Audit of Wisconsin’s Financial Statements Another Hit to GOP’s Budget Fairytale
Financial records show billion-dollar General Fund deficit and bleeding Transportation Fund
(MADISON) – Today the Legislative Audit Bureau (LAB) released their annual audit of the State of Wisconsin’s FY 2015-2016 Financial Statements, the results of which shattered Republicans’ continued budget fairytale and underlined Wisconsin’s severe budget crisis.
“This just goes to show: numbers don’t lie,” said State Representative Melissa Sargent (D-Madison), ranking Democratic Assembly member of the Joint Legislative Audit Committee. “Republicans can continue trying to sell a fairytale to the people of Wisconsin, but when it comes down to it, their story doesn’t match the numbers.”
“We’ve already seen several audits this year which have poked holes in Republicans’ budget fairytale about the state of our state, and this audit is no different. It presents a startling contrast to what Republicans are telling hardworking Wisconsinites as they pretend our state isn’t in a financial crisis while they try to pass the biggest budget in Wisconsin state history.
“Republicans can’t keep writing checks our state can’t cash. We’re facing a general fund budget deficit of $1.7 billion, and our Transportation Fund balance has decreased more than $60 million in the last year, which incidentally comes mere days after Governor Scott Walker said he’d veto a proposal to increase the gas tax.
“The hardworking people of Wisconsin deserve better than Republicans’ company line that everything is fine here. Everything is not fine here. We’re in the midst of a severe budget crisis, and it’s time for Republicans to come clean to the people of Wisconsin about the actual state of our state.”
Melissa Sargent is a State Representative in the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing the 48th Assembly District, which covers the east and north sides of the City of Madison and the village of Maple Bluff.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.
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