Doyle on budget repair: "Now it really has to get done"
Gov. Jim Doyle urged action soon on a budget deficit fix to avoid "dire" consequences.
"Everybody is talking, but now it really has to get done," said Doyle yesterday.
Doyle said he didn't want to set a deadline or predict when a compromise would be reached on filling a projected deficit of $525 million.
"You're talking about the next week or 10 days we have to get this done, otherwise there are a lot of serious things that begin to start happening," Doyle cautioned.
Aides for Senate Majority Leader Russ Decker, D-Weston, and Assembly Speaker Mike Huebsch, R-West Salem, said the leaders spoke yesterday, but haven't offered details on the negotiations except to say that the talks are positive and ongoing.
Doyle said he's working with legislative leaders every day on the budget deficit and he believes legislators are "acting in good faith" to reach an agreement. Doyle added that he hopes to avoid cuts to essential programs, but recognizes the necessity of reaching a compromise everyone can support.
"Obviously, it is the Legislature that has to pass a budget repair," said Doyle. "And they have to be working not only to make a compromise but a compromise that will pass both houses in the Legislature."
Doyle said state agencies are working to put together plans in case a repair bill isn't agreed on soon.
"We're working all the time on what the contingencies are," Doyle said. "If we don't have an agreement, we have to plan to somehow get by with about $650 million less over the next 16 months."
Asked to list some contingencies, Doyle mentioned prorating payments to some state service providers and cutting non-essential services.
The scrapping of a payroll and accounting computer system won't have an impact on this biennium's budget.
State budget director Dave Schmiedicke said the $150 million project was budgeted over several years, and the decision to put it on hold doesn't free up any new cash.
About $11 million had been spent so far on the Integrated Business Information System, which will now be shelved until at least next year.
Labels: Budget_Repair_Bill
