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4/26/2007
Was Kitty Rail Rhoaded?
Rep. Kitty Rhoades has a very tough job as Co-Chair of the powerful Joint Committee on Finance (JFC). She’s dug her heels in genteely, but firmly, and is nevertheless getting the ride of her life. Sometimes seemingly all by herself, she’s ably fighting not only the Democrat-controlled Senate, but also a JFC split evenly down the middle (8 Republicans, 8 Democrats) and a crafty Democratic governor who’s very much in the budget driver’s seat. (WISTAX says it’s going to be a long, hot summer.)
You might remember a Senator Ellis piece that appeared here a week or so ago, in which he railed, in his own inimitable way, that the legislature should throw the lousy, convoluted, tax-raising Doyle budget out and start over with the current budget as a base.
Well, a JFC memo late last week kind of did a little of that. Very, very little. But a little. A couple of non-controversial agency budgets here and there will be built from current numbers. So there’s a little that Kitty got. But for sure, it’s not much.
What Rep. Rhoades did get was a lot of non-budget policy stuff thrown out of the budget (48 items!). (Of course, all that non-budget policy stuff was stuffed into the budget by the governor so Ms. Rhoades would have to use valuable chits to negotiate it out.)
Thrown out was important chaff that will have to be dealt with via separate bills – big issues like eliminating the QEO and collective bargaining for UW faculty.
But here’s the rest of the story. All else will be taken up with the governor’s proposed budget as a base. It will take 9 of those 16 votes to make one iota of a change in the vast majority of the budget issues. That means except in the rare cases when at least one Democrat change sides, the Republicans are skewered. Rail Rhoaded, as it were.
The Republicans’ only friendly territory will be in the GOP–controlled (just barely) Assembly. The Assembly must craft a budget that stakes out as much of the high ground as they can possibly muster. And let it be said, even as they’re slogging through this budget, those 52 Republicans must hold on to the majority in their own house.
That means ideologues must be sensitive to their Republican comrades elected from marginal districts. They must get in one big room, take some big lumps to the sanctified take-no-prisoners principles expressed by some, then come out as one good solid unified, strategic force. Make decisions early on about what you know you’re going to have to give up – and conversely, delineate those issues the caucus will fight to the death to maintain for the people of Wisconsin.
Rep. Rhoades’ co-chair, Sen. Russ Decker (D-Weston) is one tough negotiator. And the Doyle budget he’s been asked to defend is a very grandly written, but cagey and convoluted document. The governor means to get his way with it. (Is it any accident that Barbara Worcester, the wife of the very definition of a crafty negotiator, Chuck Chvala, manages Senator Decker’s office? What’s that pillow talk like?)
Yup. The Republicans have their work cut out for them in this budget. Frank Lasee says they should do nothing. I don’t buy it. Assembly Republicans, you are up for this. (You surely don’t need me telling you how to do your job!) Do whatever it takes to keep your caucus unified. Don’t sweat the small and not-so-small but out-on-the-fringes stuff. Find positions that even some of your Democrat buddies in marginal districts won’t be able to vote against. With a lot of this stuff you’ve got the people with you. And we people out here are counting on you!
COMMENTS
There will be an assembly budget that will have a unified republican assembly majority. (unless we aren't).
Then it comes to the compromise with the Senate that will have a budget that looks alot like the governors proposal. How much in new taxes and fees should the Republicans be unified in voting for? How much expansion of underfunded Medicaid with no new dollars should we be unified in voting for?
Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I for one will not be voting for a budget that raises taxes, overspends or continues our over bonding (only 2 to 4 states have worse bond ratings than WI. Only three states carry a GAAP accounting deficit like WI. And by the way 41 states have surpluses but not WI. I am one Republican that is not following the leadership of this irresponsible (to the taxpayers) Governor. The citizens of this state need a breather from ever increasing taxes and fees.
Rep. Frank Lasee (Thu Apr 26 08:55:56 2007)
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