Local decisions should be made on the local level. Who do you trust? The same state legislators that brought us a $3.97 billion state budget deficit? The same people who raised state spending 236% (twice the rate of inflation) from 1980 – 2003? Well, those are the folks who now say that they know better than our local elected officials. They want to take away our school board, village, town, city, and county officials’ decision-making authority to oversee local budget decisions.
As the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel editorialized: Volunteering somebody else's budget for a freeze takes big doses of hypocrisy and cynicism. Contrary to the assertions of those with political motives, [Governor] Doyle's veto is not a license for local governments to raise taxes. In fact, quite the contrary. By balancing the state budget without raising taxes, the Doyle administration showed that state officials can make tough choices. Local officials now have to show that they can do the same. But local governments need to have control over their budgets – not the state government. The legislature’s budget fails to recognize increased costs such as increased enrollment in school districts, increased costs of utilities and health care and other services that our tax money should go toward. Call your state Senator and Assembly representative today and tell them to support Governor Doyle by upholding his veto of the property tax freeze.
Contact Info: Senator Tim Carpenter Sen.Carpenter@legis.state.wi.us (800) 249-8173
Senator Jeff Plale sen.plale@legis.state.wi.us (608) 266-7505
Senator Bob Wirch Sen.Wirch@legis.state.wi.us 888-769-4724
Senator Dave Hansen Sen.Hansen@legis.state.wi.us 866-221-9395
To find your legislator click click on the link: http://www.legis.state.wi.us/waml/
