Tomah Journal - Printable Version

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Published - Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Editorial: Plenty of blame to share for state budget mess

The state Legislature has passed another bill to address Wisconsin’s chronic budget deficit, so expect an avalanche of criticism from pundits and editorial writers about irresponsible politicians who once again solved today’s fiscal problems by creating bigger ones in the future. Yes, the budget repair bill passed last week by both houses of the state Legislature represents nothing more than lawmakers trying to survive the next election cycle, and provisions like delaying $125 million in school aid payments to the next fiscal year do absolutely nothing to address the long-term structural deficit.

But maybe the problem goes beyond the governor and 132 members of the state Legislature. Perhaps some of the problem can be traced to the voters.

The budget repair bill is the legislature’s best attempt to thread the needle of public opinion -- opinion that despises tax increases but also recoils at meaningful spending cuts. Even the most liberal lawmakers shy away from general tax increases, and even the most conservative lawmakers balk at substantial budget cutting. If tax increases are out, then what gets cut? Spend less on education? Close some University of Wisconsin campuses? Build fewer roads? Abolish the state’s prescription drug program for the elderly poor? Dump indigent nursing home residents from their beds? Close some state parks? Sell large tracts of state forests or public hunting grounds? Make public employees pay 30 percent of their health insurance premiums? Put public employees on 401(k) plans? Abolish state ethanol subsidies? Make the tourism industry pay its own promotion costs? End subsidies for Wisconsin businesses that threaten to leave?

All of these budget items are either very popular or have very powerful constituencies, and it’s impossible for politicians to completely reconcile the public’s desire for government services against their willingness to pay for them. And when it comes to budgetary misbehavior, Wisconsin looks downright responsible compared to the politicians who launched a $3 trillion pre-emptive war and continue to classify its expenses as “off-budget,” as if operations in Iraq are funded by Monopoly money.

The budget repair bill is not an edifying piece of legislation, and it’s unlikely to improve much after a massage from Gov. Jim Doyle’s veto pen. It’s a mess, but it’s one that can’t be completely blamed on politicians.