False Choices

Heh.

First, Senate Democrats offered to drop their universal health care plan if Assembly Republicans go along with tax increases on cigarettes and hospitals, and transfer $175 million from the Injured Patients and Families Compensation Fund to expand health care coverage.

Republicans, who control the state Assembly, rejected the offer. But Republicans called it a “huge breakthrough” for Democrats to concede that their $15.2 billion Healthy Wisconsin plan would not be part of the final 2007-’09 budget.

Healthy Wisconsin isn’t going anywhere and everyone knows it.  It’s not worth a bargaining chip. 

1. You gotta ove the hubris.

   Posted by on September 21, 2007 at 2329 hrs




2. Your calling one of the largest GOP approved tax increases a win?
   $1.25 per pack cigarette tax?  That hospital tax you screamed about?
   And a $175 Million fund transfer is a win?

   Now, it seems it was a win for universal health care...while the entire this was not approved, the next time this comes up...it’s not going to be the giant leap you claim it to be. It will only be one small step.
   This jumped that void, and the small additional additions, which will come, will redue that final step.
   It’s something the population wants...and that is impossible to overcome.

   Posted by on September 22, 2007 at 0821 hrs




3. What happened to the ol’ Owen who used to call out any side, even his own, for not doing their jobs?  The job now (and for at least three months now) is negotiation. 

   Huebsch and his side conceded K-12 and local aids funding.  That was good, if overdue.  That allowed them to ramp up their calls for the Dems to give in on health care funding—and the Dems did, and that was done, if overdue.  So that was progress in the last week, at last.

   But now the response is not negotiating.  And that’s not good nor wise—especially, from Huebsch’s side, it would seem, if the governor gets to look like the good guy.

   If the aim is to show we don’t need a new budget, that went awry with K-12 and local aids bills—which showed that we need new budgeting.  (As Huebsch’s own K-12 and local aids bills are $115 million more than in his original plan, and it is a bill’s sponsors who have to answer as to how funding will be found). 

   What we’re really seeing is that we don’t need this legislature—these legislators.  That is not a wise message for any side to send.  Let’s hope they’re all working hard this weekend.

   Posted by on September 22, 2007 at 1025 hrs




4. goofticket - the Assy R’s rejected the D’s phony concession

   Posted by on September 22, 2007 at 1154 hrs




5. Excuse me, did they say “First, Senate Democrats offered to drop their universal health care plan if Assembly Republicans go along with tax increases on cigarettes and hospitals, and transfer $175 million from the Injured Patients and Families Compensation Fund to expand health care coverage”?

   So, okay to drop enforced coverage to make it available and affordable to the rabble, but we’ll trade that for increased hospital taxation?!? And we’re taking money from one health fund in the name of ... of… do I want to know what? It can’t be good.

   The stupidity, make that cupidity, makes me seeth.

   Posted by tee bee on September 22, 2007 at 1245 hrs




6. Any goof could’ve realized months ago that Doyle’s health care provisions would more than likely become the compromise between Healthy Wisconsin and whatever the Republicans cobbled together.  The GOP will get a few things too, but what the Senate Democrats did was set up a huge win for Doyle, who once again has skillfully triangulated the hell out of the Legislature.  The Republicans missed their chance by not going to Doyle directly and trying to work out a health care deal that would leave the Senate Democrats out in the cold.  The Senate Dems sure did their part by leaving Healthy Wisconsin out on the line a month longer than they should have.

   And of course, when one rings the register on those Doyle proposals, legislators are going to have to find a way to pay for it, as well as whatever additional K-12 spending the AssGOP wants to put forward but not pay for just yet.

   The cigarette tax is as good as raised.  And let’s not forget that the last election after that happened, in 2002, the GOP picked up seats in the Assembly and took over the Senate.  Fact is, voters don’t give a rip about the cigarette tax, and both sides know that deep down.  They got their empirical evidence five years ago.

   If this budget doesn’t get finished, it’s going to be all on Mike Huebsch.  The Legislature has once again handed the governor the opportunity to look like the grown-up, and at the end of the day we all know the Senate Democrats will do whatever Doyle wants.  If Huebsch is sincere about compromise, he’s going to have to pay for what is spent.

   “No tax increases” is no better than “Healthy Wisconsin or bust” as a negotiation tactic.  If Huebsch is sincere about wanting a compromise, he’s going to have to move as well.

   It’ll be an interesting few weeks.  Once the ball starts moving, this thing is going to finish in a hurry.

   Posted by Recess Supervisor on September 22, 2007 at 1436 hrs