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March 12, 2008

Wednesday Update

Wisconsin Club for Growth  March 12, 2008 Volume 2, Number 11 The Wednesday Update  In This Issue 1. Not so Extreme     Makeover 2. Doyle Punts on     Budget 3. Triple Dipping 4. Glass Houses Make a Donation today! Keeping Free Marketers Current on the Issues   Thanks for your support of Wisconsin Club for Growth! We hope you enjoy the newsletter. Our goal is to be brief, informative and bit provocative. We welcome your feedback. Please feel free to contact us anytime by emailing staff@wicfg.com , or come visit us on the worldwide web. Wisconsin Club for Growth Website  Back to top Healthy Wisconsin II: Not so Extreme Makeover  If  anyone in the real world, (outside the State Capital), is wondering how sincere the Democratic State Senate is about enacting their "Healthy Wisconsin" government run health plan, they can stop wondering now. Since the Senate's failed attempt last year to force through the largest tax increase in American history ($15.2 billion) in three days, Healthy Wisconsin has been exposed as having less legitimacy than the World Wrestling Federation. The bill that was rejected by the Legislature during last year's budget process was introduced late last week with a less than extreme makeover.  The newly improved Healthy Wisconsin plan makes the following changes: The implementation date has been moved from January 2009 to January 2010 --- to give employers an extra year to move jobs out of Wisconsin. Phase in for employers with 10 or fewer employees.  The phase in will occur over three years with full participation required in year three. The total tax on household income may be capped. When asked how he planned to finance the phase in and potential caps, Senator Erpenbach said he would take the money out of the savings.  So the newly improved Healthy Wisconsin plan spends the money the earlier version purported to save.    A public hearing on the new version was held on Monday, and the bill may come up for a full vote in the Senate as soon as today.  The rapid timetable is evidence that the bill's author, Senator Jon Erpenbach, is more interested in campaign talking points than actually doing anything about health care. When a bill granting custody of dogs to pet owners gets more consideration than a $15.2 billion government takeover of health care, it's time for a reality check for our Legislature. Back to top Doyle Punts on Budget Fix  On Monday, Governor Doyle introduced his proposal to plug the immediate $652 million shortfall in the Wisconsin budget.  Unashamed that many of his previous decisions to raise taxes and spending, take on more debt, and employ the same budget gimmicks that led to this shortfall, Doyle once again reaches into his bag of tired tricks to try to scam the public.  And why not?  The media, the legislature and affected special interest groups continue to hold Doyle harmless for using this technique of punting his budget mess to the legislature to fix. Much like New York Governor Eliot Spitzer, Doyle has a hard time keeping his hands to himself.  In Doyle's case, it's our tax money Doyle keeps grabbing.  The linchpin of his budget plan is a proposal to raise taxes on hospitals, which will increase the cost of health care in the state.  Doyle also transfers more money out of the transportation fund to fund general fund programs and issues additional debt to fill the transportation hole.  It would be more honest to just bond directly for the general fund, but Doyle's pretty sure even the average Joe would liken that to buying groceries with a home improvement loan.  The current scheme can't be described quite that concisely. So by the time you find yourself paying higher gas taxes in order to pay off the interest on these transportation bonds, Doyle will be writing his memoirs. Of course, actual reductions in government spending were never part of the discussion.  Instead, the state will continue its strategy of taxing its citizens to make up for the lack of fortitude by its elected officials.  In the end, it's a lot easier to raise taxes on the many than tick off the few who benefit from your tax money. Back to top Is Justice Butler Triple Dipping?  Justice Louis Butler's official 2007 calendar reveals that he spent nearly a week teaching at a college in Reno, Nevada - an organization with which he reports a financial relationship - while also being paid by Wisconsin taxpayers. What's more, Wisconsin Law allows Judges to apply the unused  portion of their sick leave to pay for health insurance when they retire. That's triple dipping. His official Supreme Court calendar also shows that Butler spent a day traveling to a Los Angeles, California law school for a moot court competition. He did not take leave for any of the time he spent out of state. He also reported a financial relationship with the California school in 2007. State Supreme Court justices earned $134,389 in 2007. That means Wisconsin taxpayers shelled out $1,840 so Justice Butler could be paid to do work outside the state. Louis Butler should immediately refund the taxpayers for the time they paid him while he was doing work for out-of-state organizations, or deduct the time from his accrued leave so taxpayers don't pay for it again when he retires. From Justice Butler's 2007 Calendar: Friday, April 13, 2007. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Travel to LA (SW Law School) (Los Angeles) Monday, May 14, 2007 8 a.m.-5 p.m. National Judicial College, Reno NV Tuesday, May 15, 2007 8 a.m.-5 p.m. National Judicial College, Reno NV Wednesday, May 16, 2007 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. National Judicial College, Reno NV Thursday, May 17, 2007 National Judicial College, Reno NV Travel - 12 p.m. to 11 p.m. Back to top One Wisconsin Now's Big Glass House  A recent press release issued by One Wisconsin Now raises serious questions about the credibility of the group and its spokesperson, Scot Ross. The press release alleges Judge Michael Gableman may have violated some legal or ethical standard when he traveled to a non work related event during a normal weekday and used the word "Republican" to describe people in a fax transmitted over state phone lines. This is not the first example of Gableman's questionable use of taxpayer funds. Records show March 26, 2002, Gableman used resources from the Ashland County District Attorney's office to fax McCallum a list of attendees for a breakfast meeting at the Governor's residence. The list, which was sent on his DA's office letterhead, specifically noted that three of the handful of attendees were Ashland County Republican Party officials, including himself. [Governor's Residence Event Fax, 3/26/02] By Ross' standards, anytime an individual's party affiliation or position within the party appears in a description of that individual, the document can no longer be considered official state business for the purpose of transmitting via fax or email.  That means that University of Wisconsin Professors Dennis Dresang and Joe Heim as well as Judge David Deininger, Chair of the Government Accountability Board, violated the law by using their state email accounts to correspond with members of the WJCIC.  An open records request from the Wisconsin Club for Growth revealed that those emails contained numerous references to party affiliation, political donor history and campaign advice. The next time Scot Ross makes accusations about the legal and ethical conduct of a state employee, he should make sure he has i's dotted and his t crossed.  Moreover, before Mr. Ross engages in any more finger wagging, he should reimburse the State of Wisconsin the $3,895 in legal fees spent on his behalf when he was investigated for illegally campaigning on state time.  During that investigation,  state prosecutors learned that Ross spent several weeks traveling the state on behalf of political campaigns while he was earning a full time state salary, accruing sick leave, vacation time and pension benefits.    Back to top