% US THESE ARE WISCONSIN AREAS
% WHERE WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO FIND
% COMMON GROUND.
% >> Frederica: THE STATE BUDGET
% IS NOW IN THE HANDS OF THE
% REPUBLICAN-CONTROLLED
% LEGISLATURE.%NEXT WE TURN TO
THE CO-CHAIR OF
% THE POWERFUL BUDGET WRITING
% COMMITTEE, REPRESENTATIVE MARK
% BORN.
% WE SAT DOWN WITH HIM AT THE
% STATE ALCOCAPITOL AND ASKED ON
% REACTION TO THE BUDGET.
% >> IT'S DISAPPOINTMENT.
% IT'S REALLY NOT A REALISTIC
% BUDGET, UNSUSTAINABLE, MASSING
% SPENDING, TAX INCREASES IN A
% VARIETY OF AREAS AND VARIETY OF
% WAYS.
% GROWING GOVERNMENT, NEW PROGRAMS
% EVEN FINDING A WAY TO WORK A NEW
% AGENCY IN.
% THAT WAS A SURPRISE FOR SOME OF
% US.
% SO DISAPPOINTING.
% CERTAINLY NOT HEADING IN THE
% RIGHT DIRECTION.
% NOT ONE WE CAN REALLY WORK WITH
% OR WORK FROM.
% WE HAVE TO START FROM CURRENT
% LAW AND BUILD FROM THERE ON A
% BUDGET THAT WORKS FOR THE PEOPLE
% OF WISCONSIN.
% >> Frederica: WHAT WILL YOUR
% SPENDING PRIORITIES BE?
% >> I THINK NO SURPRISE TO FOLKS
% BOTH BECAUSE THE PEOPLE OF
% WISCONSIN ARE WHO TELL US WHAT
% THE PRIORITIES SHOULD BE BUT
% ALSO IT'S BEEN PRETTY CONSISTENT
% SEVERAL YEARS NOW THERE'S REAL
% TOP PRIORITIES WE KEEP BUILDING
% ON FROM EDUCATION TO
% INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS TO
% HEALTH CARE.
% I THINK THERE'S MAYBE ONE
% SLIGHTLY NEW ONE THIS TIME
% THAT'S BEEN GETTING A LOT OF
% DISCUSSION AND WORK DONE ON IT
% ALREADY TO LOOK FOR WAYS TO FUND
% LOCAL GOVERNMENTS IN A BETTER
% WAY OR TO MAKE MORE SUSTAINABLE
% LONG-TERM FUNDING AND IT'S
% CERTAINLY ONE WE'RE WORKING ON.
% I THINK MAYBE HOPEFULLY IT'S AN
% OPPORTUNITY FOR COMPROMISE.
% WE'LL SEE.
% THE GOVERNOR CERTAINLY
% APPROACHED IT IN SOME WAYS WE
% WILL NOT.
% WE'RE NOT GOING TO INCREASE
% TAXES IN CITIES ACROSS WISCONSIN
% IS PART OF HIS PLAN.
% THAT'S NOT THE MODEL.
% BUT INVESTMENTS OF NEW
% SUSTAINABLE FUNDING SOURCES WITH
% CHANGES.
% WITH REFORMS AND ACCOUNTABILITY
% AND INNOVATION.
% >> Frederica: AS TO THAT COMMON
% GROUND AROUND SHARED REVENUE AND
% MONEY GOING BACK TO LOCAL
% GOVERNMENTS.%THE GOVERNOR HAS
ANNOUNCED HE
% WOULD LIKE TO TAKE 20% OF THE
% STATE'S SALES TAX AND RETURN IT
% TO LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.
% AND HE CREDITS THE REPUBLICAN
% LEGISLATURE WITH COMING UP WITH
% THAT IDEA.
% IS THAT THE PLAN?
% >> THE DETAILS ARE NOT SETTLED.
% THAT'S WHAT I WAS REFERRED TO.
% HE TOOK DIFFERENT APPROACHES
% WITH TAX INCREASES COUPLED WITH
% THE 20% AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
% WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO THAT.
% WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE IT'S
% FOCUSSED ON INNOVATION AND THE
% FUTURE AND SOME REFORMS NOT JUST
% THE SAME OLD, SAME OLD AT A
% LOCAL LEVEL BUT STILL, NEW
% SUSTAINABLE FUNDING FOR THE
% FUTURE TO HELP LOCAL GOVERNMENTS
% PROVIDE SERVICES THEY NEED TO
% PROVIDE IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
% THERE'LL BE SOME PARALLELS BUT
% THERE'S DEFINITELY GOING TO BE
% DIFFERENCES TOO.
% >> Frederica: IN THE PAST
% REPUBLICANS HAVE TALKED ABOUT
% BEING IN FAVOR OF SOME KIND OF
% FAMILY LEAVE AND THAT WAS
% SOMETHING THAT WAS ANNOUNCED IN
% THE GOVERNOR'S BUDGET ADDRESS.
% ARE YOU IN FAVOR OF THAT OR HOW
% MIGHT YOUR MODEL BE DIFFERENT?
% >> I THINK IT'S UNLIKELY THERE
% WOULD BE A BRAND NEW PROGRAM OF
% THAT LEVEL IN A STATE BUDGET.
% THAT'S SOMETHING THAT SHOULD RUN
% THROUGH LEGISLATION THROUGH THE
% COMMITTEE PROCESS, DEBATE,
% DISCUSSION WITH COMMUNITIES OF
% INTEREST AND CERTAINLY THE PLAN
% HE PUT FORWARD IS IS POLICY.
% >> Frederica: YOU TALKED ABOUT
% PRIORITY BEING K-12 EDUCATION.
% HE WANTS TO BOOST SPENDING $2.6
% BILLION.%WHAT'S YOUR NUMBER?
% >> OVER NUMBER WILL BE DECIDED
% IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS IN THE
% BUDGET DELIBERATIONS.
% THAT'S HOW IT WORKS.
% I WON'T HAVE A NUMBER TODAY BUT
% I KNOW WE'LL INVEST IN
% EDUCATION.
% >> Frederica: WHAT'S YOUR
% REACTION TO THE NEARLY $300
% MILLION TO THE BREWER STADIUM?
% >> LIKE THIS THE DEVIL'S IN THE
% DETAILS AND HAVE TO DO WORK TO
% LOOK AT THIS AND NEED TO MAKE
% IMPROVEMENTS TO THE GOVERNOR'S
% PLAN FOR SURE AND HAVE
% DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT BUT
% CERTAINLY I THINK FOLKS
% GENERALLY WANT TO WORK TOWARDS
% KEEPING THE BREWERS IN WISCONSIN
% AND MILWAUKEE HOPEFULLY FOR A
% LONG TIME.
% >> Frederica: AS TO TAX CUTS,
% GOVERNOR EVERS CUTS ABOUT $1.5
% BILLION WITH A 10% CUT FOR
% EARNERS MARRIED EARNERS UP TO
% $150,000 -- UNDER $150,000.
% WHAT'S YOUR REACTION TO THAT,
% FIRST OF ALL?
% >> THE SIMPLE REACTION IS OVER
% ALL TAX CUTS ARE GOOD BUT IT
% CUTS TAXES IN ONE SPOT AND RAISE
% AS A BUNCH IN OTHER AREAS.
% IT'S REALLY NOT TAX REFORM.
% IT'S NOT REALLY TAX CUTS.
% IT'S MORE OF WITH A LITTLE DO A
% FEW NICE THINGS HERE AND A BUNCH
% OF THINGS THAT ARE THE WRONG
% DIRECTION ON TAX POLICY IN OTHER
% AREAS AND YOU WON'T SEE A
% REPUBLICAN BUDGET THAT WILL LOOK
% LIKE THAT WHEN IT COMES TO TAX
% POLICY.
% >> Frederica: WILL WE SEE A FLAT
% TAX IN THE REPUBLICAN BUDGET?
% >> I THINK FOR A WHILE NOW WE'VE
% BEEN MOVING IN THAT DIRECTION
% AND THAT'S A GREAT GOAL.
% WHETHER OR NOT WE'LL GET TO A
% FLAT TAX IN THIS BUDGET REMAINS
% TO BE SEEN BUT I THINK WE'LL
% CONTINUE TO DO TAX REFORM THAT
% MOVES US IN THAT DIRECTION AND
% MAKES US MORE COMPETITIVE IN THE
% MIDWEST WITH STATES HAVING A
% FLAT TAX.
% >> Frederica: IF YOU CAN'T COME
% TO AN AGREEMENT WHERE TO SPEND
% THE EXTRAORDINARY SURPLUS, WILL
% YOU ALLOW A LOT OF THAT TO ROLL
% OVER TO THE NEXT TIME?
% >> WE HAVE AN ACCOUNT AND
% REVENUES.%I DON'T THINK YOU'
LL SEE OUR
% BUDGET WITH HOLDING A LOT OF
% MONEY BUT SAVE FOR A RAINY DAY.
% WE MAE KEEP MORE IN THE BALANCE
% OR THERE BUT WE WON'T KEEP
% SURPLUSES IF THE GOVERNOR'S VETO
% CAUSES THAT THAT'S HIS DECISION
% THEN.
% WE'LL SEND HIM A BUDGET THAT'S
% REASONABLE AND INVESTS IN
% PRIORITIES AND RETURNS MONEY TO
% THE TAXPAYERS WITH INFLATIONARY
% TIMES AND SOME OF HIS VETOES
% LEFT MONEY IN THE STATE SAVINGS
% ACCOUNT, SO TO SPEAK, THEN THAT
% WILL BE WHAT HAPPENS BUT THAT'S