Conservatively Speaking

Governor Doyle’s 10-page State of the State Speech included one reference on page two about cutting taxes for hard-working families. Eight and one-half pages were dedicated to the Governor’s new initiatives and program expansions.

Here are some of the phrases in the Governor’s speech he used to describe his proposals:

• BadgerCare major expansion
• Raise Wisconsin’s tobacco tax by $1.25 a pack
• A promise to every high school student
• A financial package to pay for it.
• Funding for the Office of the Wisconsin Covenant
• Triple the state's support for school breakfast
• Provide a major investment to reduce class sizes
• Increasing our efforts from $2 million to $8 million
• Double funding for the highly successful Youth Apprenticeship Program
• A new Wisconsin Venture Center
• New investment in the University
• Expand financial aid
• Provide additional academic help
• A new Health Sciences major at Stevens Point
• New opportunities for technical college students at UW-Oshkosh
• Services for adult students at Green Bay
• Strengthen student retention efforts at River Falls
• Expand the liberal arts programs available at Superior
• Expand opportunities at UW colleges
• New mechanical engineering degree at UW-Fox Valley
• Electrical engineering degree at Rock County
• Opportunities for hundreds more students throughout the state
• Train more nurses and teachers in Oshkosh
• More engineers in Platteville
• More biologists in Green Bay
• Fund an innovative partnership between Eau Claire, Stout, and the Chippewa Valley Technical
College
• Major new investment in research
• Making an investment in Milwaukee
• Reauthorize the Stewardship Program
• $40 million investment in renewable energy like solar, wind, hydrogen, biodiesel and ethanol
• Provide incentives to dramatically increase the availability of E-85
• Announcing a Governor's Task Force on Global Warming
• Improve the way campaigns are financed

Does this Socialist-style speech sound like utopia to you? Or is it asking too much of state taxpayers considering Wisconsin has below average income and is at the top of the tax charts?

January 22, 2007 marked the 34th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade that legalized abortion. Since the court ruling, the estimates are that 480-thousand abortions have been performed in Wisconsin, 47 million in the United States.

On January 16, 2007, there was an abortion survivor’s testimonial at the Capitol. Entitled, “The Truth about Abortion from Women and Men Who Had One,” the program was sponsored by the organization, Silent No More. Their stated goal is to make the public aware of the devastation abortion brings to women, men and their families, and to no longer shroud the emotional and physical pain of abortion in secrecy and silence.

I stopped by the presentation at the Capitol and stood in the doorway of the standing room only crowd for a short time. I heard three riveting testimonials from women suffering post abortion trauma.

In those very few minutes, I learned that 64 percent of abortions are coerced. One woman testified that at the age of 15 she was told it was a blob of tissue. As she aged, she later realized it was not only her baby, but that the abortion facility let statutory rape go unaddressed.

I requested copies of their testimony, and I was told they would be forwarded to me. When I receive them, and if the women give their permission, I will share their testimony with you on my blog.

One of the women, Jane Krantz, wrote a column on this highly charged issue, an issue that rarely, if ever, gets any media attention. Here is her column printed in the Appleton Post-Crescent.

Question: Will Governor Doyle’s smoke-free Wisconsin that bans smoking in all public places, restaurants, and taverns include casinos operated by sovereign tribes on Indian land???

February 17-19, 2006 was a deadly weekend for Wisconsin snowmobiles. Five fatal accidents occurred, one involving an eight snowmobile pile-up. In one of the accidents, 11 snowmobiles were traveling on a roadway at about 70-80 mph. Because he was going so fast, the lead snowmobiler failed to make a curve, crashed into a snow bank, went airborne, and died when he hit the ground. Seven snowmobilers who were following the victim also could not negotiate the turn and launched off the bank into a pile. Three others in the group also suffered injuries.

During the 2005-2006 snowmobile season, there were 36 fatalities in Wisconsin compared to 37 the previous winter, the third-highest number of snowmobile deaths. The record is 39 fatalities during the 1999-2000 season. The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reports the leading contributor in 28 of the 36 fatalities last winter (78%) was speed. Speed is also defined as traveling too fast for conditions or beyond the operator’s experience. Of the 28 speed related fatal accidents, 20 of the victims had consumed alcohol. Most of the fatal crashes occurred between 10:00 PM and 12:00PM, 24 (67%) taking place after sunset.

The fatal accidents are especially unfortunate because the DNR claims many were preventable if only the operators had slowed down. Because snowmobilers riding at speeds faster than 50-55 mph during dark evening hours over-ride their headlights, if they see a tree, fence, or sharp turn, they are unable to react in time to avoid a collision.

After a snowmobile death toll of 37 in the winter of 2004-05, the DNR created a special Accident Reduction and Alcohol Enforcement team that sent wardens to scout certain areas on weekends. While the team was effective in stressing and promoting snowmobile safety and enforcing regulations, last winter’s total of 36 fatalities proved it wasn’t enough. The five fatal accidents during the February 17-19, 2006 weekend prompted the Legislature to take further action.

In the last legislative session, lawmakers approved a bill that was signed by the Governor establishing a 55 mph speed limit for snowmobilers during the hours of darkness. I voted for the new law that is now in effect. It applies to all areas statewide one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise and any other time that there is insufficient natural light to clearly see a person or vehicle 500 feet away.

Prior to this law, Wisconsin law placed no speed limits on snowmobilers unless they were driving alongside a roadway. If a snowmobiler was spotted speeding, weaving, swerving or operating erratically, DNR wardens did not have probable cause to pull then operator over. Now, wardens have a reason to stop speeding snowmobilers and test them to see if they are intoxicated.

The DNR recommends snowmobilers ride at reasonable speeds, keep their alcohol consumption to a minimum, and to be even safer, to refrain from drinking alcohol while driving. Snowmobile clubs urge operators to stay on marked trails, ride within their abilities and headlights, stay on their side of the trail, and slow down when approaching oncoming traffic.

Another new law passed in the last legislative session sets a noise limit of 88 decibels for all snowmobiles manufactured after July 1, 1975. The public has complained about excessive noise from snowmobiles, leading to the closing of some trails near private property.

How dangerous is 88 decibels (dB)? The website Dangerous Decibels says if a sound reaches 85 dB or stronger, it can cause permanent damage to your hearing. The Hyperacusis Network reports you know that you are listening to an 85 dB sound if you have to raise your voice to be heard by someone else. Some common sounds and their corresponding decibel ratings include normal conversation (60 dB), busy traffic (70 dB), a lawnmower (90 dB), a diesel truck (100 dB), a car horn (110 dB), a rock concert or jet engine (120 dB).

The snowmobile noise limit law also prohibits any person from modifying a snowmobile in a manner that increases the noise level above that emitted by the snowmobile as originally manufactured. Both new snowmobile laws are necessary to reduce accidents and fatalities, and to make snowmobiling more enjoyable for everyone.

On March 7, 2006, Marc Neumeyer and Daniel Melhorn of the Winnebago County Highway Department were struck and killed as they worked on the shoulder of the road.

Closer to home, on January 12, 2007, Deputy Tim Johnson of the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Department responded to an accident in the stadium interchange. Johnson was working with orange construction cones in an effort to help clear the scene. Lit flares were on the ground. Law enforcement vehicles had their emergency lights on. Clearly there were signs to oncoming motorists to slow down.

Suddenly, a driver lost control attempting to avoid a rear-end collision. The driver struck Johnson, who was thrown into a median, hitting his head. Johnson’s sister, Michelle Trawicki, says her brother is lying in a hospital, dying from severe brain injuries.

The widow of a Tennessee Highway patrol officer who was killed at the time a truck hit him in an emergency lane said, ''My husband did not fear being shot. His biggest fear was being hit rather than being shot. Sometimes motorists would drive by close enough to see if they could knock his hat off.''

Wisconsin has a Move Over Law that requires drivers to move over or slow down for emergency and maintenance vehicles. The law says that a motorist must “move the motor vehicle into a lane that is not the lane nearest the parked or standing vehicle or machinery and continue traveling in that lane until safely clear of the vehicle or machinery.” It also requires that a motorist “slow the motor vehicle, maintaining a safe speed for traffic conditions, and operate the motor vehicle at a reduced speed until completely past the vehicle or machinery.”

Violators of the Move Over Law face a $252 fine and three points off of their driver’s licenses.

So, please, move over. It’s the law.

December 29, 2006, the Wisconsin Department of Revenue discovered it had made a huge blunder. It mailed out about 170-thousand income tax forms to taxpayers with their Social Security numbers printed on the address labels for anyone to see. I know this first hand because I was one of those unfortunate 170-thousand taxpayers.

It was the Department of Revenue’s error, but unfortunately, you, the taxpayers, will have to suffer.

The incredible mistake came under the watch of then-Department of Revenue Secretary Mike Morgan. In the private sector, such an outrageous mistake is not tolerated. In the world of Governor Jim Doyle, it calls for a promotion.

Just a few days after the Department of Revenue’s major mistake, Revenue Secretary Mike Morgan was promoted to Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Administration on January 1, 2007. The person responsible for one state agency, the Department of Revenue and release of 170-thousand social security numbers, is now responsible for all state agencies.

Incredible.

Here is a letter dated January 5, 2007, I received from Deputy DOR Secretary Laura Engan after I and other senators wrote to the DOR, asking for an explanation. Engan offers an apology, information about the Social Security numbers on mailings, and the steps the department is taking to prevent a similar mistake in the future. Engan writes that letters to all affected taxpayers were to go out the week of January 8, 2007. I am told the letters were mailed January 19, 2007. I am still waiting to receive my letter in the U.S. mail.

Wisconsin’s governor has one of the most far-reaching veto authorities in the country. That can lead to an abuse of power. It happened during the state budget process of 2005.

Governor Doyle took the budget approved by the state Legislature and slashed hundreds of words out of several sections of the budget to create an entirely new sentence. After the Governor’s clever editing, $427 million had been raided from the state’s transportation fund to go to schools. A $427-million appropriation was made that was not approved by the legislature. You must see this to believe it.

The Governor’s sweeping use of his veto pen to spend $427-million not approved by the legislature represents a complete change of heart on his part. Attorney General Jim Doyle made the following comment in 1992, according to the Madison Capital Times newspaper:

"No one should be able to create new laws through the use of a veto. As we all learned in our studies of good government, laws should be written by the Legislature and either approved or rejected by the governor."

Attorney General Jim Doyle was speaking to a legislative committee considering a constitutional amendment that he supported at that time to limit the governor’s veto power.

It gets better. During 2002, Jim Doyle was running for governor, and made the following statement at a candidates’ forum according to the Capital Times:

"I don't think you should be able to go in and take a word out there and a word out here and create a whole new sentence."

During August of 2005, the Governor’s position totally reversed itself, as he told the Capital Times:

“Thank God I have the veto."

Connect the dots. The Governor raided the transportation fund of over $400-million.The Wisconsin Transportation Builders Association now claims Wisconsin faces an annual $698 million shortfall just to meet existing highway and local road programs, and that $105 million in road projects have been delayed throughout the state. Shortly after being re-elected, but not before, the Governor announced that fee increases for driver’s license registrations would be necessary. There is even talk of raising Wisconsin’s gas tax, one of the highest in the nation. This is because the Governor over-stepped his veto authority during 2005.

The Legislature is now considering a constitutional amendment to limit the veto power of future governors, whether they are Republican or Democrat. It would prohibit governors from using their partial veto power to create new sentences, and thus, new appropriations.

I am a co-sponsor of Assembly Joint Resolution 1 (AJR-1) that was approved in the last session by both the state Assembly and state Senate. Because it is a constitutional amendment, it must pass two consecutive sessions of the Legislature and then be approved by voters in a statewide referendum. This session, the amendment will pass again in the Assembly, but what happens in the Senate now that it is controlled by Democrats?

In the last session, the Senate passed the amendment, 23-10. Four Senate Democrats voted in favor. This session, two Democrats would have to vote in support with 15 Senate Republicans to send the amendment to a statewide vote……that is, if the Senate Democrats who control the Senate calendar allow the amendment to come to the Senate floor for a vote.

The goal is to get the amendment to voters for the April 3, 2007 spring election. To do that, the amendment requires action by the Legislature by February 20 so election officials can prepare it for the ballot.

Remember, when Tommy Thompson was governor, he was very creative in using his veto pen. But his vetoes were legal because they resulted in a decrease in spending. Jim Doyle’s creativity has produced an increase in spending. The Governor can use his veto power to cut, not increase spending.

This Governor has abused his power more than once. When he made compacts with Indian tribes that lasted forever and gave them permission to expand gaming, the state Supreme Court ruled the Governor went too far. Wisconsin’s Governor, regardless of party affiliation, should not be allowed to abuse power just to satisfy special interests.

Reminder: This Monday, January 22, 2007, I will hold the first round of town hall meetings scheduled this winter throughout the entire state Senate District 28. I look forward to seeing you and hearing your questions, comments, and concerns.

MONDAY, JANUARY 22

GREENDALE 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Greendale Public Library

5647 Broad St.

GREENFIELD Noon - 1:00 p.m.

Greenfield City Hall, Council Chambers

7325 West Forest Home Ave.

NEW BERLIN 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

New Berlin Library • 15105 Library La.

The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Board will meet Wednesday, January 24, 2007, in Madison to discuss the control of mute swans.

Here is the DNR Board agenda for the January 24, 2007 meeting.

If you would like to testify at the meeting, you must register by this Friday, January 19, 2007. Here are guidelines and instructions on how to register.

The more laws and rules government creates, the less people rely on their own critical thinking skills. People become reliant on the government to determine their personal safety, and allow government laws and rules to determine daily personal safety behavior.

Case in point: the very specific child car seat laws. Wisconsin state government told parents you must have safety seats and must follow very detailed requirements at the time your children grow to specific age, weight, and heights, only to learn a couple weeks ago that some of the safety seats that comply with the government requirements are not safe.

Restricting cell phone use, pulling drivers over for not wearing seat belts, extra testing of senior drivers and the list will go on and on. The legislature is back in session and some lawmakers think it is time to create more laws to add to the Wisconsin law books that are now five volumes, each two inches thick, with 5,791 pages of fine print. There are 18 volumes of administrative rules to support the 5,791 pages of fine print. The administrative rules are another 12-13,000 pages of fine print.

Must we have more fine print? More fine print should be devoted to criminal behavior, reducing government spending, and lowering taxes. Here is my column about unnecessary cell phone legislation from July 2006.

Didn't the State Fair Park Board learn from the Pettit National Ice Center financial albatross? Now they want to develop the land along I-94 between 76th street and 84th street.

The state is not a developer. Sell the land to developers that have expertise in developing and let the Fair Park Board and the state avoid another financial disaster. The Pettit Ice Center was a financial disaster. What makes the Fair Park Board think they can be successful at developing the land into museums, theaters, food establishments, sports medicine centers, and businesses?

Now that Governor Doyle is back safely in the east wing of the Capitol, he has announced his intention to get rid of the Qualified Economic Offer (QEO), saying it “isn’t working.” The Governor needs a history lesson. The QEO was instituted by the Legislature in 1993 after angry taxpayers statewide demanded action be taken to stop the tidal wave of huge property tax increases. Since its inception, the QEO has helped keep property taxes from being even higher than they already are.

Under the QEO, the compensation package for teachers including salaries and benefits is to be limited to a 3.8 percent increase. Prior to the implementation of the QEO, settlement packages with teachers were much larger, forcing a tremendous burden on taxpayers.

According to data from the Wisconsin Association of School Boards (WASB) that used figures from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, the average total teacher salary and benefit package increase in the years before the QEO was 8 percent during 1984-85, 8.4 percent during 1985-86, 7.7 percent during 1986-87, 7.4 percent during 1987-88, 7.1 percent during 1988-89, 7.3 percent during 1989-90, 7.4 percent during 1990-91 and 6.9 percent during both 1991-92 and 1992-93.

Enough was enough. Taxpayers protested. The Legislature heard and listened, and the QEO was adopted.

In reality, most school districts do not stay within the QEO, agreeing to settlements that surpass the 3.8 percent limit. The WASB reports that the average total package of salaries and benefits was 4.29 percent during 2006-07, 4.25 percent during 2005-06, and 4.31 percent during 2004-05. The percentages are higher than the rate of inflation, and more than likely are greater than increases provided in the private sector.

And now the Governor along with Democrats controlling the state Senate want to abolish the QEO. It is important to note a news story that you may have missed the weekend before Christmas. The Washington D.C. based Tax Foundation analyzed data from the U.S. Census Bureau and determined that Wisconsin has the highest property taxes in the nation! Despite the revelation, the Governor and Democrats in the state Senate are bound and determined to increase your taxes even higher, and that is exactly what will happen with elimination of the QEO.

The QEO must stay intact. Without the QEO, spending and taxes will rise substantially, more people will leave their homes, more people will leave the state, and more jobs will be lost. We cannot afford to lose the QEO.

I will be holding a series of town hall meetings this winter throughout my district, Senate District 28. Please feel free to attend any of these town hall meetings. I look forward to seeing you and hearing your comments, questions and concerns. Here is the complete schedule of town hall meetings:

MONDAY, JANUARY 22
GREENDALE 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Greendale Public Library
5647 Broad Street
GREENFIELD Noon - 1:00 p.m.
Greenfield City Hall, Council Chambers
7325 West Forest Home Avenue
NEW BERLIN 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
New Berlin Library • 15105 Library Lane

MONDAY, JANUARY 29
EAST TROY 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
East Troy High School • 3128 Graydon Avenue

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21
BIG BEND/VERNON 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Big Bend Village Hall • W230 S9185 Nevins Street

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26
HALES CORNERS 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Hales Corners Public Library • 5885 South 116th Street

THURSDAY, MARCH 1
WATERFORD 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Waterford Public Library• 101 North River Street

MONDAY, MARCH 19
MUKWONAGO 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Mukwonago Public Library • 300 Washington Avenue

MONDAY, MARCH 26
MUSKEGO 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Muskego Public Library • S73 W16663 Janesville Road

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28
WAUKESHA 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Waukesha Town Hall • W250 S3567 Center Road

THURSDAY, MARCH 29
FRANKLIN 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Franklin Public Library • 9151 West Loomis Road

If you have comments on this or any other issue, please contact me at Sen.Lazich@legis.wisconsin.gov, Senator Mary Lazich, State Capitol, P.O. Box 7882 Madison, WI 53707 or 1-800-334-1442

Today the state Senate was in session to consider various appointments submitted by Governor Doyle, including appointments to the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents. I voted against the Regent appointments, and issued the following press release after the state Senate session concluded.

LAZICH VOTES AGAINST UW REGENT NOMINEES
Lazich cites scandals, mismanagement, and public dissatisfaction with UW System

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Sen. Lazich
TUESDAY, JANUARY 9, 2007 PHONE: (608) 266-5400


(Madison) – State Senator Mary Lazich (R-New Berlin) today voted on the floor of the state Senate against all of Governor Doyle’s appointments to the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents. Lazich either met or spoke with the appointees, and is not convinced they can restore public confidence in the UW System that has been plagued by numerous scandals the past few years.

“The UW System leaders and the Governor’s appointed Board of Regents have engineered a public relations nightmare,” said Lazich. “We owe it to the university, the students and their parents, and to the taxpayers to put in place the strongest representation to lead the UW System into the future. The appointees before the Senate today did not leave me any optimism they can restore much-needed credibility to our campuses.”

“The public is all too aware of the sad state of affairs at the UW System,” said Lazich, who cites a statewide survey conducted by Wood Communications of Madison during February of 2006. “The results of the survey were scathing,” said Lazich. “If a similar survey were done today, I believe the findings would, unfortunately, be the same.”

• Nearly 70% of respondents said they thought "UW campuses have more administrators than they need."
• Nearly 60% said they thought "UW campuses don't think they have to watch their dollars like the rest of us."
• More than 70% said they thought "UW campuses spend too much money on things they don't need instead of concentrating on educating students."


“There is strong evidence that the public is right to be pessimistic, especially considering the laundry list of personnel scandals and management blunders at the UW,” said Lazich. They include:


• $700 car stipends for the UW President and Chancellors
• The misguided policy on back-up jobs
• The decision at UW-Stout to block the ROTC program
• Computer software problems costing taxpayers millions of dollars.
• UW-Whitewater inviting Ward Churchill to speak. Churchill compares the 9-11 victims to Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann and says 9-11 was payback to the U.S. for its policies abroad.
• Also at UW-Whitewater, two deans are removed for misuse of state issued credit cards.
• A legislative audit finding the UW is top heavy with administrative positions.
• Convicted professors earning salaries while behind bars.
• Convicted felons found working in the UW System.


Lazich criticized Governor Doyle for attempting to nominate a Lazich constituent, Mike Falbo, to replace Gerard Randall on the Board of Regents instead of appointing Falbo to any number of open seats on the Board. “The state could have benefited greatly over the past two years from the expertise of both these fine gentlemen, if not for the Governor playing partisan games,” said Lazich. “Falbo’s appointment was not scheduled on the Senate calendar today. When the UW System could dearly use Falbo’s leadership, Wisconsin is missing out because Governor Doyle would rather use Mike Falbo to force Gerard Randall out. That is very unfortunate for our state.”

Welcome to Conservatively Speaking, my new blog in the “Community Voices” section of this website. I am very excited about sharing news and insights about your state government, and I thank Community Newspapers and NOW Online Editor Mark Maley for this wonderful opportunity.

The 2007-2008 session of the Wisconsin Legislature is underway, and over the next two years, there will be a number of major developments at the state Capitol, including the most important piece of business the Legislature will work on, the biennial state budget. As part of my blog, I will keep you informed of what transpires at the Capitol and in Senate District 28.

Check this blog often for Capitol updates, news from the Senate district, press releases, and columns. You can also log into my legislative website and contact me at Sen.Lazich@legis.wisconsin.gov, Senator Mary Lazich, State Capitol, P.O. Box 7882 Madison, WI 53707 or 1-800-334-1442.

I look forward to blogging, interacting with you, and hearing your feedback.