Rep. Knudson's Budget Update

    On Tuesday evening Governor Walker gave his budget address coinciding with the release of his 2011-2013 budget proposal. As many of you know, the budget process is long and many amendments are made to the bill. Currently, my staff and I are analyzing the proposal to prepare for more substantive discussions within the State Legislature. My initial thoughts on the budget proposal are below and as we move through the budget process I will be providing more detailed information in upcoming updates relating to specific areas of the bill.

Governor Walker's Budget Proposal Protects the Taxpayer

    After attending a briefing on the Governor's budget proposal it is very clear that this budget puts the taxpayer first and it aggressively moves Wisconsin towards a better fiscal position. The budget comes through for the voters who made clear their desire for lower taxes and smaller government.

    The Governor's proposal would protect the taxpayer by holding firm on no increases in taxes or fees and by protecting against excessive property tax increases. This budget would reduce the structural deficit by 90% to its lowest point in recent history from $3.6 billion to under $250 million, stopping the practice of passing on the burden of an ever growing deficit.

    The budget also proposes to significantly reign in runaway government spending. Over and over we have heard the call to reduce the size of the state government and get spending under control. The budget would accomplish this by reducing overall spending by 7%. The decrease in state funding would mean that tough choices must be made by our local governments and school districts. We want to avoid layoffs of the public employees that teach our children and provide the essential services in our communities, which is why it is crucial that local elected officials and superintendents be given the tools provided in the Budget Repair Bill to manage the funding cuts and still deliver a high level of programs and services without vast position elimination. 

    Additionally, the budget would not raid any segregated funds. This means money collected from sources such as gas taxes would be protected and used for our neglected road system and not siphoned off for other purposes.

    The Governor's proposal fulfills the main promises made during the past campaign: protect the taxpayers, reduce spending and end the accounting gimmicks that distort the reality that financially the state is broke. Continue to follow my updates as the budget process unfolds in the upcoming months.

National Weights & Measures Week

    It is National Weights and Measures Week, the time to recognize weights and measures inspectors and city sealers whose duty is to protect both consumers businesses in helping to create a fair market.

   Follow the link for tips on buying gas and general shopping from the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection: Weights & Measures Week: Are You Getting Your Money's Worth?

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