbdmama on June 29, 2009 at 0520 hrs


  4. I think if the GOP get’s their act together State-wide that 2010 could be a pretty good year. 

    We’ve got so many businesses closing or moving right now that the average guy who votes Democratic (but doesn’t work for the State) is going to unfortunately feel a lot of pain.  Add in all these new taxes and it is going to get uglier for all of us the next 12-months.

    In the meantime we had an MJS story yesterday about how Barbara Lawton was going to the Sundance festival to lure the Johnny Depp movie to Wisconsin by giving away millions.  And she touts that as her big accomplishment in office.  Textbook liberal.  Let’s get a net zero financial gain to have a movie shoot take place here in a four-week stretch while letting Mercury Marine a one-hundred year employer relocate out of State.  But maybe she got Depp’s autograph for she and Diamond Jim.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on June 29, 2009 at 0744 hrs


  5. Just like MJ, Doyle tells Wisconsin businesses to “beat it.”

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on June 29, 2009 at 1310 hrs


  6. Doyle with a sequined glove would be interesting to see.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on June 29, 2009 at 1415 hrs


  7. Doyle is only out for Doyle.  He doesn’t give a rip about taxpayers unless they are funding him.  He doesn’t even tried to hide it.

    He’s an embarassment to Wisconsin.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on June 30, 2009 at 0749 hrs


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