Diammond Jim Doyle's New State Motto

"Meet the Candidates Evening" on Thursday, March 19, 2009

We will be hosting a "Meet the Candidates Evening" on Thursday, March 19, 2009 at the Waterford Town Hall. The event will begin at 6:15 PM.

We are inviting the candidates for Town of Waterford Supervisor and the Waterford Graded School District Board (WGSD). After a brief introduction we will be give each of the three candidates for Town of Waterford Supervisor five minutes to speak to our group prior to getting to the WGSD candidates.

When we move on to the WGSD portion of the evening, each candidate will give an opening statement. The WGSD candidates will then be asked (on a rotating basis) a series of questions that were solicited from concerned taxpayers in the Waterford area.

The taxpayers of the Waterford area are looking for real leadership from our elected officials. We’re looking for leaders who value the education of our children and who recognize the importance of managing the delivery of that education in a fiscally responsible manner.

Please be sure to bring a friend or neighbor!!

Rose Fernandez and Tony Evers Running For State School Superintendent

Rose Fernandez and Tony Evers are running for State School Superintendent.

Click here to watch this great video, learn about the candidates and decide who you want to vote for!!!

Governor's Budget Calls For Hikes in Auto Insurance Premiums

When Wisconsin's budget is introduced, it often contains what we refer to as "non-fiscal policy" - items that are more legislatively - focused and have little to do with the budget, itself. In the last budget, Governor Doyle included 53 non-fiscal policy items including things like repealing the Qualified Economic Offer (QEO) for teachers, allowing UW Faculty to unionize, and gutting Truth-in-Sentencing provisions. Most of these items were removed by the Joint Finance Committee, due to a long-standing tradition that the committee return these policies back to the Legislature for full consideration.

The reason it's done in the first place, is to force legislators to vote for provisions they would not normally support because of the pressing statutory deadline that exists for passing the budget If these proposals were offered as standalone provisions for the whole Legislature to consider, many would likely die, as so many bills do every legislative session.

However, in this upcoming budget, Governor Doyle has been quite brazen in the non-fiscal policy items that he has decided to put forth. Though there are many, those of note include creating a domestic partner registry, repealing the QEO - a tool to help school districts hold down property taxes, attacking Milwaukee's School Choice program, and mandating the increase of auto insurance coverage minimums.

The increase in coverage amounts on auto insurance is particularly disturbing. The proposal calls for raising liability limits from $25,000 to $100,000 for each person, from $50,000 to $300,000 for each accident, and from $10,000 to $25,000 for property damage (Read the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel story here). According to the Insurance Journal, this could raise premium costs anywhere from 33 to 43 percent.

According to the Insurance Information Institute, in 2006, the average annual auto premium paid by Wisconsin citizens was $590. That means that the average driver will see an increase anywhere from $194 to $253 per year his insurance bill.

Unfortunately, while it has always been the policy of the Joint Finance Co-Chairs to remove these non-budgetary items from the budget, I have little faith that that will occur this time. With Democrats controlling both houses and the Governor's office, Democratic leaders will seize this opportunity to advance controversial policies that wouldn't stand the light of day if done in the regular process

If these policies are so worthwhile, they should go through the Legislature like every other major policy item. They should be available for public hearings so that regular citizens have the opportunity to scrutinize and critique the merits of the proposal. Pushing these things through in the budget is simply a way to advance the agenda of a few at the expense of open government and a fully involved public.

State Representative Robin Vos
State Capitol - Room 321 East - Post Office Box 8953 - Madison, Wisconsin 53708
Phone: (608) 266-9171 - Toll Free: (888) 534-0063 - Fax (608) 282-3663
Email: Rep.Vos@legis.wisconsin.gov

Newt Gingrich rips Obama Budget

Doyle's School Funding Proposal Would Lift Revenue Caps

Doyle's School Funding Proposal Would Lift Revenue Caps - Click here for the article from the Wisconsin State Journal!!!!

An Email from Rep. Robin Vos

Ten Dollars in Tax Increases For Every One Dollar in Spending Cuts

This week the Senate and Assembly approved Governor Doyle's Budget Bailout Bill to fix a $500 million deficit in the current year's budget. The bill didn't come close to closing this year's deficit - still leaving a $416 million hole going into the upcoming fiscal year. However, it did manage to raise taxes by $1.2 billion. In fact, this "budget repair" bill was so irresponsible, that it contained $10 in tax increases for every $1 in spending cuts.

On Tuesday, Governor Doyle also introduced his biennial budget bill in which he plans to address a $5.9 billion budget deficit over the next two years. Between the two proposals, there are more than $2 billion in tax hikes. The bills tax everything from music downloads, to small businesses, to gas, just to name a very few.

I am very disappointed in Governor Doyle's state budget proposal. When we are facing the worst economic situation in a generation, it's terribly reckless to increase taxes on Wisconsin's families and small businesses.

I am in the process of reading the bill right now. It is 1800 pages and will take some time to get through. When I do, I will give you a full update as to what is in the bill.

Wisconsin Shares Audit Approved After Vos Makes Request

Most of us have been following the Watchdog Reports in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel chronicling the fraud taking place in the Wisconsin Shares child care program. Reporter Raquel Rutledge identified $750,000 in overt fraud. She also identified more than $13 million in overpayments to child care providers. Whether the overpayments occurred because of fraud or bad recordkeeping is unknown.

My interest in the Wisconsin Shares program began during the last budget. I was informed that this fraud was occurring - though I had no idea it was this occurring at such a massive scale - and I set out to do something about it.

Ultimately, I was successful in writing a fraud provision that did make it into the budget and is now part of state statute. It creates an incentive for counties to look for fraud and allows them to keep a percentage of whatever they are able to recover.

However, based on this Journal Sentinel report, it is clear that this problem is so much larger than we knew and will require major reforms to stop this level of taxpayer fraud. Therefore, I recently made a request of the Legislative Audit Committee that they convene and recommend that the nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau conduct a full scale audit of the program in order to find major problem areas where we can make legislative changes that ensure this never occurs again.

Fortunately, the committee met today and did approve this audit. I look forward to reading the results of the Audit Bureau's findings and working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to stop this horrible misuse of taxpayer funds.

State Representative Robin Vos
State Capitol - Room 321 East - Post Office Box 8953 - Madison, Wisconsin 53708
Phone: (608) 266-9171 - Toll Free: (888) 534-0063 - Fax (608) 282-3663
Email: Rep.Vos@legis.wisconsin.gov
On the Internet: Representative Vos' Web Site

B. Hussain Obama did this in 3 weeks.....what will 4 years do?

Leave Us Alone Already!!!

A Load of Global Warming %$*&

Remember the Spring primary election next is Tuesday Feb 17'th.

Remember the Spring primary election next is Tuesday Feb 17'th.

Education Author and WTMJ Talk Show Host Charlie Sykes on Rose Fernandez Wednesday, February 11, 2009:


"I think there is actually a really good candidate in this race: Rose Fernandez."

"Here is somebody who not only has been an involved parent; she's actually taken on the bureaucracy. Rose Fernandez is exactly the kind of person we need. She doesn't represent the teachers' union; she's willing to take on the teachers' union. She's not part of the establishment; she's willing to challenge the establishment. She is not an educational bureaucrat. She thinks that the system should work for students, what a radical concept. Rose Fernandez is the only one in this race who thinks the schools ought to be about the kids. Not about the unions, not about bureaucracy…"

He later called Rose Fernandez "probably one of the most interesting candidates to emerge in a statewide race in a very, very, very long time."

His comments begin about two thirds of the way through this podcast:
www.620wtmj.com/podcasts/charliesykes/39443567.html?video=pop&t=a

More Evidence The Democrats Are To Blame For This Financial Crisis

Stop This Asinine Stimulus Bill

Paul Ryan: Flawed stimulus bill is "unworthy of our new President's signature"

The Wrong Approach Is From The Left....

Duh!!!!