It’s day 102 of Wisconsin budget watch, with what seems like no end in sight. Republicans, led by Assembly Speaker Mike Huebsch, are stalling the passage of a budget to score cheap political points with their rapidly dwindling conservative base, but this debacle is only likely to backfire once elections roll around in 2008.
Now I’ve never been one to believe folks who start talking about doom and gloom when it comes to an overdue budget, but as a state employee I’m more than a little disturbed at the fact that our management is talking about deep program cuts and layoffs due to the fact that we have no budget for the current fiscal year. Mind you, program cuts and layoffs likely won’t affect me, but cuts in staff will no doubt affect an untold number of state employees, and that’s simply unacceptable. Mike Huebsch and his Republican allies ought to be ashamed of themselves for letting things get to this point. I understand Huebsch is trying to look tough against Governor Doyle for his own inevitable run to unseat Doyle, but he’s simply gone too far. Democrats have shown time and time again they’re willing to compromise to get a budget done, a fact that stands in stark contrast to Huebsch’s “all or nothing” approach to getting a budget done. Huebsch wants Democrats to give him everything he wants while he gives nothing in return, and at the risk of sounding juvenile, he’s acting like a jackass of the highest order.
When the jobs of hardworking folks all across Wisconsin are put on the line simply because of some political posturing by lawmakers, it’s time to send those politicians a message that enough is enough.
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