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1024, 01 Jun 20

More State Budget Cuts Are Necessary

More, MUCH more, will be necessary.

MADISON, Wis. (CBS 58) – About $70 million in budgetary spending cuts have taken effect across several agencies as the state tries to manage the likely long-term economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The largest cut is with the UW System which saw a $40.8 million budget reduction. The next largest cut was for the Department of Health Services which saw a cut of $7.5 million.

The Evers administration’s planned actions were initially praised by Republicans, but have since drawn some criticism.

“After claiming that he would cut state operations spending by 5%, the plan released by Governor Tony Evers […] shows actual cuts to operations spending of less than 2.5%,” Rep. John Nygren (R – Marinette) said in a statement released this week. “Making matters worse, nearly two-thirds of the cuts are being shouldered by the UW System. While Gov. Evers’ initial announcement was promising, this additional information leaves more questions than answers.”

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1024, 01 June 2020

9 Comments

  1. Randall Flagg

    Agree 100%.  And, I hope the cuts are more targeted rather than “across the board.”  Really look at agencies/functions versus the value they add.  If they don’t add value, downsize or eliminate them.

  2. Kevin Scheunemann

    Notice how quiet libs are when Evers cuts deep into UW?

    When Walker made modest UW cuts, the libs screamed like Walker kicked a puppy.

    Why don’t we hear those puppy kicking screams from libs right now?

     

  3. Randall Flagg

    In 2015, Walker proposed a $300M cut to the UW system.  The budget ended up including a $250M cut.

    250 > 40.8

  4. jjf

    Evers has been in office for 511 days.  Tell me how many times he’s “cut deep into the UW.”

  5. Kevin Scheunemann

    Jjf,

    You seem to not be complaining.

  6. jjf

    Yes, it’s not going to be easy to be working in government in the days ahead.

  7. Randall Flagg

    Here is some of that “lib complaining” Kevin can’t seem to find:
    “I would like to underscore the fact that we took a disproportionately large hit: Two-thirds of this state budget lapse came out of higher education and the UW System alone,” UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank told the University of Wisconsin System’s Board of Regents earlier this month, when the system was predicting to lose about $6 million more than what they ultimately cut.
    “I hope that when the state comes back next year to do further budget adjustments, they will take that into account and make sure the over the two-year biennium, we have not taken an unfair share of this budget lapse.”

  8. Merlin

    The UW System is not performing the functions for which they receive taxpayer funding. Not for the last 90 days. Not for the next 90 days. Not a solid plan for normalcy beyond that even. Their funding should reflect their skeletal operational needs until they can return to full operations. Join the real world for a change.

  9. Merlin

    JS article this morning says athletes are headed back soon. Hopefully full time students and staff as well. Better news is welcomed.

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