NEWS AND NOTES - Anger over the proposed budget grows

"Recall Doyle" movement picking up steam! - By Amy L. Geiger-Hemmer
Jun. 2, 2009

Wisconsinites are finally getting smart - and angry!- perhaps following in the footsteps of Californians who recently said "enough is enough." No more tax increases! No more fee increases! No more careless, excessive spending! First came the nation-wide Tea Parties - which helped galvanize conservatives and others fed up with higher taxes and wasted dollars. More Tea Parties are to come, which should continue to unite and strengthen the GOP and conservative base.

Now we have another movement underfoot. One which currently isn't getting much attention from the Milwaukee Journal/Sentinel, but has been featured on conservative talk radio in the area as well as Madison. I am referring to the "Recall Doyle" campaign. Governor Doyle needs to go. And the Recall Doyle organization is spearheading the effort to kick him out of office.
http://www.livinglakecountry.com/blogs/communityblogs/46743422.html

Zigmunt a No Show, Then Quiet at Lakeshore Budget Discussions
Well, after the discovery of a personal pork project for his district, I'm not shocked at all freshman Democrat Ted Zigmunt (D-Francis Creek) isn't facing the music from his constituents.

But please Teddy, don't give us this "I'm uncertain how I'm going to vote on the Budget" crap. You've been bought and paid for by Mark Pocan (D-Madison); be a big boy and admit it.

Unless for some reason you don't want to say Pocan knows how to ride you...
http://www.lakeshorelaments.com/?p=2172

Gutless governance - Budget woes summarized in one sentence
By Mark Belling

The state budget passed by the Democrats in a legislative committee and to be voted on in the state Assembly next week is the worst public policy document in the history of the state of Wisconsin. Despite that, I can tell you what’s wrong with it in just one sentence.
The Democratic budget will drive high-income earners out of the state by raising the income tax and the state’s tax on capital gains while forcing further layoffs at major manufacturers like Harley-Davidson by increasing the taxes on their out-of-state earnings and will drive up the cost of senior living by doubling the state’s tax on nursing home residency and gouge motorists by costing them 6 cents for every gallon of gas with a new oil franchise fee along with exploding the cost of telephone service by creating a new $9-a-year tax on every single cellular or landline phone which will be especially tough on university students because University of Wisconsin tuition is being raised 5 percent while financial aid is being slashed for all students except illegal immigrants because they will be given in-state tuition at the same time the state becomes a lawsuit haven with the toxic provision that individuals who are only 20 percent at fault can be forced to be responsible for 100 percent of the damages in any civil award which will benefit trial lawyers who also get a windfall with the new requirement that motorists increase their auto liability insurance which will raise premiums at the same time property owners are going to be hammered by massive local tax increases as their communities deal with major cuts in state aid but have to pay for the doubling of the state garbage tax on landfill dumping which will only partially be offset by earmarks like $43,000 for recycling bins in Wrightstown which seems like a small amount when compared to the creation of a Regional Transit Authority in southeastern Wisconsin which is being funded by an increase of a full 1 percent in the Milwaukee County sales tax with half the money going to the parks system although the biggest increase of all will be in school property taxes because the budget gets rid of the so-called QEO or Qualified Economic Offer which put limits on annual increases in teacher pay which will now be passed on to taxpayers because revenue limits on local school districts will be increased with a series of new exemptions at the same time the brand new hospital tax that was enacted a mere four months ago is raised another 20 percent before its ink was even dry just as social policy is radicalized by allowing all gay and unmarried heterosexual couples to tap lavish state health insurance benefits by registering their domestic partnerships even though those couples will have to pay dramatically higher electric and gas bills along with the rest of us because of the big increase in the state low-income energy assistance program which seems like a crime but the actual criminals will be getting a giant break because the budget will release thousands of felons from prison before their sentences are up while development is going to be slowed on many new construction projects because of the new requirement that all workers be paid union scale on any project that receives public subsidies even as a terrible new provision is created that will result in the unionization of every single home health care worker in the state which will make it much harder for seniors in need of services to remain in their own homes and will drive out of business many of the smaller home health care agencies but even younger people are hit hard with a big tax on all digital downloads even as the cost of both birth and death certificates is doubled and the tax exemption for health insurance is eliminated.

Other than that, the budget is just fine.
http://www.gmtoday.com/milwaukeetoday/editorials/belling/2009/belling_06032009.asp