And where's that rainy day fund, anyway?
5:44 PM 6/19/04

Somebody get these guys a new calculator: Wisconsin government now faces a $224 million deficit in health-care costs and needs an additional $742 million a year to balance the next state budget. <

While other states that faced fiscal crises two years ago are back in the black, Wisconsin is almost a billion bucks in the hole again. <

The problem: Lawmakers and the governor continue to collude to put off tough decisions. They cling to the idea that economic growth over the next year could erase most - but not all - of this shortfall before they would have to do anything drastic (read: politically unpopular). <

That's how Wisconsin has budgeted for years: Spend too much and hope for a windfall from somewhere. How long should the state have to suffer through this perpetual uncertainty and periodic crisis? <

The lawmaker who requested the latest forecast, state Sen. Mike Ellis, R-Neenah, is right: Republican leaders should call a special session this summer to cut some spending and fix the budget shortfall before we face a fresh crisis next spring. <