Toasty2k -- You're oh so right. Their silence is deafening.

Interesting, no comments from our local liberals? How about some comments from the Rock County Democratic Party? THey love their leaders so much that they should be all in support of more taxes and raising fees.

I wonder if Judy Robson will continue to push to spend more money on a nursing program....even with the UW saying the dollars should not be spent on that project.

Rock County's Senator sure is getting some less than stellar reviews in the State Journal.

"It's time to vote out ALL incumbents, regardless of party or office, in the State Capitol." Absolutely!

from: "http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-wi-budget-closeddoor,0,396910.story

"Some of the biggest changes so far to the budget Gov. Jim Doyle introduced in February were added with no notice after secret discussions. Those included allowing illegal immigrants to get cards letting them to drive legally, imposing a new 75-cent fee on all phone users, and allowing oil companies to pass along costs of a new tax to customers at the pump, up to 4 cents a gallon."

Gosh, if I cancel my phone and stop buying gas, I won't be paying for any increases. Thanks a lot, Diamond Jim.

"Back in March, during Sunshine Week when open government is celebrated, state Rep. Cory Mason, D-Racine, wrote a column in which he bemoaned the closed caucus system.

"It is in these meetings that most of the real legislative debate occurs," Mason wrote. "Members suss out their positions, cajole people to a certain view, and reach a general consensus. We employ shuttle diplomacy, devise strategy, and argue passionately for our respective positions. In other words, it's where the action happens."

He even introduced a bill to require partisan caucuses to be open. Caucuses are allowed to be closed to the public under the state open meetings law. It's an exemption not applied to other public bodies like school, town and village boards and city councils.

Mason only got two other Democrats, one Republican and the lone independent in the Assembly to sign on as co-sponsors. The other 94 members, so far at least, have declined. The bill isn't scheduled for a hearing."

Seems like BOTH parties prefer to scuttle around under the cover of darkness to do their dirty work. It's time to vote out ALL incumbents, regardless of party or office, in the State Capitol.

Keep it coming Jim! Latest poll has you trailing Walker by 8% in a probable match up next fall...just wait till these taxes take effect...you will lose by double digits!

In less then 500 days Scott Walker will be able to begin returning some fiscal sanity to the state

If it has to be done in secret it's probably not good.

No increase in taxes??? Oh thats right Big Jim calls them fees. Hey Jim if it takes money out of my pocket its a tax you mindless stooge. If it walks like a duck and sounds like a duck its a duck. How stupid do these idiots on Madison think we are? I myself will speak at the ballot box next time around. There is no way they can defend what they have done in this budget..no way!

RAF,
i'm assuming that's a rhetorical question.
did you see this quote from the mke paper's this morning?
"We are protecting Wisconsin's middle class," Doyle declared, saying residents who earn less than $300,000 will face no increases in sales or income taxes in the state budget."
it's either cohones (of the very large type) or he assumes we're all stupid.

finally, this is the lead from chicagotribune.com this morning:
"MADISON, Wis. - For three minutes this spring, anyone from the public could show up at one of six hearings across the state to tell the Legislature's budget-writing committee what they thought about the plan.

Then the doors shut.

Most of the real work of coming up with a two-year, $62.2 billion spending plan happened in secret, outside of public view. "

full story here:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-a...

lies, lies and more lies. i suppose this is what we should expect from jimmy.
i feel like Chumly -- Tennessee Tuxedo's sidekick ("duh gee tennessee...")

So will they add more debt, increase more taxes/fees, or be responsible and cut spending?