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