It's not perfect. Nothing is. But it's good.
Of course, the Leftists are saying it's a disaster.
I think that's the clearest indication that the budget is good for the state, putting Wisconsin on a path to prosperity.
From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
Gov. Scott Walker signed a two-year $66 billion budget Sunday that will cut nearly $800 million from public schools, expand taxpayer support for private voucher schools, cut taxes for investors and businesses, clamp down on property taxes and put the state's finances in better shape than they've been in for more than a decade.
Using the vast veto powers of Wisconsin governors, Walker struck out dozens of budget provisions, including one that would have allowed bail bondsmen in Wisconsin. He also used his veto pen to bar public employees from collecting pensions unless they work for a state or local government for five years or more, set up new possible limits on a family-planning program and allow state officials to do more no-bid contracts.
As previously announced, the GOP governor also vetoed a provision that would have allowed most fired Milwaukee police officers to continue to receive pay while they appealed their dismissals.
Walker's 50 vetoes were less extensive compared with those issued by previous governors, but that's due largely to the fact that Walker's fellow Republicans run both houses of the Legislature and worked closely with the governor in crafting the legislation. Walker has the broadest veto powers of any governor nationwide, allowing him to strike out entire provisions of the budget or rewrite sections by selectively crossing out words.
Wearing khakis, a blue shirt and no tie, Walker signed the budget Sunday afternoon before a crowd of about 100 at Fox Valley Metal-Tech - a site chosen to highlight a tax cut for manufacturers included in the budget.
...A few hundred protesters gathered outside Fox Valley Metal-Tech, chanting "Shame!" as Walker's guests drove into the parking lot. They held signs decrying budget cuts and chanted, "Recall Walker!"
The budget - Walker's first since taking office in January - closes a $3 billion shortfall over the next two years largely without relying on tax increases. It raises spending by $1.1 billion, or 1.8% over two years, and leaves the state with an estimated $300 million surplus in its main account by June 2013. Republicans in the Legislature passed the budget earlier this month on party-line votes.
"Our balanced budget makes tough choices while also providing a path to prosperity for our state and our people," Walker said in a 20-minute speech. "Through honest budgeting, we are providing an alternative to the reckless tricks and gimmicks of the past. To move forward together, we are acknowledging that we have to make sacrifices to protect the next generation by decreasing the serious debt that they would otherwise inherit."
Fiscal responsibility.
What a concept!
Video from FOX 6 News:
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