Neumann attacks Walker over proposed budget hikes

Neumann attacks Walker over proposed budget hikes

By Scott Bauer, Associated Press Writer
MADISON, Wis. — Republican Scott Walker has promised to balance the state budget and cut taxes if elected governor, but budgets he proposed as Milwaukee County executive grew by more than one-third over the eight years he's been in office, his Republican opponent said Wednesday.
During news conferences outside Walker's county executive office in Milwaukee and Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle's office at the state Capitol, former congressman Mark Neumann said Walker's proposed budgets for the fiscal years from 2003 to 2011 grew by 35 percent, and Doyle's state budgets went up 27 percent over the same period of time.

"The heart and soul of what's wrong in Wisconsin is in this picture," Neumann said, referring to charts he presented outlining what he says were the proposed increases. "I'm in the race because of what's in this chart."

A similar analysis was first released in January by the liberal advocacy group One Wisconsin Now.

Walker responded by accusing Neumann of making "false claims."

"I have proposed eight consecutive budgets without a property tax increase from the previous year, cut the debt by 10 percent, and reduced the county work force by 20 percent," Walker said in a statement.

Neumann's analysis included total proposed spending, but Walker said if capital projects were removed his proposed county operating budget would have dropped 4.9 percent between 2009 and 2010.

Neumann's attack is a direct assault on the heart of Walker's campaign, which is built around his conservative credentials and promise to reign in government spending and lower taxes. Walker has even created what he calls a "brown bag movement" built around his promise to cut state spending.

Neumann said he, not Walker, was actually the more fiscally conservative candidate. Neumann accused Walker and other Republicans of straying from the values of limited government in recent years.

Neumann said if elected governor, he would limit annual spending increases to no more than 1 percent less of the rate of inflation, which he said would have led to $4 billion that could have been used for tax cuts. He said some areas would be allowed to grow at a faster rate, but he refused to be specific about what would be cut.

"I'm not going to go into specifics because if we do that's all we'll talk about," Neumann said. "I'm going to stay at the 30,000-foot view."

Walker said as governor he would propose a balanced budget that also cuts taxes, but he has also refused to say specifically what he would cut to do that and address a projected $2 billion budget shortfall.

The winner of the Sept. 14 Republican primary will advance most likely to face Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, the only major Democrat in the race.