Re: [Winona] Media Reporting Local Facts Budget

[Anne]

Let me suggest why specific information is not fothcoming as quickly as you might like.  In contrast to previous governors' practices when submitting their budgets, this time there was a great deal less specificity related to particular line items proposed for cuts.  It has therefore been difficult to learn those all-important details.   I'm afraid the full and complete story of our budgetary problems will take a while to unfold.   The governor also diverged from past practice in his decision to allow only members of his political party to be present at the traditional pre-announcement briefings.    Anne Morse ----- Original Message ----- From: Paul Double To: Online Democracy Sent: Wednesday, February 19, 2003 5:57 PM Subject: [Winona] Media Reporting Local Facts Budget I ask again when will the public be provided with an assessment of the "real dollar" impact of the Governor's  proposal.  What we hear in media sound bites is the sun has fallen, things will change and we need money, money, money.    What we read between the lines is the reductions in LGA formula will be offset by a state wide wage freeze which indicates nothing "should" change for taxpayers except the new rain tax.  K-12 education gets a formula increase in real dollars and the so called wage freeze doesn't  include steps which for most of us means a guaranteed increase doing the same work because we got older and wiser and became teachers working longer as teachers.  I agree lane changes should be approved and paid.  The media numbers from the county would indicate that county government has the most to save by the wage freeze however they received the least media focus and it would appear the bulk of their impact will be in Social Services.  Highway spending may even be increased as a means to get people working and to pump money into the construction industry.   Will someone in the media take the time to lay it out for as it stands it appears for every cut in revenue the state enabled a reduction in cost thus the proposals are tax neutral?????   The colleges are filled to capacity with enrollment up and students standing in line.  Their campus cost is fixed and administration numbers not increasing.  Most manufacturing companies would be delighted with this scenario as it should mean bottom line will get much better as their unit cost goes down.  What is wrong with this picture.  Help us understand.   People want to understand but we need good information to achieve consensus.