(Published Friday, October 5, 2007 11:34:40 AM CST)
A d v e r t i s e m e n t
What's a word that describes beyond ridiculous?
Whatever it is, we would use it to describe the impasse on the state budget, now more than three months past due.
Depending on whom you listen to, the delay already might have put the average homeowner on the hook for an extra $200 in property taxes just for K-12 funding.
The Republican-controlled Assembly passed a sensible compromise weeks ago that would bring K-12 funding to the level Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle has proposed. But rather than let the Senate vote on it, Majority Leader Judy Robson, D-Beloit, sent a letter to state Superintendent Elizabeth Burmaster. It stated that lawmakers had agreed on K-12 funding and Burmaster could count on that to calculate state aid payments to districts, amounts due by Oct. 15.
Burmaster responded that the law requires using the "most accurate data available," and without a final budget, that remains the current level of aid. Burmaster said she instructed her staff to start calculating using those amounts.
Despite Burmaster's nonpartisan position, she and Robson are two peas in a liberal pod. You'd think they could have communicated that little snag earlier.
Private talks at the Governor's Mansion have brought further budget compromises but no final deal. We appreciate that Doyle got involved, even though he has run off for apparently more pressing business some days since convening these sessions Sept. 24.
The talks involve no more than three legislative conference committee members in a room at the same time so they don't violate state law. Still, it's troubling that reporters aren't allowed.
"It obviously breeds distrust and cynicism when government policy has to be hashed out behind closed doors," said Bill Lueders, president of the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council.
Not that we could get any more cynical about what's happening in Madison.
Wisconsin is the only state with a July 1 budget deadline that still is without a budget. School districts, local governments and students are being held hostage, trying to sort out their budgets not knowing the level of state aid and student grants.
Meanwhile, the conference committee has met fewer than 20 times since July 1. What can be done to fix this obviously broken process?
Ban the smelly practice of lawmakers holding campaign fund-raisers during the budget process, for one thing. It should be illegal for legislators working on the budget to take handouts from special interests seeking state contracts.
Second, it's time Wisconsin join states that have penalties for budget delays. Commendably, several lawmakers are proposing such legislation. Ideas include withholding pay for lawmakers, requiring minimum hours of work per day of all conference committee members and even shutting down nonessential parts of state government.
All should be enacted.
Why not permanently dock lawmaker pay rather than just delay payments? Because the state constitution wouldn't allow it.
Maybe it's time to change that, too.
Wisconsinites should never again have to wait this long for lawmakers to do their No. 1 job.
