Although its authors praise the recently enacted 2009-11 state budget as the answer to our state's economic woes, the budget does little to promote economic development and may actually lengthen our recession. In fact, a close look at the figures provided by the non-partisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau (LFB) shines a light on the grim road this budget takes us down.
The budget has been touted to force significant "cutbacks" to state government, while protecting middle-class workers from tax increases. The reality couldn't be further from the truth. According to the LFB, over the next two years the budget increases government spending by more than 6 percent, and adds more than 100 new government jobs. No family or small business I've talked with is spending this much and many people in the private sector are looking for work.
As a result of the spending increase, the budget raises taxes by more than $2 billion. It also eases property tax caps, creating a ticking time bomb for property tax increases set to explode over the course of the next several years. The budget also increases the taxes you will pay for cell and landline phones, garbage collection, and will mandate higher minimum coverage levels of auto insurance, which may raise your car insurance up to $300. Make no mistake; this budget is balanced on the backs of hard working middle class families, seniors and small businesses.
There is enough blame to go around for both Democrats and Republicans over the years for our budget problems. However, given the worst economy in generations, the state had an opportunity to make fundamental reforms that could have strengthened our state for the future.
With the budget deal being cut in private, behind closed doors, not one of the 136 Assembly Republican amendments was approved, despite Democratic calls for a "bi-partisan solution." Instead of actually balancing the budget, it was crafted using many of the same old budgeting gimmicks that got us into this situation. This includes putting a record $3.58 billion in borrowing on the state's credit card, leaving the next budget with a $2.2 billion deficit, and using billions of one-time federal bailout money. No lessons were learned and an opportunity was missed to fix our state's budget.
So how do we make the changes necessary to rebuild Wisconsin again? We start with a more efficient government and a louder voice for the taxpaying public.
Every family and small business in Wisconsin is doing more with less and our government should be no different. But instead of taking a hard look for efficiencies among the 3,120 units of government in Wisconsin, Democrats instead chose to tax and spend their way to a budget solution. In my view, simply spending more taxpayer money is not going to solve our state's economic or fiscal problems and will not create the jobs we need.
I am convinced Wisconsin will see brighter days ahead, but only until taxpayers play a stronger role in the budget process. If state government ran their budget more like families and small businesses, we would be much further down the road to recovery. Unfortunately, for now, we're headed down the wrong path.
- Rep. Brett Davis, R-Oregon, serves the 80th Assembly District, which includes all of Green County and parts of Lafayette, Rock and Dane counties.
The budget has been touted to force significant "cutbacks" to state government, while protecting middle-class workers from tax increases. The reality couldn't be further from the truth. According to the LFB, over the next two years the budget increases government spending by more than 6 percent, and adds more than 100 new government jobs. No family or small business I've talked with is spending this much and many people in the private sector are looking for work.
As a result of the spending increase, the budget raises taxes by more than $2 billion. It also eases property tax caps, creating a ticking time bomb for property tax increases set to explode over the course of the next several years. The budget also increases the taxes you will pay for cell and landline phones, garbage collection, and will mandate higher minimum coverage levels of auto insurance, which may raise your car insurance up to $300. Make no mistake; this budget is balanced on the backs of hard working middle class families, seniors and small businesses.
There is enough blame to go around for both Democrats and Republicans over the years for our budget problems. However, given the worst economy in generations, the state had an opportunity to make fundamental reforms that could have strengthened our state for the future.
With the budget deal being cut in private, behind closed doors, not one of the 136 Assembly Republican amendments was approved, despite Democratic calls for a "bi-partisan solution." Instead of actually balancing the budget, it was crafted using many of the same old budgeting gimmicks that got us into this situation. This includes putting a record $3.58 billion in borrowing on the state's credit card, leaving the next budget with a $2.2 billion deficit, and using billions of one-time federal bailout money. No lessons were learned and an opportunity was missed to fix our state's budget.
So how do we make the changes necessary to rebuild Wisconsin again? We start with a more efficient government and a louder voice for the taxpaying public.
Every family and small business in Wisconsin is doing more with less and our government should be no different. But instead of taking a hard look for efficiencies among the 3,120 units of government in Wisconsin, Democrats instead chose to tax and spend their way to a budget solution. In my view, simply spending more taxpayer money is not going to solve our state's economic or fiscal problems and will not create the jobs we need.
I am convinced Wisconsin will see brighter days ahead, but only until taxpayers play a stronger role in the budget process. If state government ran their budget more like families and small businesses, we would be much further down the road to recovery. Unfortunately, for now, we're headed down the wrong path.
- Rep. Brett Davis, R-Oregon, serves the 80th Assembly District, which includes all of Green County and parts of Lafayette, Rock and Dane counties.
