"Democrats said the Republican plan was awash in pork-barrel projects - such as a $2.9 million property tax break for restaurant kitchen equipment - and would cripple the University of Wisconsin System."
"If it becomes law, the GOP budget by mid-2009 would force the layoff of more than 1,700 teachers statewide, including 199 in Milwaukee Public Schools"
The Republican plan would:
• Cut aid to counties by 5% and cut aid to four Democratic-leaning municipalities - Milwaukee, Racine, Beloit and Superior - by 12.5%. Milwaukee would lose $28.7 million. Republicans said the four cities were getting more in per capita state aid than other cities.
• Provide $150 million in new school aid, $85 million less than what Democrats want. Current annual school aid is $4.7 billion.
• Limit tuition increases at UW schools to 4% a year through the 2010-'11 school year. It would provide $119 million less over two years than what Democrats sought.
• Eliminate Doyle's proposed Wisconsin Covenant, which would guarantee higher education opportunities for students who maintain B averages, stay out of trouble and take college prep courses.
• Make the Milwaukee school choice program available to all Milwaukee County high schools, instead of just those in Milwaukee, starting next school year. It would create a Racine County choice program in 2009.
Choice programs provide students with taxpayer money to attend private schools, including religious schools.
• Block $52.6 million in higher child-care subsidies for poor residents, which Democrats said would most hurt Milwaukee.
• Eliminate Doyle's plan to create BadgerCare Plus, which would increase health coverage in the state, and to expand Family Care, which helps the needy remain in their homes rather than move to nursing homes.
• Cut yearly spending on the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund from $60 million to $25 million. Democrats want to increase the land conservation program to $105 million.
• Create tax cuts but stop single people younger than 65 from qualifying for the Homestead Tax Credit.
Read the rest of the story.
1 Comments:
This is painful. It's as if all the great things we were imagining, all the wonderful progress we were hoping for would be destroyed if this passed.
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