Local legislative reaction to the Doyle budget

Governor Doyle's budget is out and it's a doozy. Speaker Huebsch points out that it will cost every "man, woman and child" and extra $310. (Since I already took my kids' spare $310 and spent it at the track, the state is in trouble.) Republican Senate Leader Scott Fitzgerald did some quick math to figure out Doyle's tax and fee increases are at $1.75 billion, just a staggering amount.

Closer to home I received the following press release from State Representative Rich Zipperer:

“First Governor Doyle wanted to discourage smoking by increasing the cigarette tax...with all his tax and fee increases tonight, he’s apparently also trying to discourage Wisconsinites from owning a home, driving a car, or going to the doctor.

Wisconsin needs fiscal restraint and responsibility from our leaders no matter what side of the political aisle one comes from. Now is not the time to raise taxes and create new programs and departments.

I look forward to working with my Legislative colleagues to turn this budget around and stand up for Wisconsin taxpayers.”

And from State Representative Bill Kramer:

In the two short weeks since Governor Doyle outlined his agenda in his State of the State address, we have seen reports on multiple proposals that increase taxes on Wisconsin’s working families and businesses.

Tonight we got specifics – an overwhelming $1.7 billion in new taxes.

With over $57 billion in government spending – representing a 9 percent increase over the current budget – on top of a multi-billion dollar budget deficit, the Democrats budget scheme is ill-advised and ill-timed. Wisconsinites realize that we don’t have a revenue problem in Madison, but a spending problem.

It is inconceivable to me that while nearly every state in the country enjoys budget surpluses, Wisconsin Democrats want to seemingly dig further into the taxpayers’ pockets with impunity.

Wisconsin’s growing economy is not the result of under-taxation. It is the goal of Assembly Republicans to rein in excessive government spending.

In the coming months I will work with my Republican colleagues to produce a budget that more accurately reflects our Wisconsin values and priorities while protecting our taxpayers.

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