cur-mud-geon:
anyone who hates hypocrisy and pretense and has the temerity to say so; anyone with the habit of pointing out unpleasant facts in an engaging and humorous manner
We are being subjected to an unmerciful political debate over “The Budget”. That needn’t have been going on for so long, absent the logjam between Democrats and Republicans. Who is at fault?
First, there is now a gag order placed on the continuing debate by the Governor; he wants no leaks from now on. Was that issued in order to promote agreement? Was it issued so that the Democrats could try to avoid being branded as the culprits?
Second, the Democrats in the Senate finally admitted that they would give up the Healthy Wisconsin initiative that would’ve added $1.5 Billion to our state’s grab from our pockets. Was this in the budget simply as a future ‘give-away’ during the extended debate?
The Democrats conditioned that display of ‘statesmanship’ on the fact that the Republicans in the Assembly had to agree to accept the rest of the Governor’s budget intact…a mere $1.7 Billion grab from our pockets. The Republicans refused, so apparently Healthy Wisconsin is back in the mix along with its $1.5 Billion cost, even though the Governor has stated he didn’t want it.
The Republicans, instead, passed two Assembly bills that effectively eliminated the threat of $600 Million in property tax increases. These bills agreed to the Governor’s original budget requests for significantly increased funding. The Assembly sent those on to the Senate in order that the citizens of Wisconsin could be spared the property tax increase.
State Superintendent, Elizabeth Burmaster, made her feelings known by stating that the impasse needed resolution by September 28th. If not, she said she would have to authorize the $600 Million in property tax increases by letting school districts and local governments add to their tax take in that amount. I may be mistaken, but I thought that state law stipulated October 15th as the actual deadline for that decision needing to be taken.
The final act has unfolded with the Senate, controlled by Democrats, refusing to even look at the two Assembly bills that would resolve the $600 Million property tax increase. If they did so, they would then lose any remaining leverage over the Republicans on the much larger $1.7 Billion dollar tax increase them and the Governor desire.
This appears to be a real life definition of Hobson’s choice: choose any budget you want, as long as it goes up by too much!
We are pawns in what has become a huge political game. We are pawns because the Democrats seem to have gotten themselves snookered by the Republicans. If there is anything a politician can’t stand, it is being outflanked by the opposition; especially when the opposition has fewer seats in government.
Forget that there are real people who will be grievously damaged by their antics. Forget that we will become known for taking the highest single tax increase ever for any state in the union. Forget that we will drive businesses from our state, both existing as well as those that might have chosen to be here in the future. Forget that we’ll drive fixed income retirees from our state. Forget that we’ll move ever-closer to the “nanny state”.
Forget all that; the game is the important thing!
Really?
