A quote from state Sen. Robert Cowels, R-Allouez, in the Green Bay Press Gazette last week succinctly spelled out Wisconsin's budget situation as it relates to the Legislature and governor:
"There are only two honest opinions to get us out of our budget woes - raise taxes or cut spending," Allouez said. "Wisconsin citizens are already taxed too much, and higher taxes are just not a rational option. Quite simply, we have to cut spending."
Unfortunately, neither the Legislature nor Gov. Jim Doyle proved up to the task this spring. Instead they both resorted to old tricks to find "solutions" to a $527 million budget shortfall caused by tax collections that were less than projected.
Last week, we criticized lawmakers for essentially putting off until another day the difficult decisions the budget necessitates. Gov. Doyle followed with his signature fiscal trick - a dip into what's become his personal cookie jar, the state's road fund. The governor used his partial veto power to double the amount of the "fix" that will come from the transportation fund from $50 million to $108 million, state Budget Director Dave Schmiedecke told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
To his credit, Doyle did increase the amount of cuts in spending approved by the Legislature from $69 million through mid-2009 to $270 million. And he denied the Legislature's plan to delay school aid payments. But his repeat raid of the state road fund nullifies any good his veto may have done.
Though their efforts were futile, Sen. Dale Schultz, R-Richland Center, and Rep. Steve Hilgenberg, D-Dodgeville, were right to vote against the budget shortfall plan.
"To be responsible, the state should cut spending or find more revenue," Schultz said, echoing a little less bluntly what Allouez said. "Instead, this plan resorts to borrowing and accounting tricks."
Schultz said he did not vote for the bipartisan legislative fix because it only trims state spending by a fraction of 1 percent.
Once again, the Legislature and governor proved incapable of doing what those of us in the real world have to do when financial times are tough - live within our means. At least the initial reaction to Doyle's action was bipartisan disapproval. Too bad lawmakers simply preferred their shell game to the governor's.
"There are only two honest opinions to get us out of our budget woes - raise taxes or cut spending," Allouez said. "Wisconsin citizens are already taxed too much, and higher taxes are just not a rational option. Quite simply, we have to cut spending."
Unfortunately, neither the Legislature nor Gov. Jim Doyle proved up to the task this spring. Instead they both resorted to old tricks to find "solutions" to a $527 million budget shortfall caused by tax collections that were less than projected.
Last week, we criticized lawmakers for essentially putting off until another day the difficult decisions the budget necessitates. Gov. Doyle followed with his signature fiscal trick - a dip into what's become his personal cookie jar, the state's road fund. The governor used his partial veto power to double the amount of the "fix" that will come from the transportation fund from $50 million to $108 million, state Budget Director Dave Schmiedecke told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
To his credit, Doyle did increase the amount of cuts in spending approved by the Legislature from $69 million through mid-2009 to $270 million. And he denied the Legislature's plan to delay school aid payments. But his repeat raid of the state road fund nullifies any good his veto may have done.
Though their efforts were futile, Sen. Dale Schultz, R-Richland Center, and Rep. Steve Hilgenberg, D-Dodgeville, were right to vote against the budget shortfall plan.
"To be responsible, the state should cut spending or find more revenue," Schultz said, echoing a little less bluntly what Allouez said. "Instead, this plan resorts to borrowing and accounting tricks."
Schultz said he did not vote for the bipartisan legislative fix because it only trims state spending by a fraction of 1 percent.
Once again, the Legislature and governor proved incapable of doing what those of us in the real world have to do when financial times are tough - live within our means. At least the initial reaction to Doyle's action was bipartisan disapproval. Too bad lawmakers simply preferred their shell game to the governor's.
