Revisions/extensions – Patrick once again fills an important function by archiving the Belling knockout of Gard
Mark Belling. Selected exchanges (paraphrased because my fingers aren’t THAT fast) –
Belling – Will you vote for or against the end of the automatic gas tax increase?
Gard – I want to stablize the transportation fund, whines about the Marquette interchange and how outstate has been shortchanged (me – Shortchanged? 2 freeways between Milwaukee and Green Bay, a freeway between Portage and Wausau, 4-lane expressway between Chippewa Falls and Superior, roundabouts all over the place, shall I go on?)
Belling – Again, how will you vote?
Gard – I’m against.
Belling – Join the ‘Rats.
Belling – There’s so much money in the fund that you raided it.
Gard – I didn’t raid the fund.
Belling – The budget you voted for raided the fund.
Gard – Threatening the Marquette Interchange and Milwaukee-area freeway rebuilding.
Belling – Most of the money goes to outstate road construction.
Belling – I want to clarify this.
Gard – I don’t think we’re going to vote on Reynolds’ proposal (me – guess he’s counting on Dale “No talk shows here” Schultz and his fellow ‘Rats on both sides of the aisle killing it in the Senate). Continues to whine about US 41 in his district (me – golly, I don’t recall Michigan having US 41 at more than 2 lanes).
Belling – Minnesota’s gas tax is a dime less.
Gard – Whines about registration fees, says his sister pays $250/year in Minnesota.
Gard – You’ll be happy with the end result.
Belling – You told me that a few months ago about ethanol. What have you guys done this year?
Gard – Starts mentioning a bunch of things they passed (but aren’t law).
Belling – Points out that those things are not law.
Gard – Whines about NE Wisconsin being “shoved to the back of the line again.”
Belling – Lists some of the pork that went up to NE Wisconsin.
Gard – Trots out the vetoed stuff again.
Belling – Points out that it was vetoed, points out that the budget Gard voted for allowed Craps to raid the transportation fund. Challenges Gard to send a straight elimination of the auto gas tax increase to put Craps on the hot seat.
Gard – Trots out TABOR
Belling – I haven’t seen it out of the Assembly yet.
Gard – They will.
Belling – I just want it before I’m dead. Why will it happen in March 2006 when it didn’t happen January/February/March/April/…/2005?
Gard – It will. Glenn Grothman’s working on it. TABOR’s the holy grail.
Belling – There’s a heap of other stuff I haven’t seen out of the Republican Legislature.
Gard – But, but, but we passed a hard property tax freeze 3 times.
Belling – That was vetoed and not overridden 3 times. The base wants results NOW!
Belling cuts Gard short (mainly because Gard’s been spewing a bunch of pap for about 25 minutes). Patrick, hopefully you caught this on the computer :-)
