Capitol Report
By State Representative, Leon D. Young
Leon D. Young
In an all-out effort to heighten his political brand for his run for the White House, Scott Walker and his Republican cohorts have unleashed the dogs.
The Governor’s 2015-17 budget proposal was an outright assault on the poor, the elderly, sick and on working class families in this state.
As a result of the Republican’s fiscal irresponsibility, local public schools continue to face historic budget cuts and higher education is becoming less affordable for students.
Republicans’ tax breaks have hurt Wisconsin by giving too much of the benefit to wealthy and big corporations causing a $2.2 billion budget deficit.
Republicans have used this manufactured crisis to massively cut education, healthcare and our university system.
Some of the “lowlights” in this current budget cycle include:
• $250 million cut from the UW system, allows for some increased tuition and forces layoffs across the state.
• Diverts over $48 million in state funding from public schools.
• Limits health care access and shifts $360 million in additional costs onto state taxpayers by rejecting federal funding for BadgerCare.
• Creates a new payment system for community health centers which will result in a $10 million funding cut, potentially leading to clinic closures and cuts in services.
• Cuts $30 million from Knowles-Nelson Stewardship, limiting public land conservation efforts.
• Republicans voted to essentially double the costs of deductibles and out-of-pocket for nearly all state workers at a proposed savings of $52 million.
$24 million would be saved by replacing the 10% co-pay model with co-payments of $15 for regular doctor visits and $25 to see specialists.
Out-of-pocket limits would go from $500 to $1,000 for single coverage and $1,000 to $2,000 for families.
Deductibles would be $250 for single coverage and $500 for families.
Another $12 million in savings comes increasing the maximum employee cost for prescription drugs from $50 to a maximum of $200.
The aforementioned cuts are only a small sampling of the slash-and-burn provisions being advanced by Republicans-controlled Legislature.
However, for initiatives that curry favor with the GOP political agenda, there is no shortage (or reluctance) to allocate state resources.
Case in point, Republican leaders are developing a tax package that would “simplify the tax code” by ending the state’s alternative minimum tax.
The tax that’s charged to people who have a large number of deductions and typically earn $200,000 to $500,000 a year.
In light of the state’s $2.2 billion shortfall that the GOP created, it’s completely inconceivable (as well as unconscionable) that the GOP is now considering giving another tax break to the wealthy.
After all, this is the recipe that helped get us into this budgetary mess in the first place.
There appears to be no end to this Republican hypocrisy that gives to the rich –while extracting blood from the poor.