Frankenstein Budgets Require Sharp Pen

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Following an appeal by Sen. Scott Fitzgerald (R)-Juneau, the Janesville Gazette ran an open letter editorial to Majority Leader Judy Robson, asking the democratic leader to support a proposal that would restrict the Governors veto power. It would have been suggestion worth taking if the timing was right, but why should Robson take the advice from anyone who starts out their request by demeaning the senator right at the beginning.

JG Excerpt:
Dear Sen. Judy Robson:
As new majority leader of the state Senate, we urge you to do one thing. And that is well, lead.

As you probably know, Gov. Doyle has had to use the power of his veto pen to basically balance the budget. The Republicans claim that Doyle’s veto was the first to increase spending, without offering any details as to how his action actually did that. Unless of course you consider the schools as wasteful spending, past Republican legislatures need some explaining to do when they carved out $675 million in 2003 from the transportation fund to help fund the schools. But that doesn’t count.

In his defense, Gov. Doyle should enlist the help from none other than Rep. Paul Ryan to speak on his behalf about the advantages of a powerful executive veto pen. If you may recall, Ryan is the author of a bill that would give the President line-item veto power never before wielded by any other president. Ryan insists that the President must have the ability to carve up massive appropriations bills submitted by Congress in order to balance the budget.

Or perhaps we should demand a federal referendum on Ryan's proposal as well and let the voters decide. Meanwhile, state Republicans want to take away partial-veto powers that every Wisconsin Governor enjoyed since 1930. Either way you slice it, if you balance the budget, Republicans want to take away that power, and if you haven't balanced the budget, they want to give you more power. What would make Republicans happy?

I can’t answer that, but as a concerned citizen I urge Sen. Judy Robson to shelve this reform for another time. Past Republican-led state legislatures have been creating Frankenstein budgets for years, forcing the Governors hand requiring extensive surgery just to make it float.

The new state legislature must find within themselves the ability to communicate a balanced and equitable budget, not just to the governor, but to voters in their districts as well. They need to start telling their constituents what cuts and other sacrifices they must make to help curb state spending. When they can develop at least two consecutive budgets that have the ability to stand on their own, then perhaps the senate should resurrect some veto power reform.

The Governor will no longer need the surgical tools to save the monster, if you no longer send him a patient.