By State Representative, Leon D. Young
Leon D. Young
The state budget hearings are well underway. As you probably know, the Republican co-chairs of the Joint Finance Committee elected to schedule only four public hearings in the entire state on the current budget bill (Assembly Bill 40). Interestingly enough, Milwaukee was not one of the sites selected to garner public input.
It should be noted that the four communities (Greenfield, Green Bay, Lake Delton and St. Croix County) that were chosen represent just two percent of Wisconsin’s total population. Moreover, the four public opportunities for citizens across Wisconsin to tell the committee what they think about the budget – tied for the fewest number of budget hearings held since 1985.
Back in February when Scott Walker rolled out his 2013-15 State Budget, he effusively proclaimed that the state had turned the corner, in terms of its economy, under his watch. He also claimed that this budget provided a tax cut for middle class families. But, as we all know, the devil is in the detail.
The truth of the matter of the matter is this:
• This budget gives someone making $300,000 a tax cut of $300 while a family making $50,000 would only receive $52.
• Under Walker’s BadgerCare plan, 87,000 parents would be kicked off the program, forcing many parents and children to be split on different health plans.
• Reduces Earned Income Tax Credit by $2 million per year and homestead credit by $1 million per year to reflect fraud prevention efforts.
• Increases state aid to technical colleges by $5 million in 2014-15. ($72 million cut last biennium)
At the end of the day, no matter how much perfume and lipstick you put on it, Scott Walker’s current budget is still a pig. Moreover, it does little, if anything, to erase the economic hardships that working class families have been forced to endure as a result of his last state budget.