bobbylien
12-17-2007, 01:03 PM
Well, it seems as though theres a number of Wisconsinites here so I figured I'd start a thread for discussing our local issues. :evil:
I guess we could start with Governor Doyle who is slowly but surely losing the support of even those in his own party.
Heres an interesting article. Even those of you from other states might be interested to read about the crazy veto power Wisconsin governors hold.
Will the real Jim Doyle please stand up?
We're talking about the Doyle who once appreciated how the separate powers of the three branches of government check and balance one another.
We're talking about the Doyle who understood how the superpowerful "Frankenstein" veto wielded by Wisconsin governors upsets the balance of those separate powers.
We're talking about the Doyle who, when he was running for governor in 2001, told the State Journal he supported a ban on the "Frankenstein" veto.
"I don't think you should be able to go in and take a word out there and a word out here and create a whole new sentence," said Doyle, who was then state attorney general.
We're not talking about the Doyle who, after he became governor, did a complete about-face.
We're not talking about the Doyle who brashly used the "Frankenstein" veto to superimpose his will over that of the elected Legislature in state budgets, including the current one, where he selectively "vetoed" his way through a passage of text to nearly double what the Legislature intended to allow in local property tax increases for 2007.
We're certainly not talking about the Doyle who, through a spokesman, continued to defend the "Frankenstein" veto last week — even after the state Senate voted unanimously to let voters ban the superpower in an April referendum.
It's time for the real Doyle to stand up and speak up.
The governor should publicly declare that it's in Wisconsin's best interest to ban the "Frankenstein" veto.
The "Frankenstein" veto extends way beyond a governor's ordinary veto power to reject acts of the Legislature.
The "Frankenstein" power permits Wisconsin governors to sort through a budget and stitch together unrelated bits and pieces of text to create laws from scratch, much as literature's Dr. Frankenstein stitched together his monster.
No other governor holds such a power. In fact, if the "Frankenstein" veto is banned, the veto power remaining to Wisconsin governors would still be among the nation's broadest.
The "Frankenstein" veto is wrong. But for decades lawmakers from both major political parties have blocked reform when they controlled the governor's office.
Finally, this year lawmakers are doing the right thing. Both houses of the Legislature have agreed to send a ban of the superveto to voters. A vote is required because a ban must be in the form of a constitutional amendment.
The comments of senators were telling as they approved the measure to send the ban to the voters.
"It's just common sense that the chief executive not have the power to rewrite sentences," said Senate President Fred Risser, D-Madison.
Senate Minority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, called the Senate action a step toward "restoring a true system of checks and balances to Wisconsin state government."
The governor now stands virtually alone in defense of "Frankenstein."
His support for a ban is unnecessary. It's the decision of voters that counts. Nonetheless, his support for the ban would make an important statement about Wisconsin politics and about his own respect for good government.
The State Journal editorial board has repeatedly endorsed Doyle for public office. But on the "Frankenstein" veto, the Doyle we endorsed for attorney general was right. The Doyle we endorsed for governor was wrong.
Doyle can continue to be wrong. Or he can rejoin the right side.
All he has to do is return to the opinion he held just six years ago, when he was the state's chief legal officer.
All he has to do is let the real Doyle emerge.
I know a pretty prominent accountant for the state of Wisconsin who says that this administration has been one of the most financially reckless hes seen in over 20 years. Tommy wasn't much better though.
I guess we could start with Governor Doyle who is slowly but surely losing the support of even those in his own party.
Heres an interesting article. Even those of you from other states might be interested to read about the crazy veto power Wisconsin governors hold.
Will the real Jim Doyle please stand up?
We're talking about the Doyle who once appreciated how the separate powers of the three branches of government check and balance one another.
We're talking about the Doyle who understood how the superpowerful "Frankenstein" veto wielded by Wisconsin governors upsets the balance of those separate powers.
We're talking about the Doyle who, when he was running for governor in 2001, told the State Journal he supported a ban on the "Frankenstein" veto.
"I don't think you should be able to go in and take a word out there and a word out here and create a whole new sentence," said Doyle, who was then state attorney general.
We're not talking about the Doyle who, after he became governor, did a complete about-face.
We're not talking about the Doyle who brashly used the "Frankenstein" veto to superimpose his will over that of the elected Legislature in state budgets, including the current one, where he selectively "vetoed" his way through a passage of text to nearly double what the Legislature intended to allow in local property tax increases for 2007.
We're certainly not talking about the Doyle who, through a spokesman, continued to defend the "Frankenstein" veto last week — even after the state Senate voted unanimously to let voters ban the superpower in an April referendum.
It's time for the real Doyle to stand up and speak up.
The governor should publicly declare that it's in Wisconsin's best interest to ban the "Frankenstein" veto.
The "Frankenstein" veto extends way beyond a governor's ordinary veto power to reject acts of the Legislature.
The "Frankenstein" power permits Wisconsin governors to sort through a budget and stitch together unrelated bits and pieces of text to create laws from scratch, much as literature's Dr. Frankenstein stitched together his monster.
No other governor holds such a power. In fact, if the "Frankenstein" veto is banned, the veto power remaining to Wisconsin governors would still be among the nation's broadest.
The "Frankenstein" veto is wrong. But for decades lawmakers from both major political parties have blocked reform when they controlled the governor's office.
Finally, this year lawmakers are doing the right thing. Both houses of the Legislature have agreed to send a ban of the superveto to voters. A vote is required because a ban must be in the form of a constitutional amendment.
The comments of senators were telling as they approved the measure to send the ban to the voters.
"It's just common sense that the chief executive not have the power to rewrite sentences," said Senate President Fred Risser, D-Madison.
Senate Minority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, called the Senate action a step toward "restoring a true system of checks and balances to Wisconsin state government."
The governor now stands virtually alone in defense of "Frankenstein."
His support for a ban is unnecessary. It's the decision of voters that counts. Nonetheless, his support for the ban would make an important statement about Wisconsin politics and about his own respect for good government.
The State Journal editorial board has repeatedly endorsed Doyle for public office. But on the "Frankenstein" veto, the Doyle we endorsed for attorney general was right. The Doyle we endorsed for governor was wrong.
Doyle can continue to be wrong. Or he can rejoin the right side.
All he has to do is return to the opinion he held just six years ago, when he was the state's chief legal officer.
All he has to do is let the real Doyle emerge.
I know a pretty prominent accountant for the state of Wisconsin who says that this administration has been one of the most financially reckless hes seen in over 20 years. Tommy wasn't much better though.