Governor Walker in his own words:
This is about the fact that we have a $3.6 Billion Dollar Deficit, going into this next Budget.
For us to tackle that means were going to have to reign in Government Spending --
not only at the State Level, but for Local Governments.
I mean Local Governments see the size of the cuts, aah, they're gonna get just like Governors in New York and California and others across the Country have done.
The difference here in Wisconsin is were going to give them 'the tools' with this Bill to be able to Balance their Budget.
People expect Leadership. They expect that you tell them the truth.
The case here is that we got a $3.6 Billion Dollar Budget Deficit.
We've been in a Deficit -- Were Broke.
Just like every other state across the Country -- were Broke.
I think the voters of this State -- the people who 'pay taxes' everyday --
aah, in regard to where they stand on this issue expect us to do something about it.
That is exactly what were doing here now.
Wisconsin Governor Seizes Chance to Take on Unions
by AssociatedPress
http://www.youtube.com/...
But wait! there's more ...
Governor Walker uses words again:
[...]
The people who are here from Wisconsin, have every right to be here. People from other states that a whole other matter.
I know as a former official at the County level, you can't do it, unless you tackle Collective Bargaining.
The rights remain. Workers are still protected in this State. But Collective Bargaining is the key -- otherwise the alternative, I saw over the years at the local government level, is that you are forced into layoffs, and that's just not acceptable.
Oh Really, "Collective Bargaining" is the Problem -- problem for WHO exactly?
Governor Walker did have one thing right:
The People do "expect that you tell them the truth."
Well "The Truth" is, kind of hard to find, when it comes to Budget matters -- as per Standard Operating Procedure -- of the GOP Austerity Deficit Hawks. They sure know how to rack up the Bills, they just don't know how to pay for the Bills!
Far too often all that "fuzzy math" of the GOP Deficit Hawks never does seem to add up. All they know is "Someone's GOT TO pay -- long as it's not them or their backers."
Blame the People. Blame the Unions. Blame the Government.
That's their M.O. -- that and "create Media confusion".
Per the Governor's own words, and he's right on script:
we got a $3.6 Billion Dollar Budget Deficit.
We've been in a Deficit -- Were Broke.
Huh?
Funny, according to he nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau -- Wisconsin's equivalent to the CBO -- Wisconsin will end the year with a $121.4 Million Surplus:
Walker gins up ‘crisis’ to reward cronies
Cap Times editorial madison.com -- Feb 16, 2011
In its Jan. 31 memo to legislators on the condition of the state’s budget, the Fiscal Bureau determined that the state will end the year with a balance of $121.4 million.
To the extent that there is an imbalance -- Walker claims there is a $137 million deficit -- it is not because of a drop in revenues or increases in the cost of state employee contracts, benefits or pensions. It is because Walker and his allies pushed through $140 million in new spending for special-interest groups in January. If the Legislature were simply to rescind Walker’s new spending schemes -- or delay their implementation until they are offset by fresh revenues -- the “crisis” would not exist.
This Budget Crisis is a "crisis" in timing for those Governor's new Tax Breaks it seems.
That memo was written:
"Jan. 31, 2011 memo prepared by Robert Lang, the director of the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau."
But the Memo has some fine print apparently (if you read the right-leaning blogs, or the Wisconsin Journal Sentinel)
Wisconsin's state budget -- frequently asked questions
By Jason Stein of the Journal Sentinel -- Feb 18, 2011
Walker has said the state faces a $137 million budget shortfall for this fiscal year ending on June 30 and a $3.6 billion shortfall for the next two years.
Opponents are pointing to a Jan. 31 memo by the Legislature’s nonpartisan budget shop that says that the state will finish this fiscal year with $121.4 million in its main account.
But there’s more to the memo. The budget surplus will only happen if the state keeps its spending in line with what has been budgeted.
[...]
Once this over-budget spending is factored in, the state will be unable to pay all its bills this fiscal year if no action is taken.
“We have $121 million in the bank but if we addressed the $258 million in shortfalls then we’re in the hole by $137 million,” said Bob Lang, the director of the Legislative Fiscal Bureau.
[...]
Unions say other provisions in his bill to cut union bargaining rights -- their biggest complaint -- wouldn’t produce any immediate savings at all. Walker says he wants those to give the state and local governments more flexibility to deal with their employees and run their operations efficiently.
Walker's insistence on Union busting is NOT about Budget Balancing. Its about taking more pay, more benefits, AWAY from more Workers. At some Future Date. Period.
It about rolling back Workers' Rights. Period.
Here's an alternate take on the "Budget Games" going on in Wisconsin.
Politifact takes a look at the "Budget Surplus" statement, as promoted by Rachel Maddow and others; and they rate it 'False'.
Uh oh.
Politifact Check
So why does Lang write his biennial memo in a way that invites confusion?
Lang, a veteran and respected civil servant working in a nonpartisan job, told us he does not want to presume what legislative or other action will be taken to address the potential shortfalls he lists.
Admittedly, the approach this time created the opportunity for a snappy -- and powerful -- political attack.
But it is an inaccurate one.
[...]
Here’s the bottom line [according Politifact]:
There is fierce debate over the approach Walker took to address the short-term budget deficit. But there should be no debate on whether or not there is a shortfall. , the shortfall in the current budget needed to be addressed in some fashion. Walker’s tax cuts will boost the size of the projected deficit in the next budget, but they’re not part of this problem and did not create it.
"short-term budget deficit"
"not historically large"
Walker's Tax Cut are a "future Budget problem" -- not a "current one"
Check.
Hmmm? those are some interesting takes on the problem --
SOOOO ... Maybe Wisconsin really isn't at the bottom of a $3.6 Billion Dollar Hole, afterall?
Where is that "truth" the Governor was talking about?
What is a Budget-challenged State to Do?
Here are some "alternative solutions" as suggested by Jon Peacock of the Wisconsin Council on Children and Families, from that same Journal Sentinel FAQ article:
Jon Peacock, research director for the Wisconsin Council on Children and Families, said he sees other possible solutions to the budget problems besides those put forward by Walker. Those include
raising taxes,
deferring payments of some state bills into the next budget,
or refinancing of state debt, he said.
Peacock said that Walker's measures were too drastic for the current financial problems and pointed out that the deficit fell just short of what is needed under state law to require the governor to do a budget repair bill. But Peacock agreed action of some kind is needed by either the Legislature or the Walker administration to address the current budget hole by June 30.
"This isn’t made up," Peacock said of the budget problems. "There are increased expenses like Medicaid that weren’t (initially) factored in by the Fiscal Bureau and potentially put the budget in the red."
[...]
The tax cuts have no effect on this fiscal year -- the time period the current proposal focuses on -- because they don’t take effect until later.
But in the 2011-’13 state budget, the Legislative Fiscal Bureau memo found that tax collections would drop more than $100 million because of the tax cuts. That adds to the projected deficit.
Hmmm? Medicare expenses are at the root of WI budget problem -- Maybe we DO need HCR reform afterall ??? Could be.
And Walker's Tax Cut giveaways -- will end up costing $100 million over the 2011-13 period.
Walker has "No Legal Requirement to Fix the Budget". It's still 'small potatoes'?
Check.
OK -- BUT I'm still wondering: WHERE is that scary "$3.6 Billion Dollar Deficit" --that the Guv threw out there?
Perhaps, it's just in Governor Walker's local-govin' imagination?
Or perhaps it was from the Conservative Playbook: -- Use Fear, then Lie, next Blame the Victims, then Bully your way, and finally Payback your Benefactors.
We've seen that Game Plan before -- that's WHY we formed Unions, in the first place!
And ALL of us 'Tax-Paying' Union Supporters -- would like to say to the Deficit Hawk Hoodwinkers, fomenting Fear, on far too many Republican-run State Governments:
Enough already! Stop the Tax Cuts! Stop the Benefit Cuts!
Public Workers are Tax-Payers too!
What about Wal-mart? What about Koch Industries? What about the wealthy Top 2 Percent?
Have they paid their share of Taxes, yet?
Have they done their part to meet their obligations in this over-hyped, game of mis-direction called:
"Shared Sacrifice" -- Tell us Governor Walker, have they?
I didn't think so.
Stop Blaming the People. Start going after the record-setting piles of Cash in the Corporate Coffers.
Enough already!
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We don't have a Deficit Problem -- We have a Revenue Problem
by jamess -- Feb 15, 2011
It's long past time the Country, realize this simple Fact.
And start going after the REAL Free-loaders, who are holding the Nation back.
Hint: That's NOT the Workers. Nor the Working 'Tax Payers'. From whichever Sector -- Public or Private.
Were not the Problem. Were mostly Broke too.
NO, you won't find insane piles of cash in our banks accounts. You haven't paid us enough for that to have happened.
Not in a very long time. Corporate America being what it is, and all.
(end of Worker rant ... for now ...)