How Budget Cuts Could Affect Local Communities, Services Highlighted During Town Hall Meetings

A crowd of between 150 and 200 gathered in the theater of J.I. Case high school Thurs., March 10 to listen to presentations from several organizations about how Governor Scott Walker's proposed biennial budget could affect the overall quality of life in Southeastern Wisconsin.

The majority of the address was given by Karen Royster, executive director of Institute for Wisconsin's Future, a non-profit, non-partisan organization for tax policy research, community organizing and education policy. Using a PowerPoint slide show, Royster ran through the cuts Walker is proposing and what the impact could be on various services and communities in Racine County.

"We're holding these meetings across the state so people can talk more concretely about the budget and how it affects their communities," Royster said. "In many ways, the state budget is a reflection of our morals and values. This budget is an immoral document."

According to the slides shown during the town hall, proposed state cuts come to $3.4 billion, the majority of which is a decrease in state aid for education that totals about $834 million. Other large cuts will come from the University of Wisconsin and colleges ($322 million) and programs and services - including Medicaid - for low income families, seniors and the disabled ($616 million).

Organizers handed out copies of how the budget will affect the county. In Racine County alone, local governments will see a total decrease of $1.9 million in state shared revenue. Caledonia will lose just over $263,000; Mount Pleasant will lose almost $273,000; and Sturtevant will lose about $67,000.

IWF claims that Walker's budget will actually result in a larger state deficit of $57.8 million.

But Royster also presented solutions to the budget deficit, claiming that in a poll of Wisconsin residents, 67 percent of those polled favored creating revenue streams instead of cutting programs, services, and jobs.

"We need to raise money, not cut services that help our residents," she said.

Solutions include:

• Not cutting $200 million in business and investor taxes;
• Boost the sales tax by 1 cent for $860 million generated;
• Tax investment profits for a possible $140 million;
• Tax business and professional services just like goods are taxes for a possible $322 million; and
• Raising the top income tax rate from 7.75 percent to 9.25 percent on residents making over $250,000 a year for $168 million

Royster concluded her presentation by asking audience members to write to their legislators to oppose the budget and to get involved by talking with family and friends and joining public actions to oppose the budget. The PowerPoint slides can be viewed by clicking on the link on the IWF homepage.

Additional speakers included Michael Younglove, a Union Grove trustee, Jonathan Delagrave from Racine County Department of Human Services, Sandy Engel from The ARC of Racine, and Dr. John Myers, the new director for the Belle Urban System. City of Racine Mayor John Dickert and Kelly Gallagher of Community for Change also spoke.

Meetings will also be held on Mon., March 14 at 7 pm at Shorewood High School and at River Valley High School in Spring Green.