From Beverly Pestel

Richland Center

To the Editor:

The state budget battle begins, but it proves to be “déjà vu all over again.” Since 2019 the Republicans in the legislature throw out the Governor’s budget and start with their previous budget.

Here’s the problem with that. Each budget season they throw out the same stuff that our communities need.

They throw out increased investment in our public schools. That means more school referendums to keep our public schools funded. That means increases in your property taxes when you have already paid state taxes for our public schools.

They throw out the expansion of Medicaid (Badger Care).That means that nearly 100,000 of the neediest Wisconsinites will not be eligible for medical care. That means more at-risk people, more emergency room visits, and a greater drain on our local rural hospitals. Accepting Medicaid expansion would save the state $1.9 billion and allow the state to receive an additional $2.5 billion in federal funds — those are our tax dollars. Forget the fact that refusing it is just plain mean.

They throw out funding to make childcare more affordable for working Wisconsinites. That means more parents are unable to take jobs in the community because the pay can’t cover the childcare expenses if they can even find childcare.

They throw out the Governor’s tax plan that would give $2 billion in tax relief for middle class families and tax hikes for the wealthy. They have already called it “Dead on Arrival.” Instead, they will offer us a tax plan that gives less tax relief to the middle class and spends much of our $4.3 billion surplus on a tax cut for the wealthiest among us.

Republican Speaker of the House, Robin Vos said, “We are not going to let Wisconsin become Tim Walz’s Minnesota.” The fact is, Tim Walz’s Minnesota has better funded schools than Wisconsin, expanded Medicare, more affordable childcare than Wisconsin, more affordable housing than Wisconsin, and still has a $2.4 billion surplus.

Since when do Wisconsinites let Minnesota beat us at anything?