In This Issue:
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1. Doyle Sees Glimmer of
Hope
2. Taxpayer Bail Bonds
3. Tort Reform Advocates
Make Waves
4. Taxation Without
Representation
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DOYLE SEES GLIMMER OF HOPE
Last week, when we learned state unemployment had reached 9.4% and state revenue had dropped by $328 million, you probably thought the economy was in trouble.
Not so, says Jim Doyle, who is starting to realize that people blame him for the worsening Wisconsin economy.
According to the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram, Doyle sees “glimmers of hope” in the current economy:
Echoing President Barack Obama's recent comments on the slumping national economy, Gov. Jim Doyle declared Thursday in Eau Claire that Wisconsin's economy is beginning to show "glimmers of hope."
Though he cautioned that the economy still has a long way to go before it recovers, the governor cited reports that the credit crunch is loosening, the state's food-processing industry has remained strong and the housing market is picking up as consumers recognize that low prices and interest rates make this a good time to buy a house.
"We are seeing some glimmers, but I think every economist is saying nationwide that even with the glimmers of hope we're going to see some real difficult times," said Doyle, who was in Eau Claire to announce that $2 million of federal economic stimulus money has been approved to improve the city transit system.
Wisconsin lost 280 manufacturing jobs to Louisiana last week, and Harley Davidson announced another 400 layoffs. But because the state’s food processing industry remains strong, Governor Doyle says everyone should remain calm.
It must be nice to be so out of touch with reality.
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TAXPAYER BAIL BONDS
 Pity the poor criminal. He breaks the law, gets sent to jail, and probably doesn’t have enough cash to make bail. Fortunately for him, he has the Dane County taxpayers to bail him out.
Under a program started by the Dane County Sheriff, the county had a revolving loan fund to help offenders make bail if they were short of cash. An opinion released last week by Wisconsin Attorney General JB Van Hollen put a stop to the practice:
Dane County should not have used taxpayer dollars to bail low-level offenders out of jail, Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen said Wednesday in a written opinion.
The formal opinion, the 16th issued by Van Hollen and his first this year, found that neither counties nor sheriffs have the statutory authority to lend county funds to jail inmates.
Van Hollen determined that, according to state statutes, sheriffs have "charge and custody of the jail" and must "state the time when and the authority by which the prisoner is liberated." But nothing in state statute "expressly authorizes the sheriff to loan county funds to persons booked into the county jail," Van Hollen wrote.
Under the Dane County model, $5,000 was available in a revolving loan fund to help indigent inmates pay bail amounts of $250 or less. Eligible inmates had to have no outstanding warrants, could not have been arrested for domestic incidents, must have made all court appearances in the previous five years, and had to be free of alcohol and drugs.
With taxpayers struggling during the recession, leave it to Dane County to think of criminals first.
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TORT REFORM ADVOCATES MAKE WAVES
Last week the Wisconsin Insurance Alliance launched a radio ad campaign in Racine about Governor Doyle's plan to change legal liability standards.
The ad ticks off the double digit unemployment rates for several South Eastern Wisconsin cities and says these changes won’t help bring jobs back.
“Wisconsin families are having a tough time making ends meet. Jobs being lost. Wages being cut," says the narrator. "But now Governor Doyle wants you to pay more for your insurance -- auto, homeowner and business. His budget makes it easier to sue businesses and individuals for all they own."
In addition the Civil Justice Coalition began a direct mail campaign targeting businesses. The mailer urges employers to take action and contact their legislators.
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TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION
Wisconsin Club for Growth took to the airwaves again this week to warn taxpayers about Governor Doyle’s plan to create un-elected transit authorities in Wisconsin. These boards would have the power to raise sales taxes, issue bonds and appropriate your land.
Two years ago we learned that the South Eastern Wisconsin Regional Transit Authority (SEWRTA), created in Doyle’s first budget, abused its authority by spending nearly half a million dollars of taxpayer money to pay five lobbyists and a public relations guru. The lobbyists pushed the state legislature to raise the rental car tax by 650%.
Now Doyle and the legislature want to give SEWTRA authority to spend several hundred million dollars for a street car in Milwaukee and a 33 mile commuter rail line from Milwaukee to Kenosha.
A Reason Foundation Study on the KRM commuter rail line estimated that the taxpayer cost for each new round-trip commuter will be $14,000/year. Start up costs are estimated at $250 million, and according to SEWRTA’s own estimates, only 4800 new transit riders will be added by 2035.
Contact your legislators. Tell them to say no to un-elected boards and higher sales taxes.
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