Reform The Budget - Not The Pen

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As a resident, or the kind of cashless lobbyist most state officials ignore, the taxpaying citizen, I applaud Sen. Fred Risser’s opposition to Veto Pen Reform at this 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. Sen. Risser is stopping ill-timed reform to weaken the veto power governors have held since 1935. Over 70 years have passed since and the one legislator serving Wisconsin for over 50 years, Risser, is finally accused of partisanship from none other than a partisan newspaper. My question is - what took so long?

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 or increase taxes in their name – not the governors. 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 the legislature no longer sends him a patient.

If Governor Doyle did NOT have this veto power, public schools would have had to get by with $400 million LESS over the past two years. Since this is the same budget Republicans/Conservatives have pointed to as Exhibit A for evidence of the governor's excessive veto power, one can only assume they want to destroy public education in Wisconsin.

The fair and balanced partisan Wisconsin State Journal came out of the closet with their political activism and for the past 35 days began using their ink as a bully pulpit to attack Risser’s position on the veto pen. The paper also publishes a cartoon of Frankenstein with a running tally of days on his forehead and now has a “secret” Plan B if it goes on for much longer.

JG Excerpt:
Delay On Veto Draws Newspaper’s Wrath
Milfred said the editorials would continue until Risser acted. But he said the newspaper also has a secret "Plan B" if Risser holds out too long.

I have to admit, there's nothing like the Fourth Estate just coming out and being honest about their intentions, that they have other things on their "agenda" other than reporting the news.
Veto Reform is hardly a household issue in Wisconsin and the WSJ would like to change that. But there are much larger and important issues under the sun, and I urge Sen. Risser to consider those first - like impeaching George W. Bush and Dick Cheney.