by Kerry Thomas
August 14, 2007
In Madison, the Democrats who control the Senate have proposed spending $58 billion of your tax dollars for you over the next two years. They also want to force all of us (except the teachers’ unions) into a government-run socialized health care system, at an estimated initial cost of $15.2 billion more every year. (see previous editorial here) The Republicans in the Assembly have proposed spending $56 billion in the next two years.
Neither the Senate Democrats nor the Assembly
Republicans have passed a budget that cuts state spending, despite what you
might hear reported in the media. Both
budgets propose overall spending increases from the last biennial budget.
Now, the two legislative bodies are trying to
reconcile their differences. They’re $2
billion apart. The negotiations aren’t
going very well.
And that’s good for the taxpayers of Wisconsin.
If the two houses can’t reach a compromise on
their budget differences, Wisconsin has a provision in the law that continues
to fund State operations at the same levels that were passed in the previous
budget.
In other words, absent a budget compromise, State
spending is frozen.
State offices and agencies don’t close
down. Nothing is cut. The State simply freezes spending at last
year’s levels. State agencies don’t get
a raise this year.
Anyone who works in the private sector knows the
reality of this situation. You don’t
always get a raise every year.
Sometimes it’s several years between raises.
While our elected representatives in Madison are
unable (or unwilling) to freeze or reduce spending, we’re expected to keep
paying our taxes to fund their spending.
So even if it’s only by accident, a stalemate in
the Capitol would be the best thing that could happen to Wisconsin.
Just ask a Wisconsin taxpayer.