For the sake of consistency

I've redrafted a press release Sen. Stepp put out in early April accusing Democrats of having no ideas because they are calling for problems to be address by the next legislature to fit the current Repubulican retreat on the Taxpayer Protection Amendment. One of the many new drafts being debated simply calls for future legislatures to attack this problem.

I had to change surpringly few words (they are in italics) to make it fit the current melt down on TABOR and it's offspring. I'm sure Sen. Stepp will put out this version right away.


Sen. Stepp: Legislative Republicans Surrender in the War of Ideas 4/20/2006 CONTACT: Cathy Stepp(608) 266-1832

[Madison]… State Senator Cathy Stepp (R-Racine) announced today that a recent proposal introduced by legislative Republicans signals the majority party’s full and unconditional surrender in the war of ideas. The proposal, a simply worded constitutional amendment that would tie future state and local spending to the growth in personal income and leave it up to future Legislatures and governors to implement that change, does not contain any actual proposals to fix the fiscal policy, it only calls for unspecified changes.

“TABOR, TPA, and the new yet to be named proposal make a trifecta of Republican non-solutions on fiscal policy and property taxes,” said Stepp. “Everyone agrees we must have serious discussions regarding fiscal policy in Wisconsin. Legislative Republicans are more interested in rhetoric, grandstanding and fighting their governor instead of offering real ideas.”

Republicans gave hints they were out of ideas earlier this session when they introduced yet another version of TABOR that cannot pass the legislature. They claim it will lower taxes and reduce spending. When asked which items Republicans want to cut from the state budget, they change the subject.

The so-called TABOR and all the new versions released call for tomorrow’s legislature to solve today’s problems. Their proposal orders the 2007-2008 legislature to come up with a magical plan assuring the budget will be balanced and all the cuts in spending will be made. True to form, the Republicans do not offer any actual ideas on how to achieve these goals either.

“These non-plans put forth by the Republicans are election gimmicks pure and simple,” said Stepp. “This summer, Republicans statewide will claim they had grand plans to fix the spending and taxes formula and lower property taxes but the citizens got in their way. The people of Wisconsin should know that their plans aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on.”