Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Let the gnashing of teeth begin....


I posted that on Monday the Senate Democrats introduced their long-awaited State-Wide Health plan and immediately held a public hearing....then...on Tuesday, they passed it as part of the budget bill through the Senate.


Republican reaction was immediate and predictable.


Here's Assembly Speaker Mike Huebsch from New Salem:


“The budget proposal passed by the state Senate last night sends a frightening message to the people of Wisconsin – give us billions more of your hard-earned money and trust government to run more aspects of your lives. Senate Democrats found new and innovative ways of raising taxes and increasing state spending and put the wishes of government ahead of taxpayers. When people find out that their budget plan raises taxes by over $18 billion dollars, increases state spending by 23%, creates a socialist-style health care system and gives government more control over their lives, the reaction will be severe."

Huebsch is a real pro...notice in the line I high-lighted, he got all the Republican talking points into one sentence. "raises taxes", "increases state spending" "socialist-style health care system" "government control over their lives"....



Some Republicans seem to be more ....ummmm....focused than others...Take Senator Fitzgerald from Juneau:“The Senate Democrat budget is a recipe for economic disaster in Wisconsin,” Fitzgerald said. “They want to blow up the top-ranked health care system in the country, they want to take $18 billion out of people’s pockets in new taxes and they want to reward their special interest friends with taxpayer-funded earmarks. Their tax hikes would drive jobs and employers from Wisconsin and throw health care here into disarray.”


Got the theme? Raise taxes raise taxes raise taxes.... and ignore that the "taxes" replace significantly HIGHER HEALTH INSURANCE PREMIUMS.


We will hear some heavy-duty teeth gnashing from these folks but we haven't heard from the heaviest hitter of the republican side yet...WMC....I wonder if WMC isn't doing the math.....and discovering this could be a really good thing for their members..




No comments: