Monday, June 18, 2007

Democratic Chicken Little: Cluck! Cluck! The sky is falling!

As entertaining as it is to watch the Democrats running around clucking that the sky is falling, perhaps it is time to bring a little honesty to the budget process.

Democrats are playing their typical tax increase game. If they do not get their tax increases in this year’s budget, they are telling Wisconsinites essentially, “the sky is falling”.

Governor Doyle:

The governor has said that not taking action on a new two-year spending plan would be devastating to such important programs as public schools, transportation, health care and prisons.

What is just as bad, if not worse, is the fact that the media is helping the Democratic cluckers make this claim. Check out these claims in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

No limits on the future property tax levies of cities, counties, towns and villages. Limits that had been in place to control property taxes over the last two years expired on Jan. 1; Doyle had recommended in his budget 4% limits or growth in new construction, whichever is greater.

A potential 50% cut in the number of highway construction projects that could be bid in both the 2008 and '09 construction cycles and "minimal" work to start rebuilding Milwaukee's Zoo Interchange and I-94 from Milwaukee south to the Illinois state line. The governor's budget recommended extensive construction work on those two projects.

Certainly, not passing a budget could very well trigger some of these things happening. However, there are fixes. Unfortunately, MJS is not telling folks about all of these fixes.

As we all know, government has no problems passing spending bills, whether we need them or not. In fact, I am convinced; government knows every trick in the book in order to spend money. No one spends money faster than government officials.

Would it be that difficult for the legislators to pass a bill that would keep the schools moving along without allowing schools to jack the taxes as high as possible?

Of course they can!

Could the legislators pass a tax cap for property taxes, until a budget is passed?

Of course they can!

In fact, a lot can be done to keep state programs moving. The sky is not falling!

By the way, make no doubt about it, the Democrats will do everything in their power to increase your taxes. They have no problems with this budget. Even when their own constituents are hollering, they are ignoring them.

From MJS-

Democratic leaders promise that it will include all of Doyle's tax increases and dozens of new spending programs.


Why am I not surprised?

“Cluck, cluck, cluck!” go the Democrats.

“Up, up, up!” go my taxes!

Let us be perfectly clear, not passing this ridiculous budget is a good thing.

Not passing this budget does not mean that Wisconsin government shuts down. Not passing this budget does not mean that Wisconsin schools will shut down.

School doors will once again open in the fall. Prisoners will still be in prison.

The Democrats and Governor Doyle must be stopped from increasing our taxes. Spending is thru the roof on this budget.

Republicans- we are counting on you to curb the spending and stopping all tax and fee increases. If it means that no budget passes in the near future, so be it!

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

A favorite tactic of the right, these days, is to make an assertion he or she knows not to be true and to then write an impassioned defense or attack on the assertion.

You did it here.

I'm a news junky. My job relies on me understanding what is going on in Madison. I watch TV and listen to the radio. No one ... absolutely no one ... is clucking about the sky falling -- except you.

And please, please, please stop all of this clucking about the sky falling ... or, as you said it, "spending is through the roof on this budget."

Spending is up on programs you don't like. Sorry, there is a new sheriff in town. Until you and your compadres ... along, truthfully, with Democrats ... can honestly talk about what government should be doing and funding (and what you are willing to give up), just take a deep breath and tone down the rhetoric. You ... like Sykes, Behling, Limbo, Hannatty, and others ... are great at sounding exasperated and flustered, but, really, it's getting old.

K. Carpenter said...

Oh my goodness- apparently you did not read what I quoted from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, nor did you read the linked article.

Try again!

Erik Opsal said...

I definitely don't see anything about "the sky is falling" in what you quoted. Nope, can't find those words anywhere.

I think it's funny that both you and Xoff linked to this article claiming bias. You say they don't give us the options available and Xoff says they don't focus enough on the property tax issue. I'll repeat what all of us on the left have been asking from the beginning:

If Republicans are so quick to pass a budget with no tax increases, what programs are they going to cut to make up for the $1 billion shortfall?

Please, will someone on the right please answer that question before they start saying Dems think the sky is falling. I'll be the first one to admit that I don't know the intricacies of the tax code, but I do know a loss of $1 billion is a big problem.

Anonymous said...

Walked right into that didn't you Erik?

Are you really trying to say that the Democrats have the right to increase taxes and fees on every single Wisconsite to implement some new programs?

Erik, do you realize that your governor and the Democrats are planning on increasing the bed costs for those living in mental institutions and nursing homes by $25+ a month in the first year alone? By the second year of this budget

Instead of asking your governor and his democrat buddies how they can possible justify increasing taxes on seniors and the mentally challenged- you are demanding the Republicans explain why they would stand against these type of tax increases.

Erik- do you realize that one of these new programs that the governor wants is to pay for the college education and the healthcare of illegal immigrants?

jeff said...

Actually the Wisconsin Covenant is for ALL qualifying students in the state of Wisconsin. You are probably confusing this program with the various DREAM Act proposals which are circulating at the state and federal levels.

As for the health care, if illegal immigrants make use of emergency rooms currently and dont have insurance, you are paying for that already as part of the tax bill.

I would look to start with consolidating the remaining functions of the Secretary of State and Treasurer in other departments. Also I would suggest consolidating the various commissions on particular sections of rivers and state parks into the DNR. From there, we can go thru the shopping list of state programs and see which are not needed, duplicate or not effective and see what savings could be found there.

Erik Opsal said...

Anon,

That $25+ a month you are referring to sounds more like a fee to me, which is something Huebsch (I think it was him) made clear was still on the table much to Owen's chagrin. I'm surprised you chose to focus on something like that instead of the usual gas tax or smoking tax that Republicans are so pissed off about. And for the record, I really don't think the gas tax is going to work.

I'm disappointed Kathy decided not to respond to my comment. I guess she didn't see one of those "gotcha!" moments she loves so well. Oh no Kathy! The sky is falling, the sky is falling!

K. Carpenter said...

Hey Erik- the $1 billion budget gap has been created by the governor. Let us start with the 1 Billion dollars Jim Doyle raided from the Transportation budget. These were taxes that we have already paid and now we have to pay them again?


Why should any of us agree to this?

Most people do not plan on spending money they do not have or plan to have in the near future.

Your governor promised no tax increase while running for office.

Did you know that in the Department of Administration alone- the Democrats want to increase spending from 07 to 09 by $219,866,500 more than they spent in 05 to 07.

What for?

Well, there are some new programs in their that the WSJ seemed to have missed in their calculations.

Such as- Indigent Civil Legal Services- This will cost taxpayers a million dollars.

Also- let's not forget the increase expenditures the governor is offering. Such as- Land Appropriation Reestimate. That will cost taxpayers $4,163,200.


My entire point has been that governor Doyle and the Democrats are claiming Wisconsin would be "DEVASTATED" if they do not get their tax increases. That is a quote.

Yes- the governor and the Democrats are attempting to create a panic. Per the Democrats- Wisconsin schools, transportation, health care and prisons would be DEVASTATED!!!

Now tell me again how Wisconsin schools would be devasted if we cancelled the "Land Appropriation Reestimate"?

This should be good!

K. Carpenter said...

Hey Erik-

I wrote the blog. I don't ever owe you a response. It's my blog.

Erik Opsal said...

Perhaps they mean as a whole it would be devastating. I agree that language is a bit much, but they have a point. Obviously some of these taxes are absurd, but not all of them. That is why the GOP vow not to approve a budget that raises any taxes is equally absurd.

As to your second comment saying you don't owe me a response. I was under the impression that blogs were meant to facilitate discussion. I can say I'm disappointed you didn't respond and I'm glad you eventually did, but while you have the write not to since it is your blog, I don't think it helps your point not to address a counterargument.

K. Carpenter said...

Yes- some of the taxes are absurd.

As far as the GOP not wanting to pass tax increases-that is perfectly legitimate.

In fact, it is so legitimate that even the Democrats were making this claim in order to win the elections in 2006.

Let me quote Governor Jim Doyle- "we should not, we must not and I will not increase taxes"

Now please explain to me how it is that you feel that the GOP is "absurd" for vowing not to approve a budget that raises taxes.

jeff said...

To quote Rodney King, "Cant we all just get along?!" LOL