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Published - Tuesday, July 17, 2007

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Get all the goofy, extraneous stuff out of the state budget


.
It seems as if you can’t get a bunch of legislators in the same room without goofy stuff happening.

And when Assembly Republicans got together to create a new version of the state budget — without the tax increases or spending hikes in the budget recommended by Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle and the Democratic-controlled Senate — strange things happened.
Rep. Frank Lasee, R-Green Bay, got his Republican colleagues to eliminate all state taxpayer funding from the University of Wisconsin Law School. It turns out that Lasee doesn’t like lawyers. Under his ill-advised plan, $1 million would be cut from the Law School’s $7 million taxpayer allotment, until all such funding was eliminated by 2010.

But that wasn’t all. Here are other proposals that made their way into the two-year $56 billion budget:

  • A plan to name a day after Progressive leader Robert La Follette was scrapped, but a highway from Madison to the Illinois line would be renamed after President Ronald Reagan.

    n Coin collectors and others who deal in gold bullion would get a tax break. Republicans want to eliminate the sales tax on gold bullion.

  • A tax break for clay pigeons used by nonprofit gun clubs that was set to expire would be allowed to remain in place.

  • A 30-year-old ban on heated sidewalks would be repealed.

    Some of the proposals are ill-advised. Some are just goofy. And some would be OK as separate legislation, to stand and fall on their own merits, but they don’t have any business in the state budget.

    And, it should be pointed out that cluttering up the budget with extraneous stuff is by no means exclusive to Republicans. Democrats have done this plenty of times in the past.

    Fortunately, a conference committee that will be named today to iron out differences between the Assembly and Senate budgets, will probably deep-six much of this stuff.

    And Doyle could veto the rest.

    Good riddance to all. Let them stand by themselves as separate bills, if the authors think they are such great ideas.
    .



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     Comments »

    Bugs Raplin wrote on Jul 18, 2007 2:06 PM:

    " Where, pray tell, is Krusty? "

    Bugs Raplin wrote on Jul 18, 2007 1:37 PM:

    " Hey, I'm a pretty nice guy; genuinely loved by family and friends; i was thinking maybe they could rename River Valley Drive, Bugs Raplin Boulevard or Raplin Way. "

    Perry Mason wrote on Jul 18, 2007 10:55 AM:

    " If the special interests succeed in building a north/south corridor over the wishes of the people, I suggest it be named the George W. Bush expressway. "

    Perry Mason is not Gay wrote on Jul 18, 2007 7:23 AM:

    " Although there wouldn't be anything wrong with that.... "

    Bugs Raplin wrote on Jul 18, 2007 7:22 AM:

    " Madison wasn't from Wisconsin? Nonsense. Engelbert J. Madison, intrepid frontiersman and horse trader, founded the city of Madison in 1846. You could look it up. "

    To: Naming a Wisconsin highway after Ron Reagan wrote on Jul 17, 2007 7:33 PM:

    " Talk about just plain stupid. Here's your sign, moron. We shouldn't, then, refer to the Eisenhower Interstate system because, well, Ike ain't from Wisconsin. Or how about Madison, Wisconsin, because, well, Madison wasn't from Wisconsin. Do you realize just how stupid your comment was/is? "

    LaCrosse Tribune equals Democratic Press Release wrote on Jul 17, 2007 6:28 PM:

    " I'm so sick of the Tribune pointing out the Republican's so-called shortcomings.(shortcomings that I actually view as positives) It's okay for the Democrats to give illegal immigrants in-state tuition rates in their budgets and not call it goofy but to call a legislator's bill to eliminate taxpayer subsidized attorneys goofy. I may be alone but I think a lot of people in Wisconsin are going to disagree with the Tribune and the Democrats on this one or should I just call it the Democrat's Tribune? "

    Hey Perry Mason, wrote on Jul 17, 2007 6:00 PM:

    " are you one of those cavemen on the Geico commercials? As a side note, do those cavemen come across to anyone else as...hmmm...how do I say this.....very feminine in a masculine frame? "

    This just in: La Crosse -- Goofy Gamut Central wrote on Jul 17, 2007 4:17 PM:

    " I'm giving notice of a proposal to be introduced at next month's common council cycle -- an incidental main motion to amend something previously adopted. That's right, I'm proposing we replace the city seal in the Mayor's carpet with an emroidered picture of Goofy! I know it will be expensive, but at least it will represent what we've got. "

    Let's see wrote on Jul 17, 2007 1:21 PM:

    " A recently retired Lacrosse Circuit Court Judge, married to a recently retired Lacrosse School Principal. Gee, I wonder whose health insurance they will both end up with. Gee, I wonder? You are paying for it! "

    Perry Mason wrote on Jul 17, 2007 12:53 PM:

    " I'm having Goofy over to the house tonight for grilled chicken breasts and Mint Julips. We shall discuss my representation of his slander case against the Tribune for associating his good name with the "legislators" in Madison. It's a solid case, which will not be settled out of court. "

    Naming a Wisconsin highway after Ron Reagan wrote on Jul 17, 2007 12:45 PM:

    " Why do we have to honor Prez Reagan by naming a highway after him? Let his wealthy friends in California name their highways after him! "

    These men and woman are trustworthy? wrote on Jul 17, 2007 9:45 AM:

    " Jailbird Legislators $1700/month for retirement after one term. Why classify it 'near' $1700? Because they made it impossible by legislation to find out what their retirements are. Smarmy, covert funds placed away for post retirement health, and Kapanke stating he would give those funds back? Well Dan? Holy smokes, and believe that private workers are to leave a job after 4 years with retirement and post retirement health benefits like this in tow? The Tribunes seal on Huebsch? Well, they had to place their hand on at least 'one' conservative shoulder for appearance sake as they carry on selective coverage for the elite, powerful and their projects. Or, maybe you could share with us the TIF/Grant, rental rezoning after a Kader moritiorium and other key business that was not shared or printed. Not even the voting. "

    Goofy? You are surrounded with 'goofy'! wrote on Jul 17, 2007 9:28 AM:

    " A lengthy article about State funding cuts meaning shortages locally. Then we look back and remember the tens of millions of TIF money we have laid out there. 800 guaranteed 'free' parking spaces while other lease or forage. Two parcels of prime riverfront land offered for $1.00 each. $800k for employees and TIF #15 giving away another $100k for an almost covert additional 30 added employees? Apparent Lax Center managers unable to remember 8 losing financial years during basketball, and then we read that a private organization intends to 'charge' or skim off money and then be able to close its books to us regarding sports? Goofy? Look around Lacrosse. "

    DJ wrote on Jul 17, 2007 7:36 AM:

    " Its an insult to Goofy, Pluto and all their friends to put the state legislators in the same paragraph! "

    Huebschacrite Rusty Cunningham wrote on Jul 17, 2007 7:06 AM:

    " Hey guys, if your editorial board is going to criticize the "Republican Leaders in the Assembly" for putting together a goofy budget how come you left out the architect of the budget...Speaker Mike Huebsch. You support him by endorsing him every two years (meaning you endorse his policies), how come you don't use his name when you criticize the Assembly? C'mon guys...there's nothing to fear from this paper tiger! "

    WILL the TRIB wrote on Jul 17, 2007 12:35 AM:

    " rEpOrt the TruTh? ThE RePubLIcanS arE for LiMItinG tHe increase iN fUNDs, nOT foR CUttInG THe fUNds. iF tHE uW SySTem iS SlaTeD for ReCEIving a 10% INcrEAse in FundS and oNLy get aN 8% iNCRease, thEY are STILL geTTinG an INcrEASE! "


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