Sen. Neal Kedzie

During these warm summer months, inclement weather is always to be expected. We prepare, we plan ahead, and we clean up the aftermath; most importantly, we maintain our resolve to stay strong, even in the face of adversity. Over the last several years, the State of Wisconsin has been experiencing its own stormy weather, in the form of massive budget deficits.

But unfortunately, we haven’t done a very good job of preparing and planning for what we know is coming. We got by, but the aftermath of the many past budget storms are far from being cleaned up.

Recently, the non-partisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau – the agency charged with examining state revenue and expenditures – delivered its economic forecast that the next budget cycle will begin with a 2.5 billion dollar deficit. In other words, the next Governor and Legislature, on day one, will be faced with yet another multi-billion dollar problem that obviously has yet to be solved. For years, budgets have been balanced through the use of some state spending reductions, but mostly by gimmicks, account shifts, and most recently, billions of dollars in new tax increases.

Yet, with all that, the state checking account remains in the red, and the storm clouds continue to roll in. The 2009-10 budget was the true testing ground for the use of massive tax hikes in order to balance the budget. Most budgets in the last ten years have had fewer tax and fee increases, and instead, relied on raiding and shifting hundreds of millions of dollars from once-thought protected accounts into the general fund. It was a maneuver which I have been critical of, and one which should not be repeated.

This time around, there were no more funds to raid and very few options left, thus, the deluge of tax increase plans hit businesses, families, and individuals struggling to make ends meet during a down economy. Those tax increases were the most significant reason why I voted against the budget, and not surprisingly, failed to produce any kind of real solvency for state government. With a looming budget deficit, the only plan left to be seriously considered is the most simple of all: cut government spending.

As I have said for quite some time, tough decisions are going to have to be made in order to bring fiscal sanity back to the state of Wisconsin. Other states are already doing it, or coming to the realization it has to be done. The average taxpayer can no longer afford the continued expansion of government, and Wisconsin businesses – the true economic rainmakers of our state – are looking elsewhere for a more serene and stable climate. We may not be able to stop the rains from coming, but at the very least, we can be adequately prepared when they do.

Even though the Legislature is out session, lawmakers – of both political parties – are, or should be, giving great consideration to the next storm that has a onehundred percent chance of hitting. I believe there will be proposals to dramatically reduce state government spending, and to be certain, none of those proposals are going to be popular, and some could be rather painful. But the state can not continue on this course of trying to solve a budget crisis one year, only to have it repeat in the next. To do so is a poor fiscal strategy and leaves the state not only vulnerable to the proverbial rainy day, but also some very severe and stormy weather.

Posted @ 11:00 a.m.

Sen. Mary Lazich

Wednesday, July 14, the Legislative Audit Committee proceeded to waste taxpayer’s time and money. The committee approved three audits, two for busy work and one of some importance. Why is protecting your pocketbooks and promoting good, efficient government so unimportant? Ask the Democrats.

For over a year, I and other legislators have been asking for a full audit of Wisconsin’s Medical Assistance (MA) program. MA includes the traditional medical program serving the elderly, blind, and disabled, and the expanded entitlement of BadgerCare Plus serving primarily low-income children, their families, single adults, and pregnant women.

MA is budgeted at $12.3 billion over the next two years, and we are informed some programs within MA are $300 million, and possibly as much as $850 million, in deficit. What about the other programs within MA? Thanks to new additions like BadgerCare Basic, the program is expanding rapidly. When it comes to government, fast-growing programs are like leaky basements: you know you have mold, and you know you have to deal with it. Democrats on the Audit Committee are either hiding or ignoring the mold. Why?

A couple facts: The Democrats’ budget directed the Department of Health Services (DHS) to reduce MA spending by $600 million and maintain eligibility and benefits. The department is likely reducing payments to hospitals, doctors, and other providers. Who do you suppose is paying that hidden tax? Or is deficit spending running rampant?

BadgerCare was budgeted to serve 24,900 per month. During January 2010, enrollment was 63,644. How is DHS paying for 38,744 additional enrollees?

During January the Audit Committee was called to meet to approve the MA audit scope. Procedure is that upon scope preparation and meeting, it is pretty much rubber-stamped to get an audit rolling. The Democrat chairs of the Finance Committee also serve on the Audit Committee, and blocked the audit during the audit committee meeting, saying the information could be obtained from the Fiscal Bureau. What a slap in the face to both Bureaus that are well respected and recognized throughout the country.

Where there is smoke, there is fire. Wisconsin Shares child care program was found to have millions of dollars of waste and fraud. Food Stamps had one of the highest error rates in the country. It may be that we have already rooted out all the fraud and mismanagement in Wisconsin’s public assistance programs. It may also be that you will win a multi-billion dollar lottery, or that Ryan Braun will win the Major League batting title by going to the plate blindfolded.

Audit MA? No, not necessary, say the Democrats. Instead the Committee approved an audit of the Family Care program. Family Care is a fast-growing part of MA, and an expensive one. Democrats get one star on the five star scale of auditing MA.

The real shame is that we could have had an audit finished by now. By refusing to approve the MA audit, and by waiting so long on the Family Care audit, Democratic leaders have guaranteed exactly one thing. None of this information will be available before the November election.

The Audit Committee approved an audit of the Wisconsin Technical College System programs for working adults. Given today’s economy, adult education is important. It is also a fact that our technical colleges bend over backwards to help nontraditional students get the classes they need, and have the flexibility to react to the market. If the Audit Bureau had nothing else to do, it would be a worthwhile audit.

Finally, the Committee approved an audit of the Sunshine Act, a 2005 law requiring state agencies to post information about contracts and competitive bids on the internet. It seems that many agencies are not doing this, so instead of the Governor and Democratic majorities ordering the agencies they control to follow the law, the Committee voted to have the Audit Bureau use up precious time and resources figuring out the reason.

The Sunshine audit may not be a total loss. During testimony, Government Accountability Board Director Kevin Kennedy pointed out that the goal is transparency in government. He is absolutely right. Toward that end, he said, several other states have successfully implemented websites with all state expenditures listed for the public to see, and accomplished this “at a relatively small cost.”

Kudos to Kevin Kennedy. His testimony went hand in hand with legislation I have been pushing for several years, trying to bring exactly that kind of system to Wisconsin. I was told by the Democrat majority that my transparency bill would cost too much and I was not granted a hearing. I look forward to working with Kevin Kennedy and like-minded legislators to accomplish transparency during the next legislative session.

As for an audit of MA, it will have to wait for a new Governor and legislature.

If you have comments on this or any other issue, please contact me at
Sen.Lazich@legis.wisconsin.gov, www.senatorlazich.com, Senator Mary Lazich, State Capitol, P.O. Box 7882 Madison, WI 53707 or 1-800-334-1442.

Posted @ 9:00 a.m.

Congressman Paul Ryan

Washington, D.C. – Wisconsin’s First District Congressman Paul Ryan continues to speak out about the painful impact of Washington’s misguided economic policies on Wisconsin workers. News broke over the weekend that the Obama Administration killed a contract with Wisconsin employer Bucyrus International Inc. in an effort to “transition away from high-carbon investments,” threatening the livelihoods of hundreds of Wisconsin families. In addition to the direct impact on Bucyrus workers, the South Milwaukee-based employer has 250 suppliers in Wisconsin that employ 15,000 people, according to the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce.

Today, Obama will be meeting with Congressional leaders to map out a legislative strategy to push a costly capand- trade national energy tax through the Senate. The punitive cap-and-trade legislation passed the U.S. House of Representatives one-year prior to this weekend’s painful Bucyrus news. Tomorrow, President Barack Obama will be visiting Racine, Wisconsin – and will no doubt have to explain the consequences of his economic and environmental agenda on Wisconsin jobs to Wisconsin Workers.

Yesterday, Congressman Ryan issued the following statement: “Last Thursday, the U.S. Export-Import Bank announced its intention to deny several hundred million dollars in loan guarantees to Reliance Power Ltd., an Indian utility company building the country’s largest coal-fired power generation station near Sasan, India.

“Bucyrus International Inc., which is based in South Milwaukee, won an international competitive-bidding process to supply an estimated $600 million worth of mining equipment for this project. It is important to note that Bucyrus’ bid relied on favorable financing rates from the Export-Import Bank, whose stated mission is to ‘assist in financing the export of U.S. goods and services to international markets.’ By declining to finance Bucyrus’ bid, as many as one thousand American jobs will be lost, including hundreds in Wisconsin. Worse yet, construction on the Sasan project is already moving forward – but instead of using American-made products – our foreign competitors will now provide the equipment needed for the project.

“Coming on the one-year anniversary of the House’s passage of the cap-and-tax legislation, the Export-Import Bank’s decision provides a troubling sign of things to come. This was the first project considered using the Bank’s new ‘Environmental Guidelines’ for coal powered initiatives, and the statement from Fred Hochberg, the Chairman of the Export-Import Bank, provides chilling insight into the implications of the Administration’s decision-making process for American manufacturers: ‘President Obama has made clear his Administration’s commitment to transition away from high-carbon investments and toward a cleaner-energy future. After careful deliberation, the Export-Import Bank voted not to proceed with this project because of the projected adverse environmental-impact.’

“The Administration’s actions show that attempting to reduce global warming– by a fraction of a degree over the next century – is a higher priority than keeping Wisconsin residents employed now. The vibrancy and competitiveness of the American economy should never take a back seat to political ideology and it’s reprehensible that the Administration has arrived at the faulty conclusion that we are incapable of enacting energy policies that are both environmentally friendly and economically beneficial.

“American products and workers can compete with the best in the world, if they are given the chance- unfortunately, in this instance, they were not. Should the Administration fail to reverse this decision, or worse, should it continue with muscling through a byzantine cap-and-trade scheme, we need only look to Bucyrus to see the repercussions.

“As this flawed political ideology permeates, the U.S. will continue to lose manufacturing jobs to our foreign competitors. This isn’t a question of reducing the carbon footprint of the project – Bucyrus’ foreign competitors will quickly fill the gap left by this narrow-minded decision.

Construction at Sasan will continue with or without the high-quality, environmentally friendly equipment that should have been provided by Bucyrus. Countries like India and China will use ‘dirtier’ technology and production methods, which expel more carbon into the atmosphere, and
ultimately, global temperatures and total emissions will remain unaffected.

“By putting ideology ahead of our nation’s economic well being, this Administration is making a conscious decision to place U.S. companies at a distinct competitive disadvantage at a time when we are struggling to emerge from a prolonged recession. Rather than exporting U.S. jobs and products overseas, Washington should be doing everything possible to promote investment here at home and develop policies which make the U.S. more attractive- rather than less attractive- to international businesses and investors.”

Posted @ 3:45 p.m.

Sen. Neal Kedzie

As the old adage goes, there are two seasons in Wisconsin: winter and road construction.  Each summer, Wisconsin’s roads and highways are dotted with the familiar orange barrels, detour signs, and of course, men and women working the hot summer months making much-needed repairs and improvements.  This is a good opportunity to remind motorists of the current rules of the road regarding construction, as well as provide an update of some of the new laws starting this summer.

Whether it’s a major infrastructure project or a minor pothole fill, it makes sense to plan ahead by checking on construction, which may alter your travel plans.  The Department of Transportation (DOT) has a Web site dedicated to construction projects near your home or on your travel route.  You may visit: www.511wi.gov or simply dial 511 on your phone (air-time free); of course, if your route includes road work areas, you may want to consider either taking an alternate route or allowing for extra time through the construction zone.

While driving in work zones, the DOT has several suggestions for safe and easy travel, including avoiding peak travel hours, watching for special instructions from a flag person or on special electronic message boards, slowing down and merging as early as possible when approaching a work zone, leaving plenty of room for surprise slow-downs of vehicles in front of you, and being alert to narrow lanes and uneven pavement.  Remember, the fines for traffic violations in a road work area are doubled, but only when a crew is on site.

As you head out this summer, you’ll also need to keep in mind a few changes to state law as they relate to operating a vehicle.  First, Wisconsin now has a primary seatbelt enforcement law, which means you could be stopped and cited by law enforcement simply for not wearing a seatbelt.  Previously, a citation could only be issued if you were pulled over for another traffic infraction, however, the new law changes that. According to the DOT, Wisconsin’s safety belt use rate is approximately 74 percent, one of the lowest in the nation.  While some believe this does not constitute a traffic violation, supporters of the new primary seatbelt enforcement law feel it is necessary in order to raise that ranking and educate drivers young and old of the need to buckle up.

Second, beginning this month, drivers in Wisconsin are required to carry proof of automobile insurance coverage, as well as have new minimum amounts of liability coverage. The changes were made in the 2009-10 state budget, which require drivers to have a policy with minimum limits of $15,000 for property damage, $50,000 for the injury or death of one person, and $100,000 for the injury or death of more than one person. Previous amounts were $10,000, $25,000 and $50,000 respectively.  Under the new law, motorists could be cited by law enforcement for not being able to produce proof of insurance, which could lead to a fine up to $500.  While you can not be stopped solely for the purpose of checking your insurance coverage status, this citation authority now exists if you are pulled over for any other reason.

Finally, a new law specifically targeting text messaging will become effective later this year, even though laws against inattentive driving are already in place.  The new law will expressly prohibit sending or reading text messages while driving and come with fines and forfeitures similar to those of the current inattentive driving law.  While the law may be redundant and perhaps difficult to enforce, I believe most would agree texting while driving is an unsafe behavior that may be increasing in frequency.

Summer travel in Wisconsin is vital to our state’s economy and local communities.  I hope you and your family take advantage of the many tourism destinations Wisconsin has to offer, and stay safe during your travels.  If you would like more information, you may visit the Wisconsin Department of Tourism website at: www.travelwisconsin.com or contact my office at anytime.  Enjoy your summer!

Posted @ 3:09 p.m.

Tony Evers

Strong libraries have something of value for everyone in Wisconsin. Beyond books, newspapers and magazines, today’s libraries are a community hub for classes, training opportunities, and so much more.

From adults upgrading their employment skills or searching for a job, to students cramming for an exam or writing a research paper, to young people enjoying story time or checking out their first chapter book, libraries are vital resources for any age. And demand for library services continues to grow. Wisconsin residents checked out 63 million items last year from public libraries and made more than 33 million library visits. Internet-based library services through BadgerLink, the state’s on-line library, are seeing growth as well.

In recognition of the importance of libraries and the services they provide their communities, the American Library Association and libraries across the nation are sponsoring National Library Week, April 11 to 17. Libraries form the heart of every community, which is reflected in this year’s National Library Week theme, “Communities thrive @ your library.”

But libraries are more than buildings. Trained library professionals in our school, academic and public libraries help patrons find resources: in the library, on line, or in the community. They search the world for answers. And, librarians recognize community needs. Recently, as communities struggled with the difficult economy, library staff partnered with job centers and technical colleges to increase programming to teach job skills, help prepare resumes, and facilitate employment searches. Clearly, investments in our libraries provide positive returns for our communities.

Libraries in Wisconsin are great resources. No matter your interest or need, libraries and library staff members are there to help. In honor of National Library Week, April 11 to 17, I encourage everyone to visit their local library and find out how “Communities thrive @ your library.”

Posted @ 6:00 a.m.

Rep. Robin Vos

Madison, WI – Rep. Robin Vos (R-Caledonia) released the following statement today on the passage of a substitute amendment advancing regional taxing authorities throughout the state as well as the KRM commuter rail line:

“It’s unfortunate that the chairman of the Assembly Transportation Committee today denied the public an opportunity for open and honest government. Ramming through a last-minute amendment that was given to members of the committee only moments before voting is exactly why the general public has no faith in their public officials.

“Though the ramifications of this bill won’t be known until a full analysis is done, it’s clear it will allow many new unaccountable, unelected regional taxing authorities to collect new taxes from Wisconsin families. It’s also clear that high speed rail and now KRM commuter rail will suck millions more from a transportation fund that is already in the red.”

Posted @ 5:25 p.m.

Posted @ 1:45 p.m.

Sen. Mary Lazich

Wisconsin was hurt less than other states during the recession. However, Wisconsin does not possess a magic formula to rebound quickly. Job growth is coming. Unfortunately, a return to prosperity will take a long time. Two noted experts shared their economic forecasts at a symposium presented at the state Capitol sponsored by the Wisconsin Legislative Council. Mike Knetter, the Dean of the Wisconsin School of Business at the University of Wisconsin- Madison and Rick Mattoon, Senior Economist and Economic Advisor at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago addressed the U.S. economy and its implications for Wisconsin.

The absence of certain factors prevented Wisconsin from suffering a more severe recession. Wisconsin did not experience the level of overbuilding and excessive lending that swept other parts of the country. News that only Iowa outperformed Wisconsin in the Midwest region during the recession and that Wisconsin’s economy is stabilized provides little, if any consolation to struggling families.

Wisconsin’s unemployment rate has not risen as quickly as the nation’s. American job losses have piled up and returning to previous employment levels will be a daunting task. During August 2009, there were 1.3 million fewer jobs in the United States than had existed during 1999. Richard Mattoon of the Federal Reserve Bank in Chicago does not foresee job growth for a protracted time in part because businesses are hesitant to bring on new employees until they are confident that the downturn is over.

Mattoon offered the audience what could definitely be classified as a worst-case scenario, a study by Rutgers University. Authors calculated America’s job deficit, i.e., job losses plus lack of new job creation, would total 9.39 million by December 2009. “America’s New Post-Recession Employment Arithmetic” reports, “Erasing this deficit will require substantial and sustained employment growth. Even if the nation could add 2.15 million private-sector jobs per year starting in January 2010, it would need to maintain this pace for more than 7 straight years (7.63 years), or until August 2017, to eliminate the jobs deficit!”

So what about Wisconsin? We have our strengths. Remember, we excel in manufacturing, a sector the state has outperformed the rest of the country. Agriculture, higher education, patent counts, research and development, licensing and royalties, and a devoted workforce levels are also huge plusses. Our weaknesses prevent a faster climb out of our economic abyss.

Manufacturing, a longtime Wisconsin trump card, has taken a back seat to a national shift toward knowledge and service economies. Wisconsin has a world class university meaning the state is a high producer of human capital. However, we train these intelligent young people and we export them and their innovations.

Additionally, ideas, products and services created in Wisconsin get commercialized elsewhere due to a culture that is big on modesty and low on willingness to take risks.

UW Business School Dean Michael Knetter contends that because Wisconsin is heavy on manufacturing and light on knowledge and service economies, the state seriously lags the rest of the nation in income and wealth. Richard Mattoon sees Wisconsin’s continuing budget deficits as an issue in need of attention. Michael Knetter’s outlook and advice for Wisconsin: Unemployment will be nine percent at the end of 2010 meaning there will still be a number of discouraged workers. Wisconsin must defend its strengths and at the same time venture into areas like knowledge and service economies that will garner higher profits and wages. He concludes, “We just need to ride out the recession like everyone else.”

Richard Mattoon’s outlook and advice for Wisconsin: The state Department of Revenue predicts pre-recession job levels will not return here until 2012. Wisconsin needs to boost its production and retention of coveted human capital and stabilize its fiscal condition by creating an environment that makes the state a great place to do business.

If you have comments on this or any other issue, please contact me at
Sen.Lazich@legis.wisconsin.gov, www.SenatorLazich.com, Senator Mary Lazich, State Capitol, P.O. Box 7882 Madison, WI 53707 or 1-800-334-1442

Rep. Robin Vos

One of my jobs as a state Representative is to meet with different groups advocating for their positions. The term “interest group” can often get a bad rap and invoke thoughts of giant unions or corporations strong arming their views on members of the legislature. But the truth is interest groups come in all sizes, and being allowed to express their views to their elected officials is the cornerstone of our great democracy.

I recently had the pleasure of meeting with some Racine and Kenosha County farmers who came to the Capitol for their annual Agriculture Day to update their elected officials on the issues most important to them.

These farmers were concerned about many different state-level issues. Below is a list of the major points they made when they were here:

Use Value Assessment – Farmers who have large acreage in Wisconsin where property taxes are extremely high depend on the use value assessment to stay profitable. They wanted to make their opposition known to a Senate budget provision (that was eventually removed) that would have excluded land zoned or platted from being eligible for use value assessment. Some farmers reported passage of this provision would have cost them hundreds of thousands in additional property tax costs.

Animal Welfare – Other states have undergone ballot initiatives driven by animal rights groups that propose more restrictive livestock regulations. Farmers contend that Wisconsin’s animal care regulations are perfectly fine and meticulously followed, and that nothing should be done to further restrict animal care or husbandry regulations.

Governor’s Global Warming Bill - As I’ve mentioned in a previous eupdate, the Governor’s Global Warming bill has numerous proposals that will have a tremendous impact on families and businesses all over the state if it passes. The farmers I met with on Ag Day are opposed because of stipulations on new construction, emissions limitations for medium duty vehicles, and a crop reserve program to be administered by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection. They also expressed extreme concern for increased energy costs and believe that this issue should be tackled at the national level.

Attendees of Ag Day also expressed concern for farmland preservation zoning legislation, the right to sell raw milk, and watershed nutrient management standards currently being proposed in rule-form by the Department of Natural Resources.

Though many people think of southeastern Wisconsin being more of an urban center than an agricultural hub, we still have many famers who contribute a great deal to the economy. It’s important that their concerns are balanced along side other interest groups in southeastern Wisconsin. I was happy to meet with them, as I am to meet with any group from Racine County who has concerns about legislation at the state level.

Posted @ 9:45 p.m.

Barbara Lawton

A large crowd is expected to rally on the state capitol steps to protest the U.S. Supreme Court’s action in Citizens United inviting corporations to spend freely in elections. The Court has been described as “dancing on democracy’s corpse.”

I’m not ready to write the obituary. Too many of us are paying attention now and we’re ready to fight. A bipartisan poll last week found voters opposed by a 2-1 ratio to the court’s ruling. 75% of us believe special interests already wield too much influence; 79% are convinced members of Congress are “controlled by” those who finance their political campaigns.

The voting public of all political stripes is not ready to go along with those justices who argued that first amendment rights were not just for human beings, but also attached to legal fictions known as corporations. While an outcry to amend the U.S. constitution to fully protect our democracy builds across the nation, we have an elegantly simple, fully researched strategy at hand that the Wisconsin state legislature could advance right now to get the “money changers” off the floor of both houses in the capitol.

If we want honest debate –on health care, school funding, global climate change etc.— and if we are to have government we can afford, the only sure path leads to a voluntary system of public funding of campaigns. It is the only way to guarantee our elected representatives can work in the public interest instead bowing to the demands of special interests.

Voluntary public funding would provide a competitive alternative to the existing private money system by matching small, in-state donations with public funds for qualifying candidates who forego large donations. Unlike traditional limits-based campaign finance regulations, which the current U.S. Supreme Court has treated with escalating skepticism, voluntary public funding systems add no limits to existing law and instead expand First Amendment rights by ensuring that money is not the only qualification for
entering political debate.

Voluntary public funding is sure to withstand constitutional scrutiny and strong legislation is already written, waiting for sponsors to move it forward.

In a democracy defined today by its strong ideological divide, public funding for campaigns enjoys broad support across partisan lines: a recent poll showed 69% of Democrats, 64% of Republicans, and 66% of Independents favor the proposal.

If enacted here, Wisconsin would join eight states from Arizona to Maine that currently offer voluntary public funding to qualifying candidates for state legislative, judicial and statewide office. Experience across these states shows large majorities of candidates participate voluntarily; electoral competition, candidate diversity, voter turnout, and small donor participation increase markedly; and wasteful spending programs directly tied to private campaign contributions are reduced.

The Wisconsin Democracy Campaign reported $32.3 million spent on the 2006 governor’s race between the candidates, independent expenditures and issue ads. Strategists predict that number will reach a stratospheric $50 million this year.

We can’t let that shocking decision of the majority of justices on the U.S. Supreme Court anthropomorphize big business and relegate human beings to permanent status as second-class citizens. We can’t afford to wait for change through the long process of a constitutional amendment. And we can’t think that mere disclosure –putting nametags on those bidding on bills before our legislature—will ensure a healthy democracy.

Let’s turn anger into action: insist Wisconsin’s legislators pass a strong bill for complete public funding of campaigns so the business of the people may be done with our confidence and trust that smart public policy will bring government we can afford.

Posted @ 4:30 p.m.

Sen. Scott Fitzgerald

On Wednesday, the Racine Journal Times featured an editorial describing the misleading job-creation numbers released by Governor Doyle’s office. After the Democrat party suffered several high-profile losses on the national stage, Wisconsin Democrats finally realized that it was time to discuss the jobs crisis in our state.  Unfortunately for Racine County citizens, this empty election-year rhetoric lacks anything meaningful.

As Senator John Lehman (D-Racine) was busy crafting the disastrous state budget last spring, he and his Democrat colleagues somehow rationalized that hammering the state’s business community with $5 billion in tax increases would not cost them political points.  For months, they portrayed the budget bill as a responsible piece of legislation that will benefit the average taxpayer. That’s why it was refreshing to see Lehman’s colleague, Senator Jim Holperin (D-Conover), recently admit in an email to a constituent that Democrats have raised enough taxes and fees to “sink a good sized battleship.”   They also convinced themselves that somehow Wisconsin would not hemorrhage jobs because of their actions.  Now, six months and 93,400 lost jobs later, it’s clear that they completely missed the mark.

During debate on the Senate floor several weeks ago, Senator Lehman claimed that the state legislature has a “relatively limited effect” on the state’s economy and downplayed state government’s responsibility for “all of the job losses.”  To be fair, he also noted that the legislature shouldn’t take full credit when jobs are created.  While I agree with him that jobs are created mainly in the private sector by hard-working entrepreneurs, his reasoning that his actions in the Senate have nothing to do with Racine’s dismal employment situation is completely misguided.

The state legislature is the foremost actor in creating an attractive business environment for companies to locate and grow in Wisconsin.  State government is tasked with setting the tax and regulatory environment for job creators. When it makes that environment so burdensome and crippling that companies are forced to shut down or leave the state, it absolutely should be blamed for facilitating job loss.

When Racine Residential Care closed its doors last March, leaving 55 people out of work and 39 special-needs residents without a home, the facility’s administrator cited the increase in the nursing home bed-tax as a primary reason.  Senator Lehman voted for this tax hike, in addition to numerous others that were snuck into the state budget during closed-door, middle-of-the-night negotiations.  Either Senator Lehman does not understand the impact that his actions have on Racine companies, or he recognizes his vulnerability in the 2010 fall elections and is desperately trying to deflect blame for the problems his irresponsible votes have caused.

Over the last year, the Senate Republican’s Wisconsin Jobs Now Task Force took the initiative to meet with job creators all over the state, and the result was a comprehensive package of ideas that was turned into an aggressive, pro-job legislative agenda.  Senate Republicans have a plan, and we are urging Senate Democrats to join us in a bipartisan effort to pass these reforms and spur economic recovery.  Senator Lehman and his colleagues, however, have chosen politics over policy, rhetoric over results, and excuses over execution in an attempt to salvage their majority-hold on the Wisconsin State Senate.

It is clear that when it comes to jobs, Senator Lehman only cares about one – his own.

Scott Fitzgerald represents the 13^th Senate District and has served as the Senate Republican Leader since 2007.
Posted @ 10:48 p.m.

Rep. Robin Vos

Madison, WI – Last year’s budget, as I’ve detailed in countless e-updates, was chock-full of bad policies.  My update this week will not focus on something bad in the budget, and instead will report about something that wasn’t included in the budget and should have been:  language to adopt federal tax changes with regard to retirement account conversion.

In 2005, the federal government updated the tax code under the Tax Increase Prevention & Reconciliation Act.  This update permanently allows taxpayers to convert traditional IRAs to Roth IRAs, regardless of the amount of adjusted growth income, thereby allowing retirees to avoid a huge tax at retirement in exchange for giving up the yearly contribution deduction.

Because there is an immediate tax burden to converting from a traditional to a Roth, a provision was added to the 2005 legislation to encourage conversion in 2010.  This provision does away with immediate tax payment and instead allows the tax to be paid over two tax years.  However, if they’d like to do so, converters may choose to pay the tax in its entirety in 2011.  The provision also allows savers to avoid the standard 10% early withdrawal fee and the 6% annual excess IRA funding penalty.

In order for this tax incentive to be available for those couples and single filers who have an adjusted gross income of $100,000 or more per year, Wisconsin would have needed  to adopt the federal tax changes in last year’s budget.  However, Democrats failed to do so and now Wisconsin is the only state in the country that hasn’t adopted the changes.

Because of this, any Wisconsinite who converts will be subject to a 3.33% early distribution penalty and they will also most likely be subject to a 2% excess IRA funding penalty that will be assessed every year in the future as long as there is an excess in the Roth IRA.

You may ask why Wisconsin Democrats allowed Wisconsin to be the only state in the nation to ignore this tax benefit for those saving for retirement.  The answer is because they feared it might cost the general fund a few million dollars.   During the Joint Finance process Democrats received numbers indicating that the federalization might lower revenues, and instead of doing what is best for Wisconsin retirees, they did what was best for the state’s coffers.

Shortly after that, the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau released a report showing that federalizing actually increases revenues in the state’s general fund and still saves money for Wisconsin taxpayers.  In response Republicans introduced a bill to complete the federal adoption outside the budget process.  Right after that, Democrats stole the bill and started moving it through the Legislature. Despite that fact, they still failed to get it done by the end of the year to make it easier for tax filers.

There may still be hope, as the Democrats did advance the bill out of committee this week.  If it is passes both houses and is signed by the governor, tax filers will be able to take advantage of the conversion benefit retroactively.  I am not sure what the hold- up has been, but I am hopeful that they will move quickly enough to get this done before the April 15^th deadline.

The tax burden in Wisconsin is already bad enough – especially for retirees.  Failure to do this will just be adding insult to injury for many Wisconsin residents who are either close to retirement or who have been diligent savers in anticipation of pending retirement

Posted @ 9:18 a.m.

Sen. Russ Feingold

“Black History Month is a time to honor the rich heritage and remarkable contributions of African-Americans in Wisconsin and across our nation. And, one year after the inauguration of our country’s first African-American president, our nation can reflect on how far we have come, and the civil rights we have successfully fought for, in just one generation.

“But it is also a time to rededicate ourselves to the fight for justice and equality for all Americans. While our nation faces serious challenges at home and abroad, people across Wisconsin and the nation are hurting, and the pain of this recession has been felt by so many African-American families. That just underscores how important it is that every American has access to the same opportunities for employment, education, health care, and more. As we honor the tremendous contributions of African-Americans, we must keep fighting to ensure equal access to those opportunities, during Black History Month and throughout the year.”

Posted @ 12:30 a.m.

Senator Mary Lazich

Wisconsin is poised to gut abstinence education and pave the way for a radical expansion of the kinds of issues that can be discussed in human growth and development classes.

Governor Doyle is prepared to sign approved legislation into law that will require public schools that teach sex education to include instruction about the use of condoms and discussion about sexually transmitted diseases. The new law will be a dramatic departure from current procedures and is sure to anger and upset many parents.

Under current Wisconsin law, local school boards are allowed to determine if and how sex education is taught to students in their school districts. Legislation approved by the state Senate and Assembly that I voted against will eliminate the autonomy local school districts now have to provide the instruction they consider to be the best for their students. School districts will no longer be allowed to teach an abstinence-only curriculum. A wide-ranging sex education curriculum will be established, including non-judgmental instruction on alternative lifestyles and behaviors.

During the 2005 legislative session, I authored legislation that is currently Wisconsin law that requires school boards that choose to provide sex education to present abstinence as the preferred choice of behavior.

I authored the abstinence legislation because there is only one method that is 100 percent effective in preventing unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. It is abstinence. That is indisputable. Health professionals agree that abstinence is the healthiest choice for teens. The abstinence law is a common sense approach to an adolescent health issue

In order to make the choice to be abstinent, teens must have access to abstinence instruction and be equipped with accurate information about the consequences resulting from sexual activity. The legislation Governor Doyle signs will make opportunities for teens to hear this critically important message far less likely.

On behalf of a local school district that requested a positive change in the legislation, I proposed an amendment on the floor of the state Senate that would allow a school district that currently offers a comprehensive sex education curriculum and an abstinence-only curriculum to have the option of choosing an abstinence-only program. The school district asking for the amendment now offers the two options to parents. I found their request to be a reasonable compromise. My amendment was rejected by the state Senate along party lines.

Another troubling provision prohibits school districts from being judgmental or biased against sexually active students. My colleagues and I that oppose the legislation emphasize this is a logical scenario to be judgmental. The emphatic instruction to children is that they should not be having sex, period.

A significant change was made to the legislation under an amendment that requires school boards that provide sex education to instruct students about the criminal penalties for engaging in sexual activities involving a child, and sex offender registration requirements. The amendment passed unanimously and is the only bright spot in a highly risky bill.

The new law will be dangerous because it guts abstinence instruction, mandates the instruction of elements of sex education that will make many parents uncomfortable and angry, and removes local control from local school districts. State government should not be telling local school districts and parents it knows best, especially about an issue as sensitive as sex education.

If you have comments on this or any other issue, please contact me at Sen.Lazich@legis.wisconsin.gov, www.SenatorLazich.com, Senator Mary Lazich, State Capitol, P.O. Box 7882 Madison, WI 53707 or 1-800-334-1442.

Posted @ 6:10 p.m.

Racine, WI -  Shortly after updated unemployment figures showed Racine County on the verge of double-digit unemployment, and the city of Racine holding steady at the second-highest unemployment rate in the state, state senate candidate Van Wanggaard issued the following statement:“It is unfortunate that the 21^st State Senate District took a step backwards with regards to employment over the last month.  There is no issue of greater importance to the Racine area than job creation and retention.  While the effects of the economic downturn have contributed to the loss of good paying jobs, our current state senator has intensified the situation by crafting fiscally repressive tax and regulatory policies.

I have made it my primary goal to meet face-to-face with as many job creators as possible to gather feedback and ideas.  Last Saturday, I walked down Main Street in Union Grove and spoke to the village’s business owners about what they need to see happen in Madison to help them keep their doors open.  The feedback I got was what I expected: stop the tax hikes, stop the overregulation, and allow us to do what is in the best interest of our business so that we can retain our employees and prosper as a result of our hard work.

Senator Lehman has been busy touting his C.O.R.E. Jobs bill over the last few weeks. The bill essentially spreads a few million dollars amongst the state’s business community in an attempt to make up for the $5 billion tax hike that the state legislature levied on it last year.  While I am glad to see Senator Lehman finally doing something…anything…related to jobs, Racine citizens know the bill is nothing more than a PR stunt to fool voters into thinking he is being proactive on economic issues.

I urge Senator Lehman the use the last few months of the legislative session to work across the aisle and undo some of the damage that he and his colleagues on the budget-writing committee have done to Racine’s employment situation.”

Van Wanggaard is a lifelong Racine resident, and currently serves on the Racine County Board of Supervisors.

Posted @ 3:20 p.m.

Sen. Neal Kedzie

When the traditional nine-day gun deer hunt season ended last November, a new season began: the hunt for answers to an abysmal season.  For those who have been following this issue, it should come as no surprise that answers have been hard to find.  Over the last month or so, nearly 10,000 deer hunters contacted my office through an informal deer hunt survey offered on my legislative Web site to express their concerns with the recent hunt.

In December, I handed a 385-page document which detailed those concerns to the Secretary of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) during a joint committee public hearing on the 2009 deer hunt.  In addition, hundreds of deer hunters took time out of their day and traveled to Madison to share their disappointing deer hunting experiences.

To be certain, there was no shortage of anger and frustration with the hunt, and an overwhelming call for change.  Of those who responded to my survey, 70 percent did not harvest a deer this past season, with nearly 50 percent only seeing three deer or less.  Because of the low numbers, many hunters believe the deer population in Wisconsin is much lower than the DNR estimates, and has been much lower for some time.  In order to restore Wisconsin’s tradition as a great place to deer hunt, Wisconsin will first have to restore the deer population.

Wisconsin deer hunters are riled, as well they should be.  The number of deer harvested this season is 29 percent lower than last year.  On top of that, rules and regulations are cumbersome and complicated, the practice of Earn-a-buck is highly unpopular, the Chronic Wasting Disease program has spent $42 million to date with few measurable results, over-hunting may be occurring due to multiple special seasons, such as Zone-T, December hunt, holiday hunt, and so on.  Hunters are also questioning the validity and methodology used for counting deer and their predators, namely wolves and bears.

Deer hunting is not only a Wisconsin tradition, but a $1 billion dollar economic boon to the state.  Hunters provide nearly $20 million through hunting fees, and according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the average hunter spends $1,868 each season for food and lodging, transportation, equipment, and licenses.  Without this infusion of cash, communities throughout the state would feel the pinch, and any decrease in revenue from hunting license fees would greatly harm our ability to maintain, preserve, and protect many of our treasured natural resources.  The relationship between the hunting community and the DNR must be mended, and it begins with establishing more sensible population goals and methods for calculating and structuring the deer herd.

It is my hope the Department understands the seriousness of the situation and responds to the concerns raised by hunters.  The policies the DNR proposes to the Natural Resources Board this April for the 2010 hunting season will be the measure of that understanding.  If they fail in those proposals, the Legislature may be forced to take a more direct approach.  Traditionally, the DNR has been charged with the task of managing the deer herd and hunt, and the Legislature has taken a more passive role.  However, that could change if a new approach is not taken in 2010.

Hunters are the eyes and ears in the woods, spending hours in the same habitat with the deer population.  Their participation in the democratic process here in the Legislature is a valuable tool for both lawmakers and agency officials.  The Legislature should continue to act in a bi-partisan manner – in conjunction with the DNR, the Conservation Congress, and the hunting community at large – to address many of the concerns raised at the legislative hearings.  I believe we all share a mutual goal to maintain a manageable and healthy deer population in Wisconsin for generations to come.  The challenge will now be to find the best approach to meet that goal.

Posted @ 5:34 a.m.

The global economic recession has hit Wisconsin hard. More than 120,000 jobs have been lost in our state during this recession, and beyond this many people are underemployed. Most experts are now predicting it may take years to restore the jobs lost during this deep, lengthy recession. As the national economy improves, Wisconsin will have to compete with other states to be sure jobs are retained, and new jobs created in our state.

Unfortunately, Wisconsin’s business climate is rated low on most national surveys. We must act to transform the Wisconsin business environment to create jobs!

States ranked with a more robust business climate have:

• Tax systems that are low, fair, and simple to administer.
• Business-friendly regulatory systems that issue needed permits quickly and efficiently.
• Fair and predictable civil justice systems.
• Aggressive programs which bring together the resources of government and education to assist existing businesses with expansion, as well as recruiting new businesses.

All Wisconsin citizens have a stake in improving the Wisconsin business climate. A strong, free-market economy provides the tax base necessary to support government’s role in educating, building infrastructure, protecting the environment, and caring for the needy.

The top priority for government officials at all levels must be to implement policies that foster private business growth and improve Wisconsin’s overall business climate to create jobs. Private business is the engine of prosperity, not government. We must position Wisconsin to lead the national recovery or risk further stagnation and decline.

Three game-changing priorities are the key to this transformation. Adopting these priorities and taking actions to implement them will demonstrate that Wisconsin is serious about becoming the most competitive state in the nation.

Wisconsin Jobs 2010 Agenda

Living Within Our Means
Controlling government spending means more money in consumers’ pockets, and enables business to create more jobs for our families. We need to limit government spending and provide tax relief for individuals and businesses. That starts by:

• Putting limits on government spending increases and setting aside money for a rainy day fund.
• Balancing the state budget under generally accepted accounting principles.
• Sending a message to the world that Wisconsin is open for business by repealing recently
  enacted tax increases and providing incentives for job creation.

Unleashing Private Investment
When employers are burdened with unnecessary regulation, it costs us jobs. Fair regulations keep us safe; unfair regulations and regulatory delays lead to slower growth and higher unemployment. That starts by:

• Ensuring state regulations are in line with federal regulations and those in competitive states.
• Establishing the Department of Commerce as the central business permitting agency, charged with quickly and aggressively securing all needed approvals for economic development.

Ensuring Justice for All
Everyone deserves a day in court. A fair legal system provides a stable climate for job creation.
But frivolous lawsuits and other lawsuit abuse hampers job creation. That starts by:

• Enacting comprehensive product liability and other legal reforms.
• Establish strict limits on punitive damage awards.

It is time to act in bold ways to improve Wisconsin’s business climate and create jobs! The quality of life we enjoy in Wisconsin hinges on assuring a strong economy with a growing job base.

The global economic recession has hit Wisconsin hard. More than 120,000 jobs have been lost in our state during this recession, and beyond this many people are underemployed. Most experts are now predicting it may take years to restore the jobs lost during this deep, lengthy recession. As the national economy improves, Wisconsin will have to compete with other states to be sure jobs are retained, and new jobs created in our state.

Unfortunately, Wisconsin’s business climate is rated low on most national surveys. We must act to transform the Wisconsin business environment to create jobs!

States ranked with a more robust business climate have:

• Tax systems that are low, fair, and simple to administer.
• Business-friendly regulatory systems that issue needed permits quickly and efficiently.
• Fair and predictable civil justice systems.
• Aggressive programs which bring together the resources of government and education to assist existing businesses with expansion, as well as recruiting new businesses.

All Wisconsin citizens have a stake in improving the Wisconsin business climate. A strong, free-market economy provides the tax base necessary to support government’s role in educating, building infrastructure, protecting the environment, and caring for the needy.

The top priority for government officials at all levels must be to implement policies that foster private business growth and improve Wisconsin’s overall business climate to create jobs. Private business is the engine of prosperity, not government. We must position Wisconsin to lead the national recovery or risk further stagnation and decline.

Three game-changing priorities are the key to this transformation. Adopting these priorities and taking actions to implement them will demonstrate that Wisconsin is serious about becoming the most competitive state in the nation.

Wisconsin Jobs 2010 Agenda

Living Within Our Means
Controlling government spending means more money in consumers’ pockets, and enables business to create more jobs for our families. We need to limit government spending and provide tax relief for individuals and businesses. That starts by:

• Putting limits on government spending increases and setting aside money for a rainy day fund.
• Balancing the state budget under generally accepted accounting principles.
• Sending a message to the world that Wisconsin is open for business by repealing recently
  enacted tax increases and providing incentives for job creation.

Unleashing Private Investment
When employers are burdened with unnecessary regulation, it costs us jobs. Fair regulations keep us safe; unfair regulations and regulatory delays lead to slower growth and higher unemployment. That starts by:

• Ensuring state regulations are in line with federal regulations and those in competitive states.
• Establishing the Department of Commerce as the central business permitting agency, charged with quickly and aggressively securing all needed approvals for economic development.

Ensuring Justice for All
Everyone deserves a day in court. A fair legal system provides a stable climate for job creation.
But frivolous lawsuits and other lawsuit abuse hampers job creation. That starts by:

• Enacting comprehensive product liability and other legal reforms.
• Establish strict limits on punitive damage awards.

It is time to act in bold ways to improve Wisconsin’s business climate and create jobs! The quality of life we enjoy in Wisconsin hinges on assuring a strong economy with a growing job base.

The global economic recession has hit Wisconsin hard. More than 120,000 jobs have been lost in our state during this recession, and beyond this many people are underemployed. Most experts are now predicting it may take years to restore the jobs lost during this deep, lengthy recession. As the national economy improves, Wisconsin will have to compete with other states to be sure jobs are retained, and new jobs created in our state.

Unfortunately, Wisconsin’s business climate is rated low on most national surveys. We must act to transform the Wisconsin business environment to create jobs!

States ranked with a more robust business climate have:

• Tax systems that are low, fair, and simple to administer.
• Business-friendly regulatory systems that issue needed permits quickly and efficiently.
• Fair and predictable civil justice systems.
• Aggressive programs which bring together the resources of government and education to assist existing businesses with expansion, as well as recruiting new businesses.

All Wisconsin citizens have a stake in improving the Wisconsin business climate. A strong, free-market economy provides the tax base necessary to support government’s role in educating, building infrastructure, protecting the environment, and caring for the needy.

The top priority for government officials at all levels must be to implement policies that foster private business growth and improve Wisconsin’s overall business climate to create jobs. Private business is the engine of prosperity, not government. We must position Wisconsin to lead the national recovery or risk further stagnation and decline.

Three game-changing priorities are the key to this transformation. Adopting these priorities and taking actions to implement them will demonstrate that Wisconsin is serious about becoming the most competitive state in the nation.

Wisconsin Jobs 2010 Agenda

Living Within Our Means
Controlling government spending means more money in consumers’ pockets, and enables business to create more jobs for our families. We need to limit government spending and provide tax relief for individuals and businesses. That starts by:

• Putting limits on government spending increases and setting aside money for a rainy day fund.
• Balancing the state budget under generally accepted accounting principles.
• Sending a message to the world that Wisconsin is open for business by repealing recently
  enacted tax increases and providing incentives for job creation.

Unleashing Private Investment
When employers are burdened with unnecessary regulation, it costs us jobs. Fair regulations keep us safe; unfair regulations and regulatory delays lead to slower growth and higher unemployment. That starts by:

• Ensuring state regulations are in line with federal regulations and those in competitive states.
• Establishing the Department of Commerce as the central business permitting agency, charged with quickly and aggressively securing all needed approvals for economic development.

Ensuring Justice for All
Everyone deserves a day in court. A fair legal system provides a stable climate for job creation.
But frivolous lawsuits and other lawsuit abuse hampers job creation. That starts by:

• Enacting comprehensive product liability and other legal reforms.
• Establish strict limits on punitive damage awards.

By James S. Haney, WMC President

Posted @ 5:34 a.m.

Racine, WI  – State Senate candidate Van Wanggaard issued a statement today criticizing the state’s “early release” program for felons that was passed as part of the state budget:

“The felon early release program directly impacts public safety by releasing dangerous criminals back into their communities before their sentences are complete.  This policy was snuck into the budget bill without public debate, and it directly undermines the justice system by taking sentencing power out of the hands of judges and placing it in the hands of government bureaucrats. My opponent, Senator John Lehman, had a hand in writing the state budget and voted for the final version of the bill.

As a former police officer, I am concerned that these dangerous criminals will return to their communities and end up committing the same crimes, a concern shared by Racine’s own police chief.  With the city of Racine facing the second highest unemployment rate in the state, and the county of Racine struggling with nearly 10% unemployment, sending felons back to the community where law-abiding citizens are having trouble finding work is a recipe for disaster and an invitation for them to reoffend.

Senator Lehman and his colleagues have clearly forgotten that the #1 priority of an elected official is to ensure public safety.  The minimal cost savings that will be realized by releasing felons from prison early is not a valid excuse to compromise the safety of Racine citizens and place added strain on local law enforcement departments.

I urge Senator Lehman to support efforts to repeal the early release program, and to protect the constituents whom he has repeatedly failed to represent.”

The early release program includes crimes such as armed robbery, carjacking, and child abuse as felonies that are eligible for sentencing modification.  Last month, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn suspended his state’s similar program after several violent crimes were committed by felons who had been released early.

Posted @ 3:38 p.m.

Sen. Mary Lazich

There were many important issues state government addressed during the past year. Here are some top ten state government news stories of 2009.

10) PUBLIC ENEMIES – The long-awaited film, “Public Enemies” starring Johnny Depp that was filmed in several Wisconsin locations during 2008 opened in theaters July 1, 2009. Unfortunately the Governor increased taxes for filmmakers in the 2009-2011 state budget.

9) DEER HUNT –Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Secretary Matt Frank sent a letter to the Natural Resources Board removing a proposal to extend the deer season to 16 days from the board’s December agenda. Angry hunters bagged the fewest deer in 27 years according to initial figures from the DNR. The 2009 harvest of 195,647 deer is a 29 percent decline from 2008’s harvest of 276,985 deer.

8 ) AUTO INSURANCE RATES – Legislative Democrats and the governor pushed and voted for state budget provisions that are directly responsible for higher insurance costs that are making consumers angry. As a result, premiums and tempers are on the rise. Prior to approval of the 2009-2011 state budget, Wisconsin enjoyed some of the lowest auto insurance rates in the nation. Dramatic changes brought on by government mandates were unnecessary.

7) LETTING PRISONERS OUT EARLY – The state budget allows the early release of certain felons. So far, inmates have not been released. I advocate as much delay as possible. The Capital Times this year examined a Council of State Governments Justice Center report, writing that, “A majority of inmates are incarcerated because they re-offend or violate the terms of their release. In 2007, 55 percent of prison inmates had violated terms of their parole, probation or extended supervision or were re-offenders who had committed a new crime.”

6) BUSINESS LEADERS SPEAK OUT – Republican lawmakers held listening sessions around the state giving business people an opportunity to share their expertise about the state’s business climate. Some of the more noteworthy comments I heard at one session:

“I have never felt welcomed by state government.”

“We’re being demonized as businesspeople for making profits. Being a success is not a crime. We’re scared because we’re seeing everything evaporate before our very eyes.”

“Let me keep more of my money and I’ll invest it and hire people.”

5) WISCONSIN SHARES – A Milwaukee Journal Sentinel investigation turned up astounding levels of fraud in Wisconsin Shares, the state’s child care program, identifying nearly $750,000 in suspicious child care disbursements. I requested an audit of the program that discovered problems including lack of documentation, illegal immigrants receiving benefits, and child care rings, with friends and family members paid by the state to take turns caring for each others’ children. Eight instances were found in which convicted felons or individuals that abused or neglected children were employed by or reported living in child care facilities.

4) WASTING STIMULUS MONEY – After the state Legislature approved a huge state stimulus package, I asked, “What happens when this one-time money dries up?” The stimulus did not solve our state budget problems, and it did not create sustaining jobs. If we could not use the stimulus money in ways that would actually stimulate the economy, then it should be used on infrastructure. Our water in various areas of the state is questionably unsafe. Uncontrollable contamination of Lake Michigan is profoundly reckless. The Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District continues to dump billions of gallons of raw sewage into Lake Michigan. We should have invested our stimulus package in our sewer and water systems.

3) QEO – The 2009-11 state budget eliminated the Qualified Economic Offer (QEO) that for many years kept Wisconsin property taxes somewhat in check. The nonpartisan Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance (WISTAX) reports, “School property tax levies for 2009-10 are up 6.0%.” Losing the QEO will hurt property taxpayers.

2) EARLY VOTING – I was very disappointed to learn that a photo ID requirement was not part of the Government Accountability Board’s 2009-2014 Election Administration Plan. The overwhelming majority of the public demands a display of a photo ID before being issued a ballot to ensure fairness and clean elections. Requiring a photo ID to vote would have fulfilled stated goals of the GAB plan including improving election administration and protecting voting integrity.

1) THE FISCALLY IRRESPONSIBLE STATE BUDGET – The Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance notes the governor only vetoed about $10 million or less than 0.02 percent out of a bloated 2009-11 state budget during a recession. Only eight of 67 identified earmarks were vetoed from a budget crafted primarily in secret. The budget increased spending 9.4 percent. Out of all the tax increases, the largest was in individual income taxes totaling $529.8 million. Wisconsin’s growth in per capita income ranking is one of the lowest in the nation.

Here’s to a less taxing and spending 2010 in Wisconsin with far less fraud, government intervention, and regulation.

Posted @ 9:00 p.m.

Sen. Neal Kedzie

Madison, WI – Day in and day out, my office receives hundreds of calls, e-mails, and letters regarding a variety of issues.  Many times, an opinion or a position on proposed legislation is expressed, or it might be a question or concern of a government program or agency. Whatever it may be, I welcome any and all input from my constituents and am happy to respond to their concerns.  In order to make it as easy as possible, here is some very basic information if you’re considering contacting your state or federal lawmakers.

The first step is to establish who represents you in the State Senate, Assembly, or United State Congress.  The easiest way to find out who your elected officials at both the state and federal level are is to visit the Legislature’s Web site at: www.legis.state.wi.us and click on “Who Represents Me?”  From there, you will be asked for your mailing address in order to establish your legislative district.  Contact information for each of your State and Federal legislators will also be provided.

The second step is to determine whether the matter is a state or federal issue which would guide you to contact either your representatives in Madison or Washington D.C.  Examples of federal issues may include national security, federal income taxes, immigration, oil prices, and Medicare.  State issues may include state taxes and fees, election reform, public school financing, and state health care programs.

If you’re tracking a legislative proposal and would like to submit a position of support or opposition to me, having as much information in advance is always helpful.  Bills introduced in the Senate are denoted as ‘Senate Bill’ or ‘SB’ followed by a corresponding number.  Similarly, Assembly Bills are denoted as ‘AB’ with a corresponding number.  If you are not certain of the bill number, we may still be able to assist you if you have specific information relating to the bill’s topic.  Once your position on a bill is filed, I can better gauge sentiment on a particular issue that may come to a committee I serve on, or to a vote by the full Senate.  Thus, it’s important to have as much accurate information as possible.

While I welcome comments through a variety of sources, my Web site is perhaps the easiest way to reach me at: www.SenatorKedzie.com Although my Madison office closes after 5:00 p.m., my virtual office is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  There, you can find all of my contact information, read up on new and pressing issues before the Legislature, and even sound off on a couple of topical surveys.  At present, two surveys are up and running: a 2009 Deer Hunt survey and a 2010 Legislative Priority survey.  The Deer Hunt survey has only been up for a short period of time, and already more than 10,000 people have filled it out.

Finally, you may be interested in some useful tools to help you track legislation of interest.  From the Legislature’s Web site (www.legis.state.wi.us ), you can sign up to receive automatic e-mail alerts on any legislative activity.  For example, if taxes are your main concern, you can request an e-mail be sent to your account each time a bill regarding taxes is introduced or scheduled for action in the state legislature.  You may also track issues by a specific legislator, or specific committee.  Signing up is easy and step by step instructions are available.  Simply click on “Notification Service” and follow the directions.  As always, you may type in the bill number and see where the proposal is at in the legislative process.

Communicating with your elected officials at all levels of government is vitally important to ensuring your interests are being fairly represented.  Perhaps not all problems or concerns can be solved with a simple telephone call or e-mail; but often times, it can go a long way to finding a resolution or establishing a position that many others may hold.  Getting involved and staying involved is the best way to make government work for you, and the best way to do so is to let your voice be heard.

Posted @ 3:16 p.m.

Van Wanggaard

Racine,WI  – State Senate candidate Van Wanggaard issued the following statement regarding the property tax increases that Racine County residents should expect upon receiving their bills in the coming weeks:

“Municipal and school district officials faced tough budgeting decisions this year, and in most cases had to decide between cutting essential services or increasing property tax levies. While several economic factors contributed to the budget shortfalls, cuts made to municipal and school aid payments by the state legislature were the most detrimental.”

“My opponent Senator Lehman voted for these cuts. RUSD, for example, will receive $3 million less from the state than it did last year, and BASD will lose roughly $1 million.

Racine County and its local governments will collectively see a $1 million reduction in state assistance. And virtually all of the villages and towns in the county saw their aid slashed by 15 percent.”

“Increasing the property tax levies was the most effective way to ensure that
constituents’ needs would be met, even though local officials were wary of placing even more hardship on taxpayers. My colleagues and I on the Racine County Board worked with County Executive McReynolds to hold the county’s levy increase to just 5 cents per $1,000 of property value. But we would have been able to minimize the increase even further if it weren’t for Senator Lehman’s reckless budgeting practices.”

“This is yet another display of Senator Lehman’s irresponsible representation. Citizens of the 21st Senate District should be outraged at the property tax increases that have been imposed on them, which were directly caused by careless budgeting in Madison.”

“How can Senator Lehman justify voting for a state budget that strips schools, towns, villages, and cities of critical funds, while at the same time imposing $3.6 billion in tax increases on families and businesses? How he can vote against removing $39 million in pork spending from the budget, which would have been more than enough to maintain aid payments to dozens of communities and school districts in southeastern Wisconsin? Taxpayers in the 21st Senate District should hold Senator Lehman accountable.”

The U.S. Census Bureau reports that Wisconsin residents are burdened with the ninthhighest property tax rates in the country. Senator Lehman currently sits on Legislature’s Joint Committee on Finance, which plays a direct role in crafting the state budget.

Posted @ 4:24 p.m.

Rep. Robin Vos

Madison, WI – After a year of negotiations, the Assembly and Senate passed meaningful drunk driving reform on Wednesday.  As a result of Wednesday’s actions a fourth OWI offense will now be a felony.  The bill will also make first offense a crime if there is a passenger in the car who is under 16 years of age.  Finally, it approves the use of ignition interlocks for repeat offenders and expands treatment options.

The reason for the holdup on the passage of this legislation was the enormous cost of the bill and how that cost would be covered.  Originally, the authors of the legislation discussed the use of liquor and beer taxes.  To no one’s surprise these options were very unpopular with much of the Legislature and the public as a whole.

In the end, the cost will be financed by imposing higher court fees.  This funding source is slightly concerning because less than half of people pay these court fees at the $40 rate.  Now that they are raised to $140, it is even more unlikely they will be paid by everyone who owes the fee.  In the end we may see a funding deficit when paying for increased enforcement.

But, for the most part, this legislation is positive.  Drunk driving has become an epidemic in this state. It has impacted so many families and caused so many deaths throughout the years because of our relatively lax approach to enforcement.  I think this bill is a step in the right direction that will hopefully have a positive outcome in the form of less drunk drivers on our roads.

Assembly Dems Stand in the Way of Job Creation

It was great to pass drunk driving legislation on Wednesday, but that is unfortunately where the bipartisanship ended.  Republicans also asked that some of our job creation ideas be taken up, but every attempt was thwarted by Democrats. This is puzzling to me since the issue of jobs is in the forefront of the minds of so many in Wisconsin and nationwide.

There are currently 232,000 Wisconsinites looking for jobs and we have a 7.8% unemployment rate. Wisconsin has lost more than 130,000 jobs in this past year – the largest year to year swing in 70 years of recorded data. That’s a total of 166,000 jobs lost since June, 2008.  Racine’s picture is even more bleak. Racine has the second highest jobless rate of any of Wisconsin’s 31 cities at 14.1%. They have lost 3,900 jobs compared to last year. Racine County has an unemployment rate of 9%, way up from 5.1% a year ago.  That’s the 9th highest rate of any county.

Our ideas would have helped this population by expediting a jobs tax credit that would have created an incentive for employers to hire more people; requiring the Department of Commerce to develop a rapid response team to help with business relocation and expansion projects; creating a small business flexibility act to give small businesses more tax flexibility, freeing up resources to hire and buy new equipment; and eliminating new job-killing tax increases created by Democrats in the budget.

Despite being hindered in our efforts, Republicans will continue to fight for a better environment for jobs when we reconvene in January.

Health Services Secretary Testifies on Medicaid Deficit Before Joint Finance Committee

Karen Timberlake, Secretary of the Department of Health Services appeared before the Joint Finance Committee on Thursday to explain to the members how she would achieve $600 million in unspecified Medicaid cuts prescribed by Governor Doyle in the last budget.

Her testimony brought to light some serious fiscal mismanagement within the Medicaid program. While the Department struggles to find $600 million in cuts, we learned that there is now another $200 million deficit in the BadgerCare Plus program and the newly created BadgerCare Core program for childless adults.

I asked the Secretary how it is that she could justify expanding the enrollment – knowing it would have a higher cost – during a time when she has to find significant cut backs.  Timberlake justified the expansion by explaining that enrollment always rises in times of unemployment and falls when the economy gets back on track. However, I had statistics showing that Wisconsin’s enrollment rates have risen higher than our surrounding states.

For instance, Michigan’s enrollments have only risen 6% this year and they are at 14% unemployment.  Wisconsin’s Medicaid rolls have risen by 21.7%. Our unemployment rate is at 7.8%.  Minnesota, who’s unemployment rate is at about 7% only saw an increased enrollment population of 9.7%.

These statistics clearly show that Wisconsin has been reckless in managing a program that has been in trouble for some time.  Massive expansions are not called for in times when deficits exist.  According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, we could be facing a $1 billion deficit in the Medicaid program in the next biennium.

By adding more and more people, we are clearly setting ourselves down a path that is not sustainable. While placing more Wisconsinites in a government-run healthcare program may laudable in the eyes of some, doing so in a way that will ultimately decrease access and increase costs is irresponsible.

Posted @ 1:27 p.m.

Rep. Robin Vos

Madison, WI – Tensions have run high between hunters and the DNR since the conclusion of the gun deer hunt on November 29th.  Widely reported throughout the state were stories of hunters seeing virtually no deer.  Those claims were substantiated when the data came in.

Between 2004 and 2007 hunters shot anywhere from 320,000 to 350,000 deer.  In 2008 that dropped to just 258,240 deer, a 26.2% drop over the previous year. Now this year hunters took in just 195,650 – or 30% less than last year’s harvest and 44% lower than two years ago.

The discussion of deer count continues a long standing feud between hunters and DNR officials. Hunters have often questioned the counting methods of game wardens -speculating they are often on the high end. In February the DNR claimed the herd stood at 1 million – 300,000 over its target goal. This claim was met by skepticism from hunters who were very vocal about their feelings that numbers were steadily decreasing.

Last month’s low deer harvest has also ignited debate in the Legislature as to whether or not policies need to be changed at the DNR.  Last week, Sen. Russ Decker (D-Weston)called for the firing of the wildlife management team at the DNR. I have heard form some hunters who would like to see this done.

In the mean time, I joined Reps. Gunderson and Kaufert on their letter to the Natural Resources Board asking that the antlerless hunt for this month be suspended so that further damage to the herd is halted.

At the same time, the Natural Resources Board was considering a proposal to extend the gun deer hunt to 16 days. Thankfully Secretary Frank of the DNR withdrew the Department’s request for consideration of that proposal. Extending the season by another week will do nothing but reduce a deer herd that may already be overestimated.

While the DNR finally acknowledges a decrease in population, they say it is due to harsh winters and wet conditions this fall. They also maintain deer populations vary by locale and a blanket assumption cannot be made about the population throughout the state.

However, many hunters believe this is the last straw. They say continual implementation of unpopular policies like Earn a Buck, early season hunts, and the Department’s inability to get a handle on the wolf population are all cause for better policies and possibly different staff at the DNR.

The deer harvest this year was the lowest it’s been since 1982. The DNR would be wise to get to the bottom of how they could have been so far off and fix the problem. If they can’t, we need to replace them with people that can get the job done for the future of Wisconsin’s deer hunt. It’s important for Wisconsinites because hunting is such an important tradition and also because it’s vital to our tourism industry.

Posted @ 8:17 p..m.

Van Wanggaard

As a candidate for state senate, it is important that I point out the differences between myself and my opponent, Senator John Lehman.  Lehman’s recent Journal Times column gives me a perfect opportunity to write about our contrasting visions on the most important issue facing Racine County and the state of Wisconsin: JOBS.

Senator Lehman’s article showcases his lack of credibility on the issue of job creation and retention.  Lehman’s claim that “my Senate Democrat colleagues and I are continuing to focus on jobs and the economy” is confusing, because it’s hard to continue something that they haven’t yet started.  Piecing together a convoluted bill that makes a few changes to a regulatory bureaucracy is NOT reform.

Racine County is currently burdened with a 9.3% unemployment rate, while the city of Racine has the second highest rate in the state, at 14.5%.  The tax and regulatory environment that has been pushed at the state level has just exacerbated the effects of the national economic downturn, and the result has been layoffs and plant closings at levels we have never witnessed before.

Senator Lehman and his colleagues have taken such a cavalier approach to retaining jobs that we are now a lot worse off than most of our neighboring states.  As 126,000 jobs disappeared over the past year, legislative Democrats did virtually nothing, and when they did propose a solution, it was in the form of a $3.6 billion tax increase.

A string of recent projections by renowned publications & research groups highlight our business climate deficiencies.  Forbes Magazine recently ranked Wisconsin the 3rd worst state in which to do business; the Tax Foundation ranked Wisconsin the 9th highest taxed state in the nation; and the Pew Center for the States ranked Wisconsin the 10th most likely state to face fiscal collapse.  These disturbing projections are the direct result of reckless budgeting and irresponsible fiscal policy pushed by the Democrat-controlled legislature and Governor Doyle.

Job-killing policies, mostly implemented through the passage of the state budget and the “budget repair bill,” have forced companies like Harley-Davidson and Briggs & Stratton to ship jobs out of the state.  Lehman’s proposal to create “green jobs,” while doing nothing to retain existing manufacturing jobs, is shortsighted.  If our government leaders are going to allow manufacturing jobs to leave the state (which they have), they need to make sure that there are new jobs to replace them (which they have not).  Quite simply, there are a lot more people in the 21st Senate District who have been laid off from their “dirty job” than have found new employment in a “green job.”

Lehman also touts the expansion of A&E, Inc. as some sort of legislative victory.  Let me be clear, I am thrilled that A&E is creating more jobs in Racine.  But instead of offering carve-out tax breaks and incentives to individual companies, why don’t we change the statutes so that ALL companies can enjoy lower taxes and greater expansion opportunities?  The fact that companies have to be given exemptions from current state law tells me that state law needs to be changed.

Last Spring, as Lehman and his colleagues were busy crafting the most fiscally irresponsible budget in state history, Senate Republicans took to the road and met with business owners all over the state of Wisconsin.  Their intent was to collect vital feedback from the business community on what legislative initiatives needed to be undertaken to stimulate job growth and keep companies from closing their doors.

Over the next 12 months, I will be imitating that effort and meeting with as many 21st Senate District job providers as I can.  I will develop specific reform proposals based on input from the constituents that are most affected by state government’s misguided approach to our business community.  My proposals will seek to create real employment opportunities (instead of just looking good on paper), and I will make the introduction and passage of those proposals my first priority if elected to office.

But in the meantime, there are some basic steps that can and must be taken immediately.  The legislature needs to (a) reduce the personal income tax, since more than 90% of businesses file as individuals, (b) freeze property taxes, which will make communities more attractive to relocating companies, (c) make health insurance more affordable for small businesses by allowing them to pool together to achieve discounted rates, (d) repeal the increase in the capital gains tax, (e) simplify and streamline the tax code, (f) repeal the increases in auto insurance minimum coverage rates that were passed as part of the state budget, and (g) expedite the permitting process for shovel-ready projects to create jobs NOW rather than later.

I look forward to working with the local business community to develop legislative proposals that will stimulate economic growth in the area.  I believe that Racine County’s best times are ahead of her, and once we can get our hard-working men and women back into the workforce, our local communities will flourish again.  For now, however, there is no greater priority than improving the pitiful business climate that our current state senator has completely failed to address.

Van Wanggaard currently serves on the Racine County Board of Supervisors, and is a candidate for the 21st State Senate District seat.

Posted @ 12:30 p.m.

Rep. Robin Vos

Recognizing that while California may be in a league all its own when it comes to the severity of the fiscal crisis it faced when developing its budget earlier this year, The Pew Center on the States still sought to identify other states that closely resemble California in terms of the severity of budgetary crisis. The report, released last week, and entitled Beyond California: States in Fiscal Peril, identified Wisconsin as one of nine “states to watch”.

In the executive summary, researchers write:

“To most, Wisconsin does not seem to have the same problems managing its money as California, its dairy rival.  But the recession has hit Wisconsin harder than most state governments, especially when it comes to lost tax revenues and the size of the hole in its budget.  On top of that, unemployment is climbing as the state’s largest sector – manufacturing – sputters. Wisconsin’s history of budget shortfalls and pattern of borrowing frequently to cover operating expenses, among other measures, made it poorly positioned to weather the most recent severe economic downturn.”

The report takes an in-depth look at each state and reports on major occurrences that lead to fiscal peril, but says the “key takeaways”, or common threads, that lead to the most severe problems were:

Unbalanced Economies: In other words, an over-reliance on a single industry.  In Wisconsin, that would be manufacturing.  In Michigan, the auto industry.

Revenues and Expenditures out of Alignment: This has been the case in Wisconsin for a number of years and was only magnified as the economy underwent a major downturn. This lends credence to what many of us have been saying for years: “Wisconsin’s problem isn’t that we tax too little, it’s that we spend too much.”

Limited Ability to Act: This particular thread may not be so common in Wisconsin. Some states, according to Pew, find themselves in a bind when they have provisions that limit them to raise revenue. Some states found themselves subject to revenue caps, mandatory referenda before raising taxes, or preprogrammed Medicaid and education spending. I would argue that these are not bad things after seeing how easy it was for Wisconsin’s Democrats – absent the spending controls mentioned above – to simply raise taxes by $5 billion this year.

Putting Off Tough Decisions: This includes delaying payments for programs into the next biennium, borrowing heavily as a temporary band-aid, or simply using accounting gimmicks for the appearance of a balanced book.

On a scale of 1 to 30, with 30 being the worst (California’s score), Wisconsin was given a score of 22, tying Illnois for 9th worst fiscal mess in the country.  In the in-depth analysis, writers cite Wisconsin’s huge unemployment rate and loss of 140,000 jobs, its penchant for shifting money around (borrowing over $1 billion from the transportation fund in past years, for example), and failing to put money aside before the recession hit, as the biggest contributors to Wisconsin’s fiscal peril.

The report quotes UW Madison applied economics professor, Andrew Reschovsky, who says, “The budget would have fallen short even without the national economic crisis”.

Mordecai Lee, former Democratic state legislator, and well known government affairs professor at UW Milwaukee added: “It’s practically a textbook case of how not to engage in fiscal policy and budget making. Structurally, we are around the corner of becoming like California…In the next cycle we will be like California.”

Scary news, to be sure.  So you might ask:  “How did the administration react to this news?” Click here to read their press release and a short commentary on the release written by the MacIver Institute.

Basically, the Department of Administration refuses to even acknowledge there is a problem, paints a rosier unemployment picture than is accurate, and points to the inane talking point they’ve been hanging on to since July, which is that they finished the budget on time for the first time in 32 years. (I’m really sure unemployed Wisconsinites everywhere take enormous comfort in that particular fact).

As a result of this response, the Pew Center issued this release the next day, defending its assertion that Wisconsin is in serious fiscal peril.

While this is terribly unsettling news, I’m glad that an independent research group is finally supporting what Republicans have said all along: Wisconsin might have been able to better weather the recessionary storm had Governor Doyle not used the last six years in office to drive the state into financial ruin, and set it up for a fiscal crisis comparable to that of California.

State Representative Robin Vos

Posted @ 1:00 p.m.

Tony Evers, Ph D

Each year, we observe American Education Week as an opportunity to show support and appreciation for public education. This year’s Nov. 15-21 event is certainly a time to celebrate the vision we have for educating our nation’s young people. No other country has our tradition of striving to educate all its children.

Educating every child is our mission. In Wisconsin, we have the highest high school graduation rates in the nation, our students score among the top states on college entrance exams, and more and more of our high school students are taking rigorous college-level courses. These results show we are on a good path, and we should celebrate. And though it is important to recognize our achievements, we must remember there is much more to do.

I had the privilege of hearing President Obama speak about his goals for education earlier this month. He rightly calls knowledge the currency of today’s economy and stresses that our nation’s prosperity rests on how well we educate our children. I couldn’t agree more. We need every child to graduate prepared for the workforce and further education.

Wisconsin is making significant changes to education in our state, changes that will make our educational system better and ensure it serves every child. We are raising academic standards in reading and mathematics so

they will be rigorous, clear, and aligned for college and career readiness. We are phasing out the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Examinations in favor of assessments that provide information to educators, students, and their parents so intervention is targeted and timely. We want common sense accountability. And, recently signed education bills will strengthen our state’s efforts and complement federal goals for education.

But federal competitive grants are not the only reason to focus on educational policy and to make changes in our educational system. We must pursue change because it is the right thing to do for our children.

Across our state, not just in Milwaukee, we see significant achievement gaps among students. This is not acceptable. Our children have a right to a public education that puts them on a path to success. They deserve to have the very best teachers in their classrooms. They need schools that are safe and orderly, led by principals who know how to inspire school staff and focus their energies always on student learning. And, our students deserve a school funding system that doesn’t result in program cuts year after year. The cost of education should not pit young families against elders, home owners against business interests. We will all benefit from an educational funding system that is stable, fair, and sustainable.

While we take time to celebrate American Education Week, we must remember there is much to do to improve education for Wisconsin’s children. Let’s make transforming our educational system our top mission. Educating our children so they are ready for their future requires us to work together. It is work that will bring lasting benefits.

Sen. Alberta Darling

With the Christmas shopping season underway in a tough economic environment, Wisconsin families are looking for deals to make their holiday dollars stretch farther. One obstacle in their way is the state’s “minimum mark-up law.” Already news reports are revealing that the law is forcing national retailers to charge Wisconsin consumers higher prices on merchandise sales offers and even Thanksgiving turkeys.

The minimum mark-up law requires wholesalers and retailers to mark-up certain products in an effort to prevent smaller competitors from being driven out of business. Earlier this year, a federal judge ruled the law as it relates to gasoline prices unconstitutional, a ruling that is being heard on appeal. With a federal appeals court expected in the near future to issue a decision on the case, legislators should position themselves for swift action on a rewrite of the law that protects consumers and small businesses alike.

A bipartisan group of legislators is supporting efforts to allow Wisconsin consumers to have access not only to lower gas prices, but to everything from back-to-school deals to prescription drugs specials that retailers are able to offer to those in most other states.

Many legislators have been hesitant to repeal the minimum mark-up for fear that large companies will force smaller retailers out of business, to the long-term detriment of consumers.

As the U.S. Federal Trade Commission concluded, federal antitrust laws are adequate to protect competition in the marketplace, although it would be easy to demonstrate if they were not. Far from being victimized by predatory prices of anticompetitive monopolies, consumers in the states without a minimum mark-up are enjoying bargains that Wisconsin residents are unable to obtain. It’s time we end that dubious distinction.

Senator Mary Lazich

Auto insurance ratepayers in Wisconsin are learning about an increase in their premiums and they are not pleased.

Drivers are starting to understand the direct impact of the 2009-11 state budget, a document composed and approved by legislative Democrats and Governor Doyle. The current state budget is costing motorists much higher premiums due to government provisions in the state budget mandating changes to your auto insurance.

A Democrat leader in the state Assembly tried to put the blame on insurance companies in a letter to a constituent dated October 7, 2009, that reads, in part:

“Recently, some members of the insurance industry are trying to pass the buck for increasing rates on their customers, blaming rate increases on the state budget passed by the Legislature and signed into law by Governor Doyle. Quite simply, any previous increases are due to the business decisions of insurance providers rather than any action taken by the Legislature.”

The fact is that legislative Democrats and the governor pushed, supported, and voted for state budget provisions that are directly responsible for higher insurance costs that are making consumers angry. The news media sent out warnings earlier this year.

During state budget deliberations last June on the floor of the state Senate, I was the lead author of an amendment that would have removed all costly insurance mandates from the state budget. The amendment was defeated along party lines by Democrats that control the state Senate.

As a result, premiums and tempers are on the rise. Terry Scheller of Nichols with insurance on three vehicles increasing $231 told the Wisconsin Associated Press, “I think it’s awful. How much more can people afford? Times are tough. Guess who’s paying for it? People like me with clean driving records.”

The same legislator that wrote the afore-mentioned October 7, 2009, letter to a constituent also gave the same explanation about the more expensive rates to a non-believing Scheller in a telephone conversation according to the Associated Press.

“I’m not buying it,” said Scheller. “I believe it’s the state law.”

Calculating the increase in auto insurance for each driver will be difficult according to the state Office of the Commissioner of Insurance because some motorists bought more than the minimum requirement, and other factors such as driving record and previous claims must also be considered.

I am co-sponsoring legislation in the state Senate that will repeal provisions related to motor vehicle insurance that were included in the state budget. Prior to approval of the 2009-2011 state budget, Wisconsin enjoyed some of the lowest auto insurance rates in the nation. Dramatic changes brought on by government were unnecessary. Neither insurance companies nor consumers requested the mandates. They were the exclusive brainchild of legislative Democrats and the governor now wanting to pass blame. Savvy drivers might have to buy more and pay more, however they are not buying the Democrats’ explanation.

If you have comments on this or any other issue, please contact me at
Sen.Lazich@legis.wisconsin.gov, www.SenatorLazich.com.

Posted @ 12:39 p.m.

Rep. Robin Vos

Last week, Wisconsin’s Office of Recovery and Reinvestment released initial findings detailing the effect of the stimulus here in Wisconsin.  The report showed that 8,284 jobs had been “created or retained” by spending $680 million. According to the report, there is still another $1 billion left to be spent.

Though the report was rather ambiguous as to how many jobs were created and how many retained, it is clear that at least 75% of the 8,284 jobs were government jobs that were retained.  It was also difficult to determine if the remaining 25% were government jobs or private sector jobs, and whether those jobs were created or retained. Any way you look at this, that is a price tag of more than $82,000 per job, spent mostly to increase the size of government.

I have been a cautious advocate of certain parts of the stimulus since its inception because I believe that getting people back to work by creating private sector jobs should be Job 1 for Wisconsin legislators.  I also think that in a time of record unemployment, saving jobs is important.  However, these new numbers are troubling to me and will cause me to be much more skeptical of how the stimulus is implemented in Wisconsin.

First, it seems to me that after almost a year of stimulus allocation, more than 8,000 jobs should have been created.  Especially considering the White House projects that the stimulus will create or save 70,000 jobs in Wisconsin.  At this rate, that goal hardly seems possible.

Second, even if we do save or create 70,000 jobs, my fear is that it will be at the future expense of the taxpayers.  It’s great to have jobs for everyone, but when they’re ongoing government jobs, created with one-time money, the taxpayers will be on the hook for the ongoing cost of salary and benefits for those jobs.

Lastly, there is a lot of credit being taken by stimulus supporters who once touted the stimulus as a way to create jobs, and are now simply claiming victory when jobs are “retained”. Unfortunately, there is little way to prove that those jobs would have been retained despite the $1.92 billion allocated to Wisconsin.

Wisconsin lost 21,700 jobs last month – the fourth largest numerical drop in the country and the the second largest by percentage of workforce – and it’s a good bet that very few of those were government jobs. While some will downplay these numbers because it looks like unemployment dropped, that is deceiving.  Unemployment is still increasing as many unemployed people have simply given up looking for a job. As the Legislature spends the remaining $1 billion in stimulus money, we need to focus more on creating private sector jobs to replace the ones we are losing.

Utility Taxes Increase this Month to Fund District Attorneys

You may notice a slight increase in the amount you pay to your utility this month, not because you used more energy, but because the most recent budget increased the low income assistance fee to pay the salaries of District Attorneys.

This odd funding source is nothing more than a budget gimmick used by Governor Doyle to help balance the books.  In search of more general purpose revenue, Governor Doyle simply took money $9.1 million annually from the District Attorneys and replaced it with increased revenue in the energy assistance fund, paid for by you, the taxpayer, via a higher assessment on your utility bill.

The average customer pays $36 dollars a year into this fund to (ostensibly) help the poor with high heating costs every winter. You will now be asked to contribute $3 more per year – about a 10% increase – to provide Doyle more general purpose revenue to close deficits in existing programs, provide increases in others, and even create new programs.

While you might want to know why this money is being used for the District Attorneys, it really has nothing to do with them, and could have been done to any program using general funds. The DAs received no raises this year, and weren’t even aware their salaries were now funded using a utility tax increase.

But this does illustrate the problem that occurs when funds are raided for things other than their intended purpose.  Since 2002, $166 million has been transferred from the low income assistance account to other accounts, ranging from W2 to county and municipal aid payments, and now to DAs. Providing heating assistance to low income individuals is a worthy cause, but continually increasing the fee, and still allowing consumers to believe that their money is going to that fund is  not.  Clearly, if there is $166 million available to raid, the fee should be decreased.
Posted @ 12:05 a.m.

Sen. Neal Kedzie

Over the last couple of months, I have highlighted a number of troubling new taxes and fees created in the 2009-11 state budget.  Some of those include new charges on your phone bill, new increases to your trash collection bill, and now another one: an additional charge on your electric utility bill.

You might assume the new fee would be dedicated to cutting-edge energy saving programs, or new technologies to better deliver heat and electricity to your home, or perhaps a benevolent measure to assist low-income persons who may struggle to pay their monthly bill.  Unfortunately, you would be wrong on all accounts.  Instead, the new fee will be directed to provide funding for District Attorneys in Wisconsin.

The Low-Income Energy Assistance Fee, which is currently included on your electric utility bill, has been an issue of controversy ever since it was first created in the 1999-2000 state budget.  The original purpose of the fee was to assist low income earners with their bills and fund various weatherization projects for elderly or disabled individuals who may not be able to afford such projects.  A noble cause indeed, and whether you agree with the fee or not, the purpose was very clear.  The previous fee was capped at three percent of monthly charges for all users, and limited to a $750 maximum fee.  The average household capped out at less than $3 a month.

But now, the intent and purpose of the fee has been obliterated by this action, which was supported by legislative Democrats and Governor Doyle.  Increasing the fee and then using that money to fund the offices of District Attorneys is not appropriate, and certainly not a wise budgeting practice.  While I appreciate the tight budget constraints that many district attorney offices must endure, I do not believe funding those agencies through an increase on your electric bill is justified.

The new fee would not be subject to the three percent cap and is expected to cost utility customers more than $9 million annually.  Expect the fee to appear on your utility bill by the end of this year, if it has not already.  Supposedly, it will expire on June 30, 2011; however, past practices have shown it could be revived, and increased even more.

That, and many other egregious provisions, is why I voted against the state budget. Overall, the budget and budget repair bill – both enacted earlier this year – will increase taxes and fees by nearly $5 billion over the next two years.  That is outrageous, especially in light of the current economic climate.

Taxpayers are rightfully upset by this new fee, and the diversion of those funds to district attorneys.  It only adds to a growing list of examples where taxes and fees are increased, and then transferred out of one account to pay for something completely unrelated in another account.

The energy programs funded by the existing fee are no stranger to such budget maneuvers.  In fact, since 2002, almost $166 million has been collected from electric utility bills and transferred to other accounts.  The state General Fund, County and Municipal Aid Payments, Department of Health and Family Services, and the Wisconsin Works program have all been big dollar recipients over the last few years.  People are growing tired of this budget gimmick and it needs to stop.

The energy assistance fund is not alone, as hundreds of millions of dollars have been pilfered in recent years from segregated accounts, such as the Transportation Fund, the Injured Patients Compensation Fund, and the Recycling Fund.  It has become a $1.6 billion example of how some elected officials believe robbing one account to make up for a deficit in another is perfectly acceptable.  To be certain, I am not one of them.  Like the Transportation Fund, the raided account eventually comes up short and additional taxes and fees are proposed to cover the shortfall.

As the cold winter months are fast approaching, you may look more closely at your heating and electric bill, and certainly pay closer attention to any new government fees.  The new electric fee may come as a shock to you, and even more so now that you know where and how it will be used.

Posted @ 11:30 a.m.