Let’s take a quick run through Gov. Doyle’s veto message (H/T – WisPolitics Budget Blog, which, though it lacks the words that were “Vannah White”ed, has a red-colored summary of each veto’s effects, shall we? For reference’s sake, here’s the Munich Acco…er, Grand Compromise. Late word from WisPolitics is Mike Huebsch won’t even try to override any of this. (“thanks” a lot, Neville) On your marks, get set,….
- The Wisconsin Covenant – This is one of those times I wish we had the specific words that were whacked. While Doyle merely says he doesn’t want to set the financial eligibility requirements at this time (which the Grand Compromise set at Pell Grant/reduced-price school lunch), I find it extraordinarily odd that he mentioned “Wisconsin residents”, especially since he considers illegal aliens that have successfully invaded Wisconsin “Wisconsin residents”.
Also, let the spending commence; we’re now on the hook for operating the “private” office that will run it.
- Independent Purchase of Telecommunications Services – Message from Doyle to the UW system and the Legislature – How dare you let the UW system spend money they would spend anyway without going through me, Lord Craps. After all, I have a public union to keep happy, I don’t want them to turn on me like they have those that ultimately pay their salaries and benefits.
- Information on Instructors – Nope, can’t let the students know who is going to run the class until they actually show up.</channel_Craps>
- Levy Limits on Technical College Districts – A very modest 4% annual limit on the increase of taxpayer cash to overspenders like MATC just can’t be allowed to fly; after all, their teachers have to continue to earn more than UW professors.</channel_Craps>
- Stewardship Review – Demandment XIII – I am Lord Craps. No one shall question how much land I remove from the property tax rolls in the name of envirowhackoism, or how much taxpayer money I use to do so.
- Muskellunge Fishing Season and Catch and Release Bass Fishing – This is another time I wish I knew which words were axed. While the red-colored glasses review says he’s partially vetoing the provisions to not ensare those wishing to use barbed hooks or live bait to fish for other species during catch-and-release bass and musky seasons, I don’t see what words could be whacked to that end without whacking the entire relevant provisions.
- Quarterly and Annual Reports from the State Fair Park Board – Demandment XIV – I am Lord Craps. No one shall question how much money is spent by the State Fair Park Board.
- Technical Modification to Kenosha County Circuit Court Branch 8 – My mention of this one is my olive branch to Doyle. As the affected position was written, the election to the new-for-2009 branch would have happened in the spring of 2008. This was the fastest way to fix that.
- Demonstration Waiver for Health Opportunity Accounts Under BadgerCare – Demandment XV – I am Lord Craps. No one shall question how much money is spent on BadgerCare Plus.
- Reducing Fetal and Infant Mortality and Morbidity – When it comes to sunsets, Doyle believes in the British Empire concept of none.
- Municipality property tax limit – Hang onto your wallets, folks. While Doyle and company believe the munciipalities cannot be expected to find pork to defund this late in the budget process for this year, I fully expect them to find additional pork to fund this year just so the base for next year’s one-year 2%-or-growth “freeze” will be that much higher.
- Reports and Approvals in the transportation budget – Demandment XVI – I am Lord Craps. No one shall question how much money I spend from the transportation fund, or whether I give it all to WEAC.
- Department of Transportation Permits for Activities Along State Trunk
Highways Within Municipal Limits – Those highways are mine, MINE!</channel_Craps_Daffy_edition> - Vehicle Immobilization and Impoundment for Repeated Parking Violations – Huzzah part deux. No Denver Boots for the foreseeable future.
- Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee Commuter Rail Extension Project – Night of the Living Dead lives! DAMMIT!
Mike Huebsch basically let the game clock run out while holding all his time outs. A simple request to sign the Munich Accords as passed "“ veto free "“ would have forced the Governors hand. If Huebsch and his Assembly are truly proud of their work then why allow Doyle to alter it after the fact? I find it hard to believe that Huebsch didn’t know in advance which items were destined for the editing room floor. That is, after all, how the game is played.
Kathy Carpenter, in the previous post comments, points out that legislators are not supposed to vote their conscience, which supports my suspicion that our legislators are not voting their conscience. Politics is a power game and right now the Democrats have the advantage. It would be interesting to know the unwritten verbal "understandings" behind these moves sending Wisconsin deeper into debt with expanded government control of our free society.
Well, down here at UWP, the cuts have hit the administrators, who did their best to cover up the fact that the legislature was requiring them to cut admin. So we had hell week last week where we told all the semester-hire adjuncts were told they should apply at Menards for the Spring. Well, the bad news is that Menards won’t be flooded with new applicants. But we’re going to facing the wrath of cut administrators.
This is compounded with some reparations our campus has with the state. (Let’s just say it involved a newly-appointed faculty member firing golf-balls at the governor’s mansion with a beat-up driver. Let’s just say that each ball said, “Stop Spending, Chrome Dome!” written on it.)
I’m not incredibly pleased with the bond issue.
[…] And now…………… The Budget: […]
I am sure Huebsch knew that the levy limit would be raised to 3.86 and that the tech school limits would be lifted.
As for voting your conscience vs. voting the way your district wants, it’s a balancing equation, if conscience didn’t come into play we could just legislate by robocall polling.
This budget is bad. It was always going to be bad. When you don’t write the original document and only are one third of the negotiators, you’re not going to be left with a good product. Elections matter.
Conservatives did better in this budget than most predicted, due in large part to a strong taxpayer caucus within the Assembly GOP, Huebsch’s ability to leverage his slim majority, and the likes of Owen, Steve, Fred, Kathy and others who held the base’s feet to the fire of the GOP.
The fact that there were only 33 vetoes is a testament to Huebsch. The fact that the frankenstein veto will result in raised taxes is a testament to the voters letting the Dems run the Senate and the East Wing.
[…] I guess the Democrats aren’t pleased either, so maybe it’s what they call a compromise. Steve Egg and dad29 have the conservative rundown. Owen questions Doyle vetoing items in a budget he […]