Thursday, October 16, 2008

Doyle Uses Wish List Numbers to Estimate Budget Deficit

Doyle is up to his old tricks. 

The governor’s $3 billion budget deficit is based on “funny numbers,” since they assume state agencies would get the 8% spending increase they originally requested, said Assembly Speaker Mike Huebsch (R-West Salem).

Assembly Majority Leader Jeff Fitzgerald (R-Horicon) said: “It is not surprising that the state budget is out of balance with the slowing economy. The surprising part is Gov. Doyle is using the inflated numbers of agency requests — a wish list of increases in spending.”

So when he says this…

The actual deficit figure could be more than $3 billion, but a more precise amount won’t be known until Nov. 20, when Budget Director Dave Schmiedicke must estimate future tax collections and how much spending state agencies request for 2009-’11. Agencies must submit budgets with the 10% cut on Nov. 17.

...what does it really mean?  10% cut of what - a cut in the the submitted budget requests or in the budget from last cycle?  For example, let’s say that an agency had a budget of $100 million last year.  The agency head submitted a budget request of $108 million.  Now Doyle wants him to “cut” 10%.  Does that mean that the agency head will cut 10% off of the $108 million figure, resulting in a request for $97.2 million (a scant 2.8% actual cut), or does the agency head take the 10% off of the $100 million figure, resulting in a request for $90 million.  If history is any guide, the answer is the former and the alleged proposed “cuts” are much smaller than Doyle is pretending them to be. 

 

(4) Comments
Posted by Owen at 1737 hrs
Politics + Politics - Wisconsin

  1. I heard something really scary last night while working at the headquarters of my local congressional candidate.  Someone who has been in Republican politics for many years, has close ties with state leadership told me that if Obama wins, Doyle is counting on a key position in his administration.  I think that’s already well known because Doyle was an early supporter.  But what made the hackles on my neck stand up was the next piece of info.  She said Doyle would only take a job with BO if he could bring Lawton too because he does not want a Gov. Lawton because she would be ripe for a Republican pick off, and Lawton has such a big ego and is so full of herself she would jump at a chance to go to Washington for a “cherry” job.  But the next piece of info really made my blood boil.  She said Doyle would then appoint the next governor and it would be Kathleen Falk and she would be able to easily defeat any Republican challenger because of her strong showing/support in Madison and Milwaukee.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on October 17, 2008 at 0837 hrs


  2. You forgot the third and most tried and true practice of the democrats.  A drastic, “oh my goodness, can we really survive”, 10% cut means take, in your example, the $8 million and cut 10% of that number leading to an actual increase in spending of $7.2 million.  Then they will claim “we have cut to the bone and are left with no choice but to raise taxes.  But don’t worry, we’ll only raise taxes on those with the ability to pay and who are not really paying their fair share”.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on October 17, 2008 at 0904 hrs


  3. Coupled to the Governor’s Attainment value’s for Manufacturing proposed by Wisconsin Government, we can only hope for complete destruction of the business climate. Lord knows that either Ms. Lawton or Ms. Falk would be able to carry out the act of self-destruction flawlessly.

    The sick feeling I sense in my stomach as we move forward to mutual self-destruction is truly amazing. What ever happened to “The Contract with America”, the compact of service which represents the primary single most imprtant Conservative definition since the person of Roanald Reagan.

    Since President Reagan’s personna has passed into history only the potential of legislative contracts with her people contain the potential for the resurgence of Freedom and Liberty of the Individual as defined by F.A. Hayek.

    Wisconsin has Scott Walker and Rep. Ryan as truly significant representatives of the Hayek Model, purveyors of Liberty as the Founding Fathers dreamed. No less than that model shall be accepted.

    God Bless America, and thanks be to God for Liberty, for Freedom.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on October 17, 2008 at 2207 hrs


  4. If both the governor and the lt. gov resign - how does Doyle get to name the successor?

    Wouldn’t it go to the speaker of the assembly?

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on October 18, 2008 at 1804 hrs


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