From the Facebook page of Democratic State Rep. Andy Jorgensen comes word of a move by Republicans on the Joint Finance Committee to take away local control over road work contracts in excess of $100,000:
A little motion came out of nowhere last Friday and was passed by JFC. My guess is, you haven’t heard about it, so here goes. It prohibits county highway depts from being able to do road work if it costs over $100,000. Instead, they “must” contract this work out with private companies. So much for local control.
It’s worth noting that State Senate President Mike Ellis, a Republican from Neenah, seems to not be a fan of the proposal, issuing a statement saying the proposal seems to benefit road builders.
“The only ones who seem to benefit are the road builders,” Ellis said in a statement. “Last session I criticized Gov. (Jim) Doyle’s unnecessary and costly auto insurance changes as a payoff to the trial lawyers. It doesn’t look any better when Republicans insert just as unnecessary and costly provisions that appear to benefit their friends.”
While Sen. Ellis doesn’t seem to be in favor of the proposal, I’m betting the hypocritical Republicans who are so common in the Wisconsin legislature will pass the proposal. While they’re busy talking about how the want to give local governments more “tools” to control costs and rein in spending, those same Republicans are bit by bit taking away what control local governments do have over how they spend their money, in this case when it comes to road work costs.
Im old enough to remember when the republicans believed in local control….O wait im only 44 so I guess im not.
Funny. Mike Ellis is talking about “Republicans” in the third person, as if he weren’t one. He used to be a good guy, reasonably sane and pro-labor. His antics the last few months have changed all that for good. Who can forget the gum-chewing clod hiding behind his sun glasses shutting down Fred Risser. He’ll have to try harder than that.
This is a completely vacuuous amendment and what the crap is it doing in the state budget…it has nothing to do with the state budget.
But this is very easy to get around…we do it in IT…break a road project down into $100,000 components…$100,000 to tear up a stretch, $100,000 for curb and gutter on the east side of the street, ditto for the west, $100,000 to pave one lane, $100,000 for the next, etc…
If state funds are being used…then the Republicans aren’t being fiscally responsible if the local govt can do it cheaper…they are supposed to be creating jobs…but I thought the free market would determine the best places for those jobs to be created.
Sounds dumb to me. I agree, it runs counter to the local control philosophy some of us really do believe in rather than the hucksters selling it just to get votes or public opinion. Write up the requirements & whoever can meet them at the lowest price gets the job, period.