This week, the Janesville Gazette wrote up the flat-lining ALEC operative, State Rep. Amy Loudenbeck (R) Clinton, as a hero for slipping an earmark in the state budget worth $583K a year for the next four years for the city of Janesville to be used for General Fund purposes.
Loudenbeck, a member of the GOP-majority ruled state assembly and Joint Finance Committee, was pressed for help on shared revenue by local officials earlier in the year, but at the time said making any changes would create "winners and losers."
JG Excerpt: (Jan. 2017)
Loudenbeck and others noted that changes to revenue formulas create winners and losers, so making Janesville more of a winner means other cities lose.
That's all changed now with the $583K earmark. Obviously, other cities didn't fare so well.
But to be fair, at least Loudenbeck's earmark for Janesville isn't on the same obnoxious scale with the party's regular pork barrel spending priorities.
Madison.Com Excerpt:
A tiny airport in central Wisconsin that’s seen an influx of private jets since a Republican donor’s world-class golf course opened nearby would get $4 million in improvements under funding slipped into the state budget this week.
The Republican-controlled Joint Finance Committee approved the funding after the developer of Sand Valley Golf Resort, Michael Keiser, donated $25,000 to the state Republican Party in February, records reviewed by The Associated Press show.
Republicans are running the state treasury wild for their pals.
Even still, Loudenbeck's earmark for Janesville coming at the discretionary snap of a finger is what happens in the absence of genuine budget reforms and leadership.
1 comment:
The jfc voted party-line 12 - 4 for the $4m airport with Loudenbeck again passing the pork.
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