December and January are good months for Governor Doyle for agreeing to good ideas for county governments. Last year at this time Doyle flip-flopped on the issue of allowing counties to reduce the size of their county boards, and a number of counties have taken advantage.
This year Doyle's task force looking at the financing of the pension scandal in Milwaukee County agreed with County Executive Scott Walker's approach of borrowing to pay off the pension obligations in an effort to stabilize the year-to-year cost.
Walker and the taxpayers of Milwaukee County are fortunate that the task force did not decide to look at additional taxes as a solution to Milwaukee County's budget problems. Why some are so intent on a self-defeating proposition like raising taxes in Milwaukee County should make us all a little more cynical. The only motive some of the tax-hikers could have is politics, simple politics.
Doyle's task force recommendations should be looked at closely by the legislature, but I think they will find much of it acceptable, which should be a major step in helping Milwaukee County deal with it's perennial budget crisis.
