Doyle should have used this trying time as an opportunity to push for bold change that normally would be too difficult or sweeping to accomplish.
Doyle could have overhauled how the state pays for public education, for example. Instead, he says he’ll work on that after the budget is approved — something he’s said before without much follow-through. (links added)
Wisconsin State Journal, “Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle’s Band-Aid of a state budget plays it safe and jacks up taxes, yet it gets some priorities right.”
There is much in the WSJ editorial I do not agree with — and there is much in the Governor’s budget proposal that is good (more later) — but the paper is absolutely right that the budget proposal was a missed opportunity to move desperately needed school finance reform forward.
Thomas J. Mertz
AMPS 