“Spend Now, Pay Later”

Just keep kicking the ball down the road…

The competing solutions to repair the state ‘s broken budget can be summed up in four words, an independent report has found: Spend now, pay later.

When the Legislature passed the two-year budget in October, fiscal analysts projected a gap between estimated revenues and expenses in the next budget of $896 million.

The faltering economy has since lowered projections of tax money the state will receive, forcing policymakers to revisit the current budget.

But two of the proposed fixes add to the problems down the road, according to the report by the Legislature ‘s nonpartisan budget office.

Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle ‘s plan increases the potential shortfall in the next budget by $520 million, to $1.42 billion, the report found. A plan by the Republican-controlled Assembly raises the deficit by $753 million, to $1.65 billion.

I have a GREAT idea!  Let’s just be responsible and cut spending, mmmmmmkay?

1. Isn’t this how we’re funding the war in Iraq?

   Posted by on March 19, 2008 at 2014 hrs




2. Why is it no one even conceives that cutting spending is a solution? Even some of those gosh-aren’t-they-good-Republicans representatives we have can’t cut the cord.

   Posted by Cindy on March 19, 2008 at 2032 hrs




3. Spending is not the problem. We rank dead average when it comes to expenditures. Other than road building and our bloated corrections budget, where else do we make cuts without ripping into muscle and bone like Walker has done in Milwaukee county.

   Where’s the fat? Don’t offer up this order of donuts here or that order of flowers there. We are talking hundreds of millions.

   Hmmm, how about bringing corporate taxes even to what other states are charging their businesses?

   Posted by on March 19, 2008 at 2137 hrs




4. Texas doesn’t have any income taxes… let’s come into line with that!  Perhaps “dead average” is too damn much - especially in a cold climate.

   Posted by Owen on March 19, 2008 at 2150 hrs




5. How about education?  We are above average in teacher benefits, above average in teacher-student ratio, and above average in the level of taxpayer subsidies to keep tuition costs low at the UW system.

   Posted by Tony Turner on March 20, 2008 at 0653 hrs




6. Bashing the local school districts and teachers will not change the mess in madison.  I go back to a statement that Glenn Grothman made several years ago.  He said that the legislature can’t control itself when it comes to spending.  That was one of his biggest selling points for his TPA.  The problems lie in the capitol building in Madison and it is bipartisan.

   Posted by on March 20, 2008 at 0748 hrs




7. By the way Tony I watched your erformance on TV the other night and it was only just average.  You will find out that nomatter how many doors you knock on in your district the decision will still be yours and then you will have to answer to the critics.  You better have more than you showed the other night or you won’t have a second term.

   Posted by on March 20, 2008 at 0803 hrs




8. anon,

   You’ll have to explain how I was bashing the school districts and teachers with my comment. 

   And thanks for the feedback on the candidate forum.  Are you suggesting that I would have been better off by knocking on fewer doors, or that I should have kept the fact that I like to listen to my future constituents a secret?  Believe me, if I’m elected, I’ll be more than happy to make decisions and take the heat for them.  I just have this wierd opinion that representative government actually means something.

   Posted by Tony Turner on March 20, 2008 at 0836 hrs




9. Other than road building and our bloated corrections budget, where else do we make cuts without ripping into muscle and bone like Walker has done in Milwaukee county.

   Where’s the fat? Don’t offer up this order of donuts here or that order of flowers there.

   I can think of one area...The Capitol Police.

   What is that they do exactly, aside from guard the Capitol grounds and State Fair park.

   As I understand it, Doyles and other Dignitaries security are from the Wisconsin State Patrol, so it seems to me that eliminating/or merging the Capitol Police with the Wisconsin State Patrol would free up some money.

   Posted by on March 20, 2008 at 1956 hrs




10. Texas isn’t the only state with no income taxes (on both personal AND business income - gee maybe that’s why the Bowling Congress went there? and why Miller-Coors will be based in Dallas?)

    States like Nevada and Florida attract businesses and people leave tax hells like Wisconsin… you can portray it any other way you like - but the fact is that businesses have left, are leaving, and will continue to leave if taxes continue out of control. Take a look at Michigan if you want to see Wisconsin’s future.

    Posted by on March 21, 2008 at 1143 hrs




11. As I understand it, Doyles and other Dignitaries security are from the Wisconsin State Patrol

    You understand it wrong.  Doyle’s security - and that of visiting dignitaries - is comprised primarily of Capitol Police officers.  Further, cutting Capitol Police isn’t going to be that much of a cost savings, given the fact that there are only 40 full-time officers working for Capitol Police.

    Posted by Zach W. on March 22, 2008 at 1354 hrs




12. Thanks Zach your right.

    However in reading further into the website on the capitol police I stumbled upon this little nugget.

    The Wisconsin State Capitol Police has law enforcement responsibilities for more than 800 facilities throughout the state. The majority of these buildings are located in the cities of Madison and Milwaukee and include Department of Administration (DOA) owned, DOA leased and non-DOA leased or owned facilities.

    Which also got me thinking, since the State Patrol does NOT have Police “Powers” i.e they cannot investigate crimes(they can assist other agencies though) basically all they can do is write traffic tickets, why not roll on of the 2 in the other and give the Troopers Police Power?

    (Although that WILL take an act of the Legislature to do this)

    Posted by on March 22, 2008 at 1750 hrs