State faces $2.2 billion deficit heading into 2015-17 budget cycle Print Email

[hue]

Gov. Scott Walker's administration is projecting a $2.2 billion deficit heading into the 2015-17 budget cycle.

Read more: http://host.madison.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/state-faces-billion-deficit-heading-into---budget-cycle/article_5a3d6933-5937-5b23-8cd7-3bc16bf07edb.html#ixzz3JeNk9Hvy

Gov. Scott Walker's administration is projecting a $2.2 billion deficit heading into the 2015-17 budget cycle.

That's a sizable hole for Walker, who is contemplating a 2016 presidential run, to climb out of as he crafts his own budget proposal due out early next year. Achieving a balanced budget will require scaling back program requests, especially if he wants to further cut taxes.

"We will continue to protect Wisconsin taxpayers, provide a good value to those taxpayers, and live within our means," Walker spokeswoman Laurel Patrick said. "Governor Walker will introduce a balanced budget early next year focused on growing the economy and moving people from government dependence to true independence."

The deficit reflects how much departmental budget requests exceed projected revenues. It is included in a summary of biennial budget requests provided by the Department of Administration to Walker as he prepares an executive biennial budget for release in early 2015.

State agencies have asked to spend $37.2 billion in 2015-16, or 6.1 percent more than the current year, and $38.4 billion in 2016-17, or a 3.3 percent increase over the previous year.

"The numbers put out today show what it would cost to fund everyone’s wish list," Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said. "The reality is that’s not going to happen. We will continue to manage the state’s finances by making prudent decisions and doing what’s best for Wisconsin and its taxpayers."

The deficit amount is nearly 13 times higher than the $171.4 million deficit that was projected for the 2013-15 budget in November 2012. The same report in 2010 prepared by Gov. Jim Doyle's administration projected a $1.5 billion deficit for the 2011-13 budget.

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No surprise but pls re-post everywhere for exposure.

[Scuba]

1. Look for the poorest among us to face a hefty tax increase, and major cuts in services.

[ewagner]

2. UW System is on Walker's hit list

As well as public schools...those will be his first targets.

Aides to local governments will be next and they will be tied to levy limits (like the are now) so that local governments cannot raise taxes and blame it on him.

Same S$$t different year.

[Thor_MN]

3. Typical Republicaan tactic, rape, pillage and burn as you exit.

[Jimbo S]

4. It's Working!

[lutefisk]

5. Uh oh. Here comes Walker's "we're broke" act

With the news about proposing major changes to public employees health insurance coming out at the same time as the deficit news, looks like state employees are going to get hit hard, again.

The state's health care program for public employees could face changes, pending the results of a study conducted by an Atlanta-based consultant.

Gov. Scott Walker's administration has contracted with the Segal Co. to study potential cost-cutting changes to the state's health insurance plans, including moving to a self-insured coverage program, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Wednesday. That news came the same day the conservative MacIver Institute and National Center for Policy Analysis presented a report calling for changes to the state's health care benefit program for public retirees, based on the strengths of the state's pension fund....

MacIver Institute communications director Nick Novak said the reports released by the think tanks are not legislative proposals.

"We simply identified problems facing Wisconsin's Long-Term Care services and retiree pension and health care benefits and have outlined why they are problems," Novak said in an email.

Novak is a former Walker staffer. Small world, eh?

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