Freeze backers don’t trust voters to make own decisions

With their radical budget proposal to freeze Wisconsin to a standstill, top Republican
legislators show they have lost faith in the people of Wisconsin, according to Marty Beil,
executive director of the Wisconsin State Employees Union, AFSCME Council 24.

“They’re trying to take away the right of citizens to make decisions in the future by freezing Wisconsin in its tracks today. They’re also trying to take away the right of workers to
bargain collectively. It’s an all-out assault on our most basic democratic institutions,” Beil said.

Beil said the GOP proposal to freeze government spending for three years strips power
from future elected officials and the citizens who elect them. It represents a mindless approach to complex problems.

“We’ve seen arrogance in power before, but this takes your breath away. These people
think they are so smart they can see the future. They think they know better than every other
elected official past, present or future,” Beil said.

“I can understand why they want to forget about the past since they are the very same
people who drove the state straight into a $3.2 billion deficit. Now we’re in their mess and they want to freeze us in place. If their ultimate goal is to destroy public services at every level and make us the next Mississippi, they’re well on their way,” Beil said.

Beil was especially critical of the Republican raid on more than $20 million of the already
minimal amount set aside by Gov. Doyle in the compensation reserve to pay state employees. “This brings into question whether we can collectively bargain with the state at all. It’s hard to bargain when one side slams the door before you get in the room,” Beil said.

Raiding the compensation reserve also prevents the administration from having any tools
to keep necessary workers from leaving state service. “If we keep losing LPNs to counties or the private sector, do we just close places like the King Veterans Home? Do we just shut down facilities because we can’t hire qualified people to work in them?” Beil asked.

Beil said big business groups that are backing the freeze might not like the unintended
consequences. After years of consistently winning new loopholes and special breaks,
corporations contributed only 4.6 percent of general purpose revenue taxes collected in
Wisconsin last year, down from 11.3 percent in 1979.

“They might have shot themselves in the foot. A freeze could mean that for the first time
in recent history, these guys won’t be able to shift more of the tax load onto working people. Of course, with their lapdogs in this Legislature, I’m sure they can find a way. The rest of us better watch out,” Beil said.