Wis. governor: Ax $900 million from education

[marjar]

MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's explosive proposal to take nearly all collective bargaining rights away from most public workers represents just one piece of his vision for the Midwestern state's future. Now he's ready to reveal the rest.

With the union rights proposal stuck in a legislative stalemate thanks to the state Senate's runaway Democrats, the Republican governor planned to forge ahead with the Tuesday release of his two-year spending plan that will include major cuts to schools and local governments to help close a projected $3.6 billion budget shortfall.

www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41840204/ns/us_news-life/

[ChiTownVenture]

This is what bother me (among other things).

The budget also cuts funding at most state agencies, by 10 percent, except for salary and benefits.

except for salary and benefits

He would permanently eliminate 735 positions that have been vacant for more than a year. Some other jobs could be cut as Walker moved to consolidate juvenile prisons and make other changes, but no widespread layoffs were envisioned. State spending over the next two years would go up a paltry 1.3 percent.

no widespread layoffs were envisioned

Why, just teachers?

[deziloooooo]

Mar 1, 2011 17:36:51 GMT -5 ChiTownVenture said:

This is what bother me (among other things).

The budget also cuts funding at most state agencies, by 10 percent, except for salary and benefits.

except for salary and benefits

He would permanently eliminate 735 positions that have been vacant for more than a year. Some other jobs could be cut as Walker moved to consolidate juvenile prisons and make other changes, but no widespread layoffs were envisioned. State spending over the next two years would go up a paltry 1.3 percent.

no widespread layoffs were envisioned

Why, just teachers?

The fact is he was one who spent more time in the Vice Principals office when he hit High School then he did in class rooms, and now he's getting his pay back.
His feeling, they got me...now turn about is fair play.

A note that has nothing to do with anything..NPR just reported , Jane Russell has just passed...she was 89. R.I.P ..you gave great pleasure to the boys away from home in WW2 as the GI's pin up girl from home

[Deleted]

Question to all of you-- what is it you expect these Govs to do to balance their budgets?? I saw my gov, Jan Brewer, on TV last night. She pointed out she already got in a tax increase (for education)--- YES-- we voted FOR it (for education), the only tax increase she has EVER asked for, we are still screwed, and all we have left to cut is education. Our cops and fire are 30% below lowest acceptable levels, AND taking unpaid furlows. Everything she cuts you people criticize-- where are your solutions?? She said on Fox last night that education is the future of the economy, so what is she supposed to do?? SUGGESTIONS??? Is there anything you guys are willing to cut, or do you just want to tax more businesses out of the country?? We ARE a right to work state, also. Do a great job, work with changes in the economy, or STFU, and let someone else step in.
What is it you want?

[AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP]

Wisconsin has a balanced budget requirement. They WILL balance the budget.

[ChiTownVenture]

Mar 1, 2011 17:59:54 GMT -5 @krickitt said:

Question to all of you-- what is it you expect these Govs to do to balance their budgets?? I saw my gov, Jan Brewer, on TV last night. She pointed out she already got in a tax increase (for education)--- YES-- we voted FOR it (for education), the only tax increase she has EVER asked for, we are still screwed, and all we have left to cut is education. Our cops and fire are 30% below lowest acceptable levels, AND taking unpaid furlows. Everything she cuts you people criticize-- where are your solutions?? She said on Fox last night that education is the future of the economy, so what is she supposed to do?? SUGGESTIONS??? Is there anything you guys are willing to cut, or do you just want to tax more businesses out of the country?? We ARE a right to work state, also. Do a great job, work with changes in the economy, or STFU, and let someone else step in.
What is it you want?

How about cuts across the board first, then reevaluate what is most important.

Education, Fire Protection, Public Utilities, Transportation should be at the top of the lists of most important.

[Deleted]

We finally have a governor with some balls. Hallelujah! Governers from both parties have raided fund after fund to "balance the budget" in years prior. Denial, denial, denial.
On Wisconsin!

[vonnie6200]

Mar 1, 2011 17:59:54 GMT -5 @krickitt said:

Question to all of you-- what is it you expect these Govs to do to balance their budgets?? I saw my gov, Jan Brewer, on TV last night. She pointed out she already got in a tax increase (for education)--- YES-- we voted FOR it (for education), the only tax increase she has EVER asked for, we are still screwed, and all we have left to cut is education. Our cops and fire are 30% below lowest acceptable levels, AND taking unpaid furlows. Everything she cuts you people criticize-- where are your solutions?? She said on Fox last night that education is the future of the economy, so what is she supposed to do?? SUGGESTIONS??? Is there anything you guys are willing to cut, or do you just want to tax more businesses out of the country?? We ARE a right to work state, also. Do a great job, work with changes in the economy, or STFU, and let someone else step in.
What is it you want?

Well the gov in Illinois raised income taxes by 66% and there are several moves afoot to raise our sales tax - which is in excess of 8% - varies by locality

oh yes and cutting services to senior citizens

[Deleted]

Done.. in AZ. To the MAX. We can't really even claim to be able to protect our cities at 30% UNDER minimum requirements for safety. PLUS-- they have furlow days every month. ALL state employees do. Except teachers. We have shut down and combined schools, shut down parks, eliminated bullshit programs like graffiti art lessons to inner city kids-- still we are in deep trouble. What next, kids?? HUH?

[Deleted]

GEEZ, vonnie!!! We are still human here in AZ. You are welcome to stay with my kids and I if they make the state impossible to live in. MORE taxes?? On people that are broke?? Businesses that are thinking of shutting down?? Yeah................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... . .. ... ............

[Deleted]

There is still going to be a world of hurt around here too. The sooner you have the guts to face it , the sooner things turn around. We have a governor that will face it. How refreshing!

[ed1066]

Education, Fire Protection, Public Utilities, Transportation should be at the top of the lists of most important.

I agree if you are talking about the provision of those services to the community, not the unions that soak up a large majority of the funds designated for those services...

[ChiTownVenture]

Mar 1, 2011 18:15:36 GMT -5 @krickitt said:

Done.. in AZ. To the MAX. We can't really even claim to bwe able to protect our cities at 30% UNDER minimum requirements for safety. PLUS-- they have furlow days every month. ALL state employees do. Except teachers. We have shut down and combined schools, shut down parks, eliminated bullshit programs like graffiti art lessons to inner city kids-- still we are in deep trouble. What next, kids?? HUH?

Your state sales tax is 5.6? Start there. Also I believe the property taxes are pretty low.

[formerexpat]

Education, Fire Protection, Public Utilities, Transportation should be at the top of the lists of most important.

More money needs to be spent for it to be considered more / most important to you?

Wisconsin spends nearly $11k per student; 16th in the nation and most in the mid-west. They've got an 82% graduation rate.

Urban Prep, in your back yard, spends about the same amount per student and not only graduated 100% of their students but 100% were accepted to 4 year colleges.

I'm sure Wisconsin residents, and residents across the country would be more willing to spend as much if the results were better in public education and we weren't falling so far behind other industrialized countries. [/size]

[Angel!]

Last year my city turned off 1/3 of the street lights, made huge layoffs in police & fire & much of the city staff, stop watering most of the parks, stopped caring for most of the parks, had furlough days for their employees, really cut down on snow removal, cancelled some of the city events, & probably some other stuff that I can't think of. It was ok & the city did so well that they actually had a budget surplus & have started hiring some people again.

I think it is good that they are making cuts, but I think some stuff he is going about all wrong. For one, why is he going after collective bargaining when that has nothing to do with the actual budget. From what I have heard, the union is ok with the cuts if they can keep collective bargaining. Second, why no furloughs? Why are they not cutting salaries?

Also, why is putting in changes that will cost money? Why are you forcing the school districts to lower property taxes when you are already making a huge cut in their budget? Why take away time off for good behavior for convicts - every extra day in jail costs more money?

[vonnie6200]

. For one, why is he going after collective bargaining when that has nothing to do with the actual budget.


Collective bargaining is the total root of the problem - and if there is a concession today - it will disappear the next time or two around to the detriment of the taxpayers unless collective bargain is stopped - which by the way Federal employees do mighty fine and they do not have collective bargaining

[Deleted]

CORRECT, vonnie.

[ChiTownVenture]

Mar 1, 2011 18:27:11 GMT -5 formerexpat said:

Education, Fire Protection, Public Utilities, Transportation should be at the top of the lists of most important.

More money needs to be spent for it to be considered more / most important to you?

Wisconsin spends nearly $11k per student; 16th in the nation and most in the mid-west. They've got an 82% graduation rate.

Urban Prep, in your back yard, spends about the same amount per student and not only graduated 100% of their students but 100% were accepted to 4 year colleges.

I'm sure Wisconsin residents, and residents across the country would be more willing to spend as much if the results were better in public education and we weren't falling so far behind other industrialized countries.

[/size][/quote]


"More money needs to be spent for it to be considered more / most important to you?"

No, but money should be cut from other places first, including the government it's self. If education has to be cut, keep it in par with everything else. Nothing should be excluded.

If education needs to be reformed do it in a way that does not affect the education that children will be receiving. If you believe saving on education costs today and under educating children will help in the future you are wrong.

[973beachbum]

There was an article in my paper recently that said the county jail saved $1 million dollars last year by allowing non violent minor offenders to serve their time at home.

I live in a small population county too. My whole county has less population than most of your towns. It also helped them not need to build a new prison which would have cost big bucks and would have needed to hire more employees to work there.

This is the type of thing they should be doing but no one wants to be accused of being "soft on crime".

[bean29]

I live in WI.

I agree with no rise in property taxes. My property taxes are already over 6,000/year. My house is over assessed by a min of $35000 possibly as much as 45,000 about (12-13%). Paying more taxes is not a reality. Balancing the budget should happen every year. Balancing the budget should absolutely not be put off indefinitely. Our Public pensions are underfunded. Our roadways need major work. The budget is addressing needed roadwork.

The school funding not deducting Choice school funding expanding the cap etc. Not sure about it. MPS is doing an atrocious job, however public schools have to deal with all the difficult to educate. Choice schools take the cream off the top.
Not sure about removing the residency requirement for public school teachers. We will have to see what Milwaukee responds.

I do not know about eliminating early release from prisons, that is sure to make costs go up not down.

I do think the power plants should not be sold unless approved by the legislature.

www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/117212348.html

[Savoir Faire-Demogague in NJ]

I have notice that no posts here are reporting that WI has made some needed cuts to welfare programs. I just see public service cuts being made.

[tea4me]

Mar 2, 2011 13:07:43 GMT -5 Savoir Faire-Demogague in NJ said:

I have notice that no posts here are reporting that WI has made some needed cuts to welfare programs. I just see public service cuts being made.

WI welfare cuts were announced yesterday. The states Medicaid program (BadgerCare) and state child care subsidies will be reduced.

My niece told me she pays extra to send her son to a good day care. Well Yeah - She gets the child care subsidy! Also, there are A LOT of people on BadgerCare. My chiropractor told me they have to pay $1.00 a visit to him.

[deziloooooo]

Mar 2, 2011 12:59:44 GMT -5 bean29 said:

I live in WI.

I agree with no rise in property taxes. My property taxes are already over 6,000/year. My house is over assessed by a min of $35000 possibly as much as 45,000 about (12-13%). Paying more taxes is not a reality. Balancing the budget should happen every year. Balancing the budget should absolutely not be put off indefinitely. Our Public pensions are underfunded. Our roadways need major work. The budget is addressing needed roadwork.

The school funding not deducting Choice school funding expanding the cap etc. Not sure about it. MPS is doing an atrocious job, however public schools have to deal with all the difficult to educate. Choice schools take the cream off the top.
Not sure about removing the residency requirement for public school teachers. We will have to see what Milwaukee responds.

I do not know about eliminating early release from prisons, that is sure to make costs go up not down.

I do think the power plants should not be sold unless approved by the legislature.

www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/117212348.html

"I do not know about eliminating early release from prisons, that is sure to make costs go up not down."

There are prisoners and there are prisoners.

Personally, if some one has been sentenced say to three years, non violent, non really bad crime or minor drug , neighbor hood small time dealing, guilty yes, but good conduct in oprison, possible education classes taken , the last year, home release, let them work with a bracelet, naturally up to the professionals to decide, I am fine with that.
Even a more major one time criminal act , out of the ordianry, not a professional criminal, even a mufderer in rare cases, has already served many years, act of one time losing it, older individual, also to be considered.
Reasoning, bad crime, State has got a good bit of the lb of flesh needed by society, little real threat to society from the individual, just take a bit less lb of flesdh.
My opinion on the matter.

[973beachbum]

Desi

The program I was talking about was at the county jail so by definition sentenced to less than one year. They said most of the inmates are either minor drugs or driving type stuff. Like driving on the revoked or contempt of court stemming from unpaid parking tickets.

Is it really worth it to pay to put these people in jail and in the process make them lose their job making it even more likely that they will spiral downward? I am pretty law and order but isn't there a better use of our money?

[ugonow]

My niece told me she pays extra to send her son to a good day care. Well Yeah - She gets the child care subsidy! Also, there are A LOT of people on BadgerCare. My chiropractor told me they have to pay $1.00 a visit to him.

Most states have some sort of medical and child care assitance programs, That does sound pretty generous,if true. I wonder why republicans would make it so generous? Badgercare was Tommy Thompson's administration's baby.