During the last election a group called All Children Matter sent direct mail and purchased radio ads in the 49th Assembly District race. Many of these ads criticized Rep. Garthwaite for voting in favor of subsidizing tuition at the University of Wisconsin for illegal immigrants.
At first, Rep. Garthwaite denied this vote. Later he admitted it explaining that it was part of a budget bill that he had been forced to vote for and stated repeatedly that he did not support taxpayer funded benefits for illegal immigrants. On his blog, he addressed the question of whether he supported benefits for illegal immigrants by stating, “Nothing could be further from the truth.” This was a mantra Phil repeated over and over at debates, forums, and in newspaper columns over the course of the campaign.
Now, I have been struggling to write this post because I personally feel that the Republican Party would be best served by moving away from divisive issues like illegal immigration; however, I feel that I must comment on Phil’s votes on this subject because they demonstrate the depth to which he will sink to say one thing in Grant County and then do the total opposite in Madison.
Plain and simple, Phil Garthwaite supports taxpayer funded benefits for Illegal immigrants. He voted to provide them repeatedly and he was unarguably the deciding vote to include them in the budget. This is a fact. If Phil denies it, he is a liar.
The version of the budget that was voted on in the Assembly included two provisions to benefit illegal immigrants. The first would provide in-state tuition to illegal immigrants. The second would create a new program in the Department of Transportation to provide drivers cards to illegal immigrants.
During the budget debate Assembly Amendment 76 was introduced to remove the driver card provision from the bill. Phil Garthwaite was the deciding vote to kill the amendment.
Shortly thereafter, Assembly Amendment 78 was introduced to remove the in-state tuition provision from the bill. Phil Garthwaite was the deciding vote to kill that amendment as well.
He was then the deciding vote to pass the budget.
It’s fine to debate the merits of these two proposals. There are good arguments on both sides. What is undebatable, however, is that Phil Garthwaite supports taxpayer funded programs for illegal immigrants. I hope that from now on, he will openly admit this and defend his votes on these proposals based on their merits and demerits. If he tries to deny his votes or hide from the issue as he did during the last election then he is truly a Madison politician.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Scott Milfred takes the Democrat Legislature to Task for K-12 Budget
Scott Milfred's editorial in yesterday's State Journal is a must read. You can find it here.
He begins by pointing out that more than 90 school districts will see cuts larger than 15% despite promises from Democrat leaders to the contrary. He then goes on to squarely lay the blame at the feet of the Democrats who control all of state government:
He begins by pointing out that more than 90 school districts will see cuts larger than 15% despite promises from Democrat leaders to the contrary. He then goes on to squarely lay the blame at the feet of the Democrats who control all of state government:
No matter, I blame first and foremost our elected officials — starting with the Democrats who control the state Capitol — for being needlessly distracted.
They dedicated huge amounts of time and attention to a litany of controversial policy proposals stuffed into the state budget for expediency. This included mandates on car insurance, changes to liability law, drivers licenses for illegal immigrants and permission for local governments to form regional transit authorities, to cite just a few examples. Some of these items stayed in the budget. Some didn’t. But none of them belonged there.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Milwaukee Public Schools estimates property tax increase of less than 3%
Check out this article from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Looks like Milwaukee residents can only expect a 2.74% school property tax increase next year. Rep. Garthwaite sure did a great job protecting those property taxpayers. I wonder how much the tax bill is going to increase in Platteville or Boscobel? I bet it is a heck of a lot more than 2.74%.
Looks like Milwaukee residents can only expect a 2.74% school property tax increase next year. Rep. Garthwaite sure did a great job protecting those property taxpayers. I wonder how much the tax bill is going to increase in Platteville or Boscobel? I bet it is a heck of a lot more than 2.74%.
Garthwaite Devastates Cassville Schools but Spares Milwaukee
DPI just released their School Aid Payment Estimates for the next year.
Rep. Garthwaite voted to cut Cassville’s schools by 15.6%. Conversely, he only voted to cut Milwaukee’s public schools by 0.84%. That is going to mean that the Cassville’s school board will have to raise property taxes by the maximum amount allowable under law. It also means that they will have to go to referendum to ask the voters to raise property taxes even more.
So next time you hear the Greater Wisconsin Committee on the radio thanking Garthwaite for “protecting schools,” just remember that they are talking about Milwaukee Schools. Rep. Garthwaite didn’t do a thing to protect Grant County’s schools or us property taxpayers.
...more to come on Rep. Garthwaite's assault on local K-12 education...
Rep. Garthwaite voted to cut Cassville’s schools by 15.6%. Conversely, he only voted to cut Milwaukee’s public schools by 0.84%. That is going to mean that the Cassville’s school board will have to raise property taxes by the maximum amount allowable under law. It also means that they will have to go to referendum to ask the voters to raise property taxes even more.
So next time you hear the Greater Wisconsin Committee on the radio thanking Garthwaite for “protecting schools,” just remember that they are talking about Milwaukee Schools. Rep. Garthwaite didn’t do a thing to protect Grant County’s schools or us property taxpayers.
...more to come on Rep. Garthwaite's assault on local K-12 education...
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Cost to Attend UW Platteville up $497
According to the Dubuque Telegraph-Herald tuition and student fees at UW-Platteville are set to rise by $497.
Of course, students wouldn't be getting hit with such huge cost increases if Rep. Garthwaite hadn't voted against a reasonable tuition cap (AA 14 to AB 75) or if Rep. Garthwaite hadn't voted to cut the UW by $49.9 million over the next 2 years.
I'm sure that Rep. Garthwaite is explaining to students that times are tough and that there just wasn't money to maintain the UW's budget. Well, I have an idea for Phil - if you undo the $37 million in pork projects you voted for you'll be three quarters of the way there.
Of course, students wouldn't be getting hit with such huge cost increases if Rep. Garthwaite hadn't voted against a reasonable tuition cap (AA 14 to AB 75) or if Rep. Garthwaite hadn't voted to cut the UW by $49.9 million over the next 2 years.
I'm sure that Rep. Garthwaite is explaining to students that times are tough and that there just wasn't money to maintain the UW's budget. Well, I have an idea for Phil - if you undo the $37 million in pork projects you voted for you'll be three quarters of the way there.
On Sex Offenders and Choosing Party over People
Of all the reprehensible votes Rep. Garthwaite took during the budget debate, his vote against the real-time GPS tracking of convicted child sex predators is probably the worst. Frankly, it’s hard for even me to believe that he would take this vote.
Here’s the back-story. In order to save a few bucks, Governor Doyle included a provision in his budget to roll back Jessica’s Law. Under Jessica’s law, which was enacted in Wisconsin just a couple years ago, sex predators who prey on children must be tracked in real time using a GPS devise once they are released from prison. This provision would gut the law, eliminating the requirement that these offenders be tracked with GPS in real time.
How did Rep. Garthwaite vote on this provision? He was the deciding vote to kill the amendment (AA 23 to AB 75) that would have maintained real-time tracking of child sex predators.
I’m not a statistician, but I’m guessing that about 95% of people in Grant County disagree with Phil’s vote. It goes to show you that when push comes to shove Rep. Garthwaite can’t be counted on to vote for the people of Southwest, Wisconsin when his Democrat Party leadership in Madison stands in the way.
In fact, the same night that Rep. Garthwaite was the deciding vote to gut Wisconsin’s toughest anti-sex offender law, he voted with his Madison leadership against a whole host of other amendments that would have benefited the people of SW WI.
In each of these cases and many more, Rep. Garthwaite had to make a choice between his constituents and his Madison leadership team. In every single case he chose his leadership over his district.
So much for that “60-40 Democrat-Republican voting record” you always brag about huh Phil?
Here’s the back-story. In order to save a few bucks, Governor Doyle included a provision in his budget to roll back Jessica’s Law. Under Jessica’s law, which was enacted in Wisconsin just a couple years ago, sex predators who prey on children must be tracked in real time using a GPS devise once they are released from prison. This provision would gut the law, eliminating the requirement that these offenders be tracked with GPS in real time.
How did Rep. Garthwaite vote on this provision? He was the deciding vote to kill the amendment (AA 23 to AB 75) that would have maintained real-time tracking of child sex predators.
I’m not a statistician, but I’m guessing that about 95% of people in Grant County disagree with Phil’s vote. It goes to show you that when push comes to shove Rep. Garthwaite can’t be counted on to vote for the people of Southwest, Wisconsin when his Democrat Party leadership in Madison stands in the way.
In fact, the same night that Rep. Garthwaite was the deciding vote to gut Wisconsin’s toughest anti-sex offender law, he voted with his Madison leadership against a whole host of other amendments that would have benefited the people of SW WI.
- He voted against fully funding dam repairs (AA 70 to AB 75) to help prevent and minimize the type of floods that hit Bagely .
- He voted against funding urgently necessary bridge repairs in Grant County (AA 69 to AB 75) that would have been paid for by eliminating pork projects such as garbage bins for Wrightstown or $100,000 grant to repair a stone barn in Oconto.
- He voted against increasing scarcity aids for nearly all of our school districts in SW Wisconsin and instead voted to send the money to Milwaukee (AA 130 to AB 75).
In each of these cases and many more, Rep. Garthwaite had to make a choice between his constituents and his Madison leadership team. In every single case he chose his leadership over his district.
So much for that “60-40 Democrat-Republican voting record” you always brag about huh Phil?
Wisconsin Democracy Campaign Weighs in on Rep. Garthwaite's "Sugar Daddies"
The left-leaning Wisconsin Democracy Campaign (WDC) issued an interesting report today, just as the public employee unions, trial attorneys, tribes and other leftist groups continue to lavish thousands of dollars worth of misleading radio ads on Rep. Garthwaite through their front group The Greater Wisconsin Committee. The WDC report lays out some interesting findings on the November 2008 election. For instance, the state's teachers union, WEAC spent more than $550,000 to defeat just one Republican candidate in just one seat. Garthwaite benefited from similar spending from The Greater Wisconsin Committee and other far-left groups.
As interesting as the findings in the WDC's report is the colorful language it uses. According to the WDC, the Greater Wisconsin Committee is Rep. Garthwaite's "Sugar Daddy."
As interesting as the findings in the WDC's report is the colorful language it uses. According to the WDC, the Greater Wisconsin Committee is Rep. Garthwaite's "Sugar Daddy."
Monday, July 6, 2009
My criticism of the Grant County GOP Chairman’s take on Phil Garthwaite’s Budget
Rep. Garthwaite was recently handed a free pass from Lancaster’s only media source to print anything he wanted to say about the budget. Although all of Grant County’s print media outlets are owned by the same company as the Lancaster paper, none of them ever seem to show Garthwaite the same unabashed love that the Grant County Herald Independent lavishes on our Rep. in Madison. Their “stories” about Garthwaite wouldn’t pass as editorials in a tabloid but I digress. Who am I to complain about ethics in journalism?
At any rate, here is a response to Rep. Garthwaite’s comments about the state budget as published in the Grant County Herald Independent. The following comments are written by Grant County GOP Chairman David Kuhle:
Most of this commentary is accurate, however, I must point out some of the Chairman Kuhle’s mistakes:
1. Auto insurance premiums are also increasing because of “stacking,” “ghost car,” and other changes in the budget. Stacking and ghost car mean this: If you own two insured cars and one uninsured junker that sits in the yard, and your son takes the junker and crashes it into something, then the owner of that something can now sue you on your other TWO policies. Stacking by its self means that you can be sued for value of the policy of the truck you drive, the minivan your wife drives, and your two collector cars in your garage. That comes on top of the new mandates that Chairman Kuhle mentioned.
2. The Capital gains tax, when combined with the new income tax, is actually more than an 75% increase on many small businesses.
3. The cost of providing free state health care and retirement benefits for the boyfriends, girlfriends, roommate, gay partners, etc… of state employees is actually estimated at $15 million rather than $10 million.
4. There are more than $37 million in pork projects in the budget and more than $1 billion in earmarks.
5. The nursing home bed tax more than doubles from $75 per month, per nursing home bed to $170 per month, per bed.
So to recap, Chairman Kuhle is only wrong in his analysis of Garthwaite’s budget in that the budget is actually much worse and taxes much more than the Chairman initially thought.
At any rate, here is a response to Rep. Garthwaite’s comments about the state budget as published in the Grant County Herald Independent. The following comments are written by Grant County GOP Chairman David Kuhle:
Governor Doyle is claiming that the 2009-11 budget was the first enacted on schedule since 1977. Both the 2003-05 and 2005-07 budgets were passed by the legislature before their July 1st start dates, but Governor Doyle delayed signing for a month in order to use his Frankenstein veto pen to strike out words, letters and whole pages to create new laws not intended by the legislature. Since then, Republicans were successful in amending the state constitution to prohibit the governor from making law with his veto pen.
Wisconsin has deficit spent to ‘balance’ the budget for years due to government officials creating more entitlements than we had money to pay for. Wisconsin law requires that budgets be balanced. Included in this budget is this disclaimer to avoid breaking the law:
“Specify that the current law requirements that revenues exceed expenditures in each fiscal year would not apply in 2010-11.”
This budget increases Wisconsin’s general obligation bonds from $5.9 billion to $8.8 billion and revenue bonds from $2.8 billion to $3.5 billion, making us the 15th most indebted state in the country.
Rep. Phil Garthwaite’s quote, “Fixing this record budget deficit wasn’t an easy task. We cut spending and waste from every level of government” is misleading. This budget was not fixed. Democrats compounded Wisconsin’s fiscal mess.
Refusing any fiscal amendments from Republicans, Democrats own this budget. Wisconsin spent $29 billion in 2008-09 and this budget will spend a two-year average of $31 billion, an increase in spending for this two-year budget of $4 billion, with tax and fee increases of $3.6 billion.
Garthwaite is quoted, “I kept transportation dollars flowing by mandating that the DOT repave highway 61 between Dickeyville and Lancaster.” Ridiculous. No representative can mandate the government do anything. The 61 project was originally scheduled to be completed already, then backed off several years, and now moved up to this budget.
Top-Ten bad things in the Democrat-only 2009-11 budget, quoting the non-political Legislative Fiscal Bureau. 1) Auto insurance will increase because liability minimums have doubled. 2) Capital gains taxes increase 75%. 3) $10 million for health insurance benefits for homosexual partners. 4) $30 million in pork projects including: $110,000 for Gay Straight Alliance for Safe Schools, $400,000 for Native American Tourism of Wisconsin, $5 million for the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, and $37,900 for a chat room in the Child Advocacy Center in Green County. 5) Eliminated the 3.8% compensation minimum for teacher union members. 6) Doubled nursing home fees. 7) Requires private construction projects to pay union-equivalent wages if any government financing is involved. 8) Increase day care fees by 50 % per child. 9) Increase assisted living home fees by 27%. !0) Doubled garbage fees.
Contrary to Rep. Garthwaite, the Democrats did not ‘balance the books’. They borrowed our children’s future to reward their political friends.
Most of this commentary is accurate, however, I must point out some of the Chairman Kuhle’s mistakes:
1. Auto insurance premiums are also increasing because of “stacking,” “ghost car,” and other changes in the budget. Stacking and ghost car mean this: If you own two insured cars and one uninsured junker that sits in the yard, and your son takes the junker and crashes it into something, then the owner of that something can now sue you on your other TWO policies. Stacking by its self means that you can be sued for value of the policy of the truck you drive, the minivan your wife drives, and your two collector cars in your garage. That comes on top of the new mandates that Chairman Kuhle mentioned.
2. The Capital gains tax, when combined with the new income tax, is actually more than an 75% increase on many small businesses.
3. The cost of providing free state health care and retirement benefits for the boyfriends, girlfriends, roommate, gay partners, etc… of state employees is actually estimated at $15 million rather than $10 million.
4. There are more than $37 million in pork projects in the budget and more than $1 billion in earmarks.
5. The nursing home bed tax more than doubles from $75 per month, per nursing home bed to $170 per month, per bed.
So to recap, Chairman Kuhle is only wrong in his analysis of Garthwaite’s budget in that the budget is actually much worse and taxes much more than the Chairman initially thought.
There's a Garbage Tax?
Yes there is...
...and now it is rather large in our state.
Phil Garthwaite just voted to make Wisconsin the state with the highest garbage tax in the Union.
Garthwaite's garbage tax will cost most small townships a couple thousand bucks a year but this comes on top of an 11.2% average cut in state funding so it really hurts. It will cost large municipalities like Platteville tens of thousands of dollars.
How will municipalities pay for this unexpected garbage tax?
They will do one of three things:
1. Raise property taxes.
2. Increase or create a garbage fee. Often this will be added to a water/sewer bill.
3. Go to referendum.
This is just one of dozens of costs that Rep. Garthwaite voted to shift from state government to Grant County local governments.
Worse yet, this new tax will raise $70.2 million statewide for segregated funds like the recycling and environmental improvement funds. At the same time Rep. Garthwaite voted to raid more than $98 million from these funds to give cash to Gov. Doyle to spend on whatever he wants.
That's right. The entirety of the garbage tax increase plus some existing garbage tax revenues are being raided for Doyle's slush fund.
The vote on an amendment to kill this tax and the raid died 51-47 making Phil Garthwaite one of just two votes to allow the new tax and raid.
...and now it is rather large in our state.
Phil Garthwaite just voted to make Wisconsin the state with the highest garbage tax in the Union.
Garthwaite's garbage tax will cost most small townships a couple thousand bucks a year but this comes on top of an 11.2% average cut in state funding so it really hurts. It will cost large municipalities like Platteville tens of thousands of dollars.
How will municipalities pay for this unexpected garbage tax?
They will do one of three things:
1. Raise property taxes.
2. Increase or create a garbage fee. Often this will be added to a water/sewer bill.
3. Go to referendum.
This is just one of dozens of costs that Rep. Garthwaite voted to shift from state government to Grant County local governments.
Worse yet, this new tax will raise $70.2 million statewide for segregated funds like the recycling and environmental improvement funds. At the same time Rep. Garthwaite voted to raid more than $98 million from these funds to give cash to Gov. Doyle to spend on whatever he wants.
That's right. The entirety of the garbage tax increase plus some existing garbage tax revenues are being raided for Doyle's slush fund.
The vote on an amendment to kill this tax and the raid died 51-47 making Phil Garthwaite one of just two votes to allow the new tax and raid.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Phil Garthwaite supports early release for drunk drivers, date rape drug dealers, and even some sex offenders
A cornerstone of Rep. Garthwaite’s budget was the early release of so-called “non-violent” offenders from prison. Here are some of the offenders that Rep. Garthwaite voted to release after serving just a fraction of their sentence:
1. First-degree reckless homicide, where drugs are provided or administered ("Len Bias" Law) [940.02] That’s right, Garthwaite wants to let drug dealers that kill people out early, but I’m sure that doesn’t concern you too much. After all, you have to figure out how to pay another $316 in property taxes and are probably preoccupied with how you’re going to do that.
2. Homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle, one or more previous convictions, suspension or revocation relating to certain operating under the influence offenses [940.09(1c)(b)] Yep, Phil thinks drunk drivers who murder people shouldn’t have to spend such a long time behind bars but on the plus side, they’ll have to pay the new $.75 a month tax on cell phones when they get out of jail just like everyone else.
3. Possession with intent to manufacture, distribute or delivery of flunitrazepam more than 50 grams [961.41(1m)(im)4.] In case you’re wondering what flunitrazepam is, it’s the date rape drug. In case you’re wondering how much 50 grams is, it’s a lot, a whole lot. So while you’re trying figure out how you’re going afford the $300 auto insurance increase Garthwaite supported in this budget, date rape drug wholesalers will be relishing the immediate and significant reduction in their jail sentences.
4. Failure to comply with sex offender registration requirements (excludes certain sex registrants convicted of sexually motivated misdemeanors, first violations) [301.45(6)(a)1.] Even sex offenders get a pass? Many of Rep. Garthwaite's votes have been ridiculous but letting sex offenders, even first time offenders, out of jail early is just plain nuts.
The list goes on and on and provides for the early release for hundreds of classes of felonies.
1. First-degree reckless homicide, where drugs are provided or administered ("Len Bias" Law) [940.02] That’s right, Garthwaite wants to let drug dealers that kill people out early, but I’m sure that doesn’t concern you too much. After all, you have to figure out how to pay another $316 in property taxes and are probably preoccupied with how you’re going to do that.
2. Homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle, one or more previous convictions, suspension or revocation relating to certain operating under the influence offenses [940.09(1c)(b)] Yep, Phil thinks drunk drivers who murder people shouldn’t have to spend such a long time behind bars but on the plus side, they’ll have to pay the new $.75 a month tax on cell phones when they get out of jail just like everyone else.
3. Possession with intent to manufacture, distribute or delivery of flunitrazepam more than 50 grams [961.41(1m)(im)4.] In case you’re wondering what flunitrazepam is, it’s the date rape drug. In case you’re wondering how much 50 grams is, it’s a lot, a whole lot. So while you’re trying figure out how you’re going afford the $300 auto insurance increase Garthwaite supported in this budget, date rape drug wholesalers will be relishing the immediate and significant reduction in their jail sentences.
4. Failure to comply with sex offender registration requirements (excludes certain sex registrants convicted of sexually motivated misdemeanors, first violations) [301.45(6)(a)1.] Even sex offenders get a pass? Many of Rep. Garthwaite's votes have been ridiculous but letting sex offenders, even first time offenders, out of jail early is just plain nuts.
The list goes on and on and provides for the early release for hundreds of classes of felonies.
Shady Political Attack Group Back and Supporting Garthwaite
The Greater Wisconsin Committee, a group the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign refers to as a Milwaukee based Phony issue ad group is running a phony issue ad on Grant County radio stations. The group's phony ad urges voters to thank Rep. Garthwaite for voting for a budget that protects the middle class. Now anyone who has read anything about this budget knows that it raises dozens of taxes and fees on the middle class and that the Greater Wisconsin Committee ad is well...phony. More interesting than the content of the issue ad, however, is the funding source for the ad and the possible reasons this group is running it in favor of Rep. Garthwaite.
The Greater Wisconsin Committee is funded in large part by the trial lawyers lobby. Now why would the trial lawyers want thousands of dollars to be spent helping Rep. Garthwaite? Could it be because he was a deciding vote to save their auto-insurance mandate in the budget, the mandate that will cost you an extra $300 in premiums and will make them millions in lawsuit payouts?
The Greater Wisconsin Committee is funded in large part by the trial lawyers lobby. Now why would the trial lawyers want thousands of dollars to be spent helping Rep. Garthwaite? Could it be because he was a deciding vote to save their auto-insurance mandate in the budget, the mandate that will cost you an extra $300 in premiums and will make them millions in lawsuit payouts?
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