Plainlyhighdem, brings us the shocking details:
highplainsdem (1000+ posts) Fri Apr-15-11 06:24 PM
Original message
Walker preparing financial martial law in WI via "Local Government Flexibility Toolkit" - website:
Edited on Fri Apr-15-11 06:26 PM by highplainsdem
They already have a website up to push this, especially for Milwaukee.
I read about this on Ed Garvey's website
http://www.fightingbob.com/weblog.cfm?postID=3851
which links to the MakeItYourMilwaukee.com website
http://makeityourmilwaukee.com /
The page for "the initiative" there
http://makeityourmilwaukee.com/the-initiative /
links to this page:
http://makeityourmilwaukee.com/the-initiative/create-a-... /
Ensure that local governments have the necessary resources and tools to balance budgets, protect taxpayers and maintain fiscal health.
* Develop a statewide fiscal stress test through the State Department of Revenue to help local governments maintain fiscal health.
* Provide local governments with greater flexibility by ensuring that as labor contracts are crafted, they account for a broader range of considerations, including the fiscal challenges facing municipalities and counties.
* Consolidate Milwaukee County’s health care and pension plans into the state’s plans. Isolate the existing Milwaukee County legacy pension costs in a “lockbox†separate from the state’s plan.
highplainsdem (1000+ posts) Fri Apr-15-11 06:31 PM
Response to Original message
1. Initiative 3 on that site includes the GOP yard sale - selling or leasing the county's assets:
http://makeityourmilwaukee.com/the-initiative/spin-off-... /
Streamline Milwaukee County government to its primary functions of record-keeping, road maintenance, elections, courts, social services and public safety.
-snip-
Develop a master plan for County assets. Use the proceeds from the sale or lease of any county assets to pay down pension or other health care liabilities or general obligation debt.
highplainsdem (1000+ posts) Fri Apr-15-11 06:50 PM
Response to Original message
11. The FAQ page on that website refers to Michigan as an example of the "fiscal stress test":
http://makeityourmilwaukee.com/FAQ /
Click the "Expand" link under "Statewide Local Government Flexibility Toolkit" and you get this:
What is a Fiscal Stress Test? How will it help improve the County’s situation?
Fiscal stress test systems have been created over the past several decades to assess and monitor the conditions of local government. An example can be seen in Michigan where a set of 9 indicators is used to determine the fiscal health of cities and townships. If one or more conditions indicative of a local government financial problem exist, the State Treasurer conducts a preliminary review. If a serious financial problem exists, the Governor must appoint a review team to report on the situation and if necessary an emergency financial manager steps in.
A fiscal stress test would apply to all local governments throughout the state. A regular review and ‘stress test’ would greatly benefit all local governments, including Milwaukee County. Regular review would lead to the potential to analyze and fix potential fiscal crises before they occur and would provide local governments with the guidance and tools necessary to make wise financial decisions.
Why is providing municipalities with flexibility during labor contracts so important?
There is a great need to ensure that the fiscal challenges facing local governments are adequately considered during labor negotiations. These negotiations need to account for a broader range of considerations in order for local governments to maintain fiscal health and stability.
These sound really far removed from my experiences with the County. How would these legislative tools impact me?
These tools would allow the County to address its current financial crisis by providing the tools necessary to implement fiscal reform. Without these legislative tools in place, the County will likely find it increasingly difficult to make any headway in fiscal reform. Instead, services are likely to be severely cut, taxes may increase substantially, or some combination of the two will occur.
Someone stop the HORROR before Walker starts clubbing school children to death in the streets with municipal bonds!!!!
really?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x900810
