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10/17/2009
Rep. Montgomery: Utility Customers Join State’s Crime-Fighting Efforts
Not too long ago, “Six Degrees of Separation” was a very popular trivial pursuit-type game. The object of the game was to establish a link between two seemingly disparate subjects through a series of six interconnections. Little did I know a version of the game could be played with the state’s new two-year budget. Because the state budget is not a game, I won’t ask you to discern the new relationship between electric utility customers and public safety. Instead, I will explain the linkage and its consequences.
By way of background, elected District Attorneys in every Wisconsin County are tasked with prosecuting criminal offenses. Depending on the county’s population, the prosecutorial duties of the DA are supported by Assistant District Attorneys (ADAs). Because these prosecutors represent the state in cases before a court of law, DAs and ADAs are funded at the state level. In fiscal year 2008-09, a total of $47.6 million was set aside for the salaries and benefits of 435 local prosecutors with state taxpayers covering all but $3.4 million of that amount. Given the integral role of DAs and ADAs in keeping our communities safe, this is a wise investment of taxpayer dollars.
Even with the state’s ongoing budget woes, I was not expecting Governor Doyle to cut back on funding for local prosecutors to close Wisconsin’s multibillion dollar budget deficit. In fact, in his budget address, Governor Doyle’s stated that to: “protect what is most important to Wisconsin – protect education, health care, public safety and the ability to create jobs and grow the economy” was a guiding principle in his budget decision-making process. Funding for local prosecutors clearly falls under the public safety category.
Unfortunately, as the state’s new two-year budget worked its way from the Governor’s Office to the Democrat-led Legislature and back to Governor Doyle for final approval, the funding for DAs and ADAs funding was reduced by $7.7 million. More troubling than the reduction of funding, was the decision by the legislative Democrat majority to back away from using tax dollars to help local DAs prosecute crime. As I mentioned above, taxpayers deserve and expect to see that their tax dollars are being put to good use. I doubt that I can find any taxpayer who would quibble with the notion that their tax dollars were being used to put criminals behind bars.
Instead of using just taxpayer dollars to fund the salaries and benefits of local prosecutors, the legislative Democrat majority decided to turn to utility customers. They pushed through a plan requiring Wisconsin electric utilities to collect $18.2 million fees from its customers for the next two years to help pay for the salaries and benefits of local prosecutors.
Beginning this month, most Northeast Wisconsin residential utility customers will see a new fee on their monthly electric bill. In addition to paying for heat, homeowners will kick in about 27 cents a month to support local prosecutors --- businesses will pay an extra 80 cents a month. This is just another “hidden tax” on top of the other taxes and fees Wisconsin families will have to pay as a result of the decisions made by Governor Doyle and the Democrat-led Legislature in crafting the state’s next two-year budget. Of course, there was plenty of money for special interest pork projects – nearly $40 million in total, yet when it came time to looking out for public safety they decided utility customers should have to join in the state’s crime-fighting efforts.
Thankfully, the mainstream media, particularly in the Fox Valley, has brought some much needed attention to this outrageous budget decision. It is needed now as well as in the future. While legislative Democrats who supported this “utility crime-fighting” fee argue the fee will only be levied for a two year period, the Oshkosh Daily Northwestern pointed out recently that it took the federal government nearly 100 years to sunset the fee on phone bills to finance the Spanish-American War. Rest assured, I will be following this issue very closely.
Phil Montgomery is a Democrat and represents residents of the 4th Assembly District in Green Bay.
COMMENTS
When I heard the beneficent gesture by our generous Democratic minders, my heart welled up in gratitude. After the State Budget funding for State Employee Non-Married Partners Benefit and Tuition for Illegal Aliens to attend the University of Wisconsin for deeply discounted fees, the Democratic Majority found a creative solution to funding the State District Attorneys with a small pittance of a tax proffered through our Energy Bills. Our gratitude for such a beneficent approach to the priorities of public expenditures should never go unnoticed. Our thanks to Sen, Dave Hansen and Legislative Majority Leader Tom Nelson for this amazing solution aimed at protection from law breakers, scoundrels and thieves who might have escaped the purview of the legal system were it not for these crack (sic. on) public officials.
Richard Parins (Mon Oct 19 21:44:25 2009)
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