Wisconsin Governor Doyle Asks Superior to Fight Extreme Republican Budget

Republicans Cut Police and Fire in Douglas County, Opportunities at UW-Superior

July 16, 2007 -- SUPERIOR – Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle today asked Superior and all of Douglas County to join the fight against the extreme budget passed by the Assembly this week, which will cut 26 police and firefighters and over $1.5 million over all from Douglas County. Governor Doyle stood with students, teachers, elected officials, firefighters and law enforcement to denounce the budget passed by the Assembly.

The Republican budget cuts over $162 million from University of Wisconsin campuses and financial aid programs across the state, reducing access for thousands of students. At UW-Superior these cuts were particularly severe, including $2.3 million general funding and $32 million for a new academic building – a 160,000-square-foot facility that will contain classrooms and laboratories, replacing a number of outdated facilities on campus. The new facility has already been approved by the UW System Board of Regents, the State Building Commission, the governor and the Wisconsin Senate, and has leveraged $7 million in private donations.

“The Republican vision for Superior is fewer police on the streets, fewer jobs for our citizens, and poorer schools for our students, Governor Doyle said. It’s an assault on our most basic values. Republicans actually want to give a sales tax break for people who buy gold bullion, while they cut school breakfasts, limit funding for foster families, deny health care to kids and force seniors out of their home and into nursing homes. It’s time to put the priorities of Wisconsin families ahead of partisan posturing and unrealistic proposals.”

Governor Doyle called on the Legislature to move past partisan rhetoric and put the needs of Wisconsin families first. He asked for their cooperation in putting extreme differences aside and fulfilling their responsibility of getting a completed budget to his desk as soon as possible.

The broad cuts by the Assembly Republicans would have severe and far reaching effects on every area of family life – from education, to health care, economic development and public safety.

The Republican budget cuts schools by $130 million, which will mean larger class sizes, fewer textbooks, and 1,700 less teachers across the state.

The Republican budget fails to fund $30 million in new grants and loans for renewable energy development and eliminates help to businesses for training 36,000 workers.

Republicans cut nearly $13 million in direct state support for technical colleges, reducing funding for over 20,000 students seeking additional job and career skills training.

For the first time in Wisconsin history, Republicans also eliminate the statutory balance requirement and repealed the law requiring that revenues exceed expenditures in every fiscal year.

The Republican budget increases the risk of future budget deficits by proposing over $900 million in advanced commitments – a 33% increase over the Governor’s budget.

Governor Doyle has worked hard to instill fiscal discipline in Wisconsin government over the past five years. The Governor’s budget will cut state spending, keep advanced commitments to their lowest level in 12 years, dramatically reduce the use of one-time spending and double the statutory balance to $130 million – ending this budget with the largest surplus in eight years and putting Wisconsin on a permanent path of fiscal responsibility.

The Governor’s budget will create real opportunity for hardworking middle class families in this state by balancing budgets, ensuring every child has access to health care and quality education, and creating the jobs of tomorrow and the highly-trained workers to get the jobs done.

Source: Wisconsin Governor

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