Once again, we would think stories about legislation Wisconsin state republicans continue to propose and pass are really spoofs from the Onion. But they're not.
First saw the story on this at Root River Siren.
How many voters know that Wisconsin has a statute prohibiting the state legislature from passing bills IF general expenditures exceed estimated revenues? Without that statute, the result is very much likely ...more state debt.
Well, so-called fiscal conservatives from the state's so-called fiscal conservative party knew about it and that's why they made it a priority to nullify it for the state's next budget.
The proposed amendment ...
See? They can call it a "priorities" budget now. That's the latest buzzword in GOP budget politics.
And, remember candidate Scott Walker's "Never spend more than you have" Brown Bag thingie? It turns out that rule wasn't Walker's idea or creation either ...it was in state statutes all along. But republicans are hellbent on changing the rules.
Let's get down to the real endgame here. They WANT debt. All of the Norquist pledge signers elected to Wisconsin's state legislature including Gov. Walker prefer debt over a balance or surplus. Even Walker's so-called budget surplus and the rainy day fund are funded with more debt! That's right. The state's debt increased during Walker's first budget while he touts a surplus and a rainy day fund ...believe it or not.
That's one reason why they blew a gasket over the UW's surplus. They want debt so they can show the public how insatiable and unworkable the concept of government is with our money, AND to build a debt so massive and towering that the only reasonable way out is not to take responsibility for it, but to sell off the state's public property to pay down the debt. Wait a minute ...THAT'S in the budget too. It's no conspiracy. It's right there in the printed word.
If they have no intention to provide the necessary tax revenue to pay for our needs and balance the budget today, why would they do it tomorrow? Or the next day? This is the long road to privatization. That's what it's all about.
3 comments:
So sad, so true. This is just legalized grand theft and it sucks.
Amazing that this change got little notice, even by our very quiet Democratic lawmakers. They should be shouting this from the steps of the Capitol. I forgot to post this myself so I'm glad you did, along with the Siren.
Scott Walker remembers creating jobs as assemblyman in Wisconsin . It was easy with ALEC. 32000 UNION public sector jobs. It is not as easy this time with out using your tax dollars. Scott Walker has created ALL Wisconsin`s budget problems working for ALEC. In 1997 Walker and Prosser as state assemblymen championed for ALEC with truth in sentencing telling the legislatures it would not cost a dime it was to give judges not parole boards the control over sentencing. Then Walker filibustered to stop sentencing changes after the fact misleading ALL the legislatures. With out the sentencing changes Wisconsin`s prisons quadrupled over night. Most people sentenced to 2 years now had to serve as much as 6o years. As the Wisconsin Budget watch Blog shows . Stopping just a percentage of these long sentences Wisconsin would save 707 million per year. Wisconsin could have free tuition colleges. It shows Wisconsin has wasted 200 billion if you add the numbers to the state budget since 1997. Not including the building new or remodeling of 71 courthouses & 71 county jails & 273 police stations and dozens of prisons 28 billion plus interest. The total is over 70 BILLION plus the 100 Billion spent by social services to support prisoners families because the bread winner was a political prisoner as US Att gen Eric Holder explained. Then farming out prisoners in several states until the courts realized it was not allowed in the Wisconsin constitution. Wisconsin then hired 32000 union public sector workers to fill the jobs housing the prisoners from deputies , judges, district attorneys all owe Walker for creating there jobs. 32000 UNION PUBLIC SECTOR JOBS. This cost taxpayers over 3.8 billion or a half million per day to house these EXTRA prisoners per day in Milwaukee county alone. Wisconsin claims it has 24,000 prisoners compared to Minnesota`s 5500. Wisconsin`s corrections populatition is 104,000 with over 28,000 prisons in Milwaukee county alone . In 1995 Milwakee county had less than 1000 prisoners . Is Scott Walker moving Wisconsin forward ? This your reason for budget problems in Wisconsin. Big spender big government Scott Walker. Why does he not work for the people he is taking his check from the people ?
Wisconsin Budget watch blog has a great article on this.
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