Doyle: State fiscal stabilization funds not fully restored in final fed bill
Gov. Jim Doyle said today that the federal stimulus package agreed to today by congressional leaders and President Obama does not fully restore the full fiscal stabilization funds that were pared back by the U.S. Senate.
Doyle said a portion of the funds were put back in, but he doesn't think "it's a whole lot."
Doyle on Tuesday expressed concern over the Senate's version of the stimulus bill, dubbed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, because it cut $40 billion for fiscal stabilization that was in the House version. He said the reduction could force cuts to essential positions like teachers and firefighters, and would make balancing the state budget more difficult to do.
Doyle said today, speaking with reporters following an address at WMC's Business Day in Madison, he didn't know what the Wisconsin's share of the $789 billion stimulus will shake out to be. Tuesday he said that the difference in the House and Senate version would mean about $600 million less for Wisconsin. The Senate bill passed yesterday had a price tag of $838 billion.
"I do know that the House members, and again I'm very thankful to (U.S. Rep.) Dave Obey, were able to get more into the state stabilization. I don't think it was anywhere near what they had originally proposed," Doyle said.
Doyle also spoke about the combined reporting proposal included in the state stimulus bill unveiled today, indicating it was part of a compromise to put together the package.
"I think you all know this has never been ... part of my agenda, I've never proposed it. But I do think we're at a time where we ... need revenue and I think there's fairness to it," Doyle said. "I do think as part of the bill I also got some things we never would have had. ... [T}he early stage credits, the business incentives, the tax credits are really good things that I've been working to get done a long time. So I think for business there's a mixed bag here but I think it's exactly the kind of thing we're all going to have to confront. There's going to have to be some shared sacrifice and we're all going to have to compromise a little and move forward."
Doyle also said that local option sales tax to fund regional transit authorities is a good mechanism.
"If you look around the country that is the way that most successful regional transit authorities have been funded," he said, but stopped short of saying the proposal would be in his 2009-11 budget bill.
Listen to Doyle's comments here.
