October 12, 2007
Volume #29, Issue
#36
PROTECT
LEGISLATORS THAT HAVING NO NEW STATE BUDGET HAS SERIOUS CONSQUENCES: IT
MEANS REAL CUTS ARE COMING, WHICH WILL HURT REAL PEOPLE AND CAUSE REAL PAIN. –
You have read in the papers that some Assembly Republicans are digging their heels in,
saying that the
state of
state (and all of the services that the state provides funding for) can coast along just
fine, indefinitely, on
the 2005-07 state budget funding levels. They are dead wrong and are misleading the citizens
of this
state. It’s time to push back. Tell
lawmakers to get it done!
What will
happen without a new state budget? Here is a
list of just a few of the many, many services
that
would be affected and the serious ramifications of not adopting the Governor’s
budget:
Child Support Funding: With the cut in federal aid for child support
services (under Bush’s “deficit
reduction act”)
public employees.
lost federal dollars. Without the budget,
Corrections: Without a budget, state correctional institutions
will face a shortage of some $375 million.
Since July 1, DOC has racked up a deficit of $46 million and counting. Cost-cutting steps that will have to
be taken include staff layoffs and modified lockdowns at all state institutions. In addition, DOC will be
forced to remove over 600 inmates from county jails, which means the already-overcrowded
prisons will be
faced with housing even more dangerous inmates. Other consequences include the possible
layoff of
probation and parole staff, and the certain delay in implementing the popular new state
law that requires
GPS tracking of sex offenders.
Transportation: No
new budget means no new authorization for proposed state highway rehabilitation
projects in Peshtigo,
Tuesday at their annual conference in Wisconsin Dells, urging lawmakers to pass a
“responsible” budget.
WCA Executive Director Mark O’Connell told members that the WCA is “not just
calling on the Legislature
to pass a budget. . .just a budget is not enough”. County
budgets will become increasingly strained without
state aid for juvenile corrections, courts, transportation, human services and more.
The UW System: No new budget means a $96 million shortfall, which
translates into faculty and staff
layoffs, tuition surcharges, fewer classes and larger class sizes. In addition, UW students would face the
loss of $26.4 million in state GPR funding of financial aid programs!
State Employee Contracts: Funding for Shared Revenue, BadgerCare, nursing home
funding,
SeniorCare, the proposed expansion of FamilyCare, tax cuts, the much-coveted tax breaks
and much
more WILL NOT HAPPEN without the 2007-09
budget.
Contact
Assembly Republicans today and tell them you are tired of the partisan games
and their budget stalemate. Real cuts
and real pain will happen without a new budget.
Tell the Assembly Legislators to get the budget done!
COME TO
STATE LAWMAKERS TO GET IT DONE! - We
realize that many people cannot take time off of
work to come to
an email to your legislator to tell them of your concern that, without a budget, Real Cuts, Real
People, Real Pain will be the outcome. Tell your legislator that this
cannot be the future of our great
state!
AFSCME
Council 24 is organizing buses to
www.wseu-sepac.org or contact your Take Back
America staff or your Council 40 staff rep. Click
here to see a timeline for the October 17 rally.
For more information, call the AFSCME area office at 608-836-6666.
LEGISLATIVE WEBSITES. . .For those
"online", here are some good info spots:
Wisconsin State Legislature: www.legis.state.wi.us/
"Who Are My Legislators": www.legis.state.wi.us./waml/
State of Wisconsin: www.wisconsin.gov/state/home
Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau: www.legis.state.wi.us/lrb/
Wisconsin Legislative Council: www.legis.state.wi.us/lc/
Wisconsin Legislative Fiscal Bureau: www.legis.state.wi.us/lfb/
Wisconsin Ethics Board: http://ethics.state.wi.us