Roys Vowed to Protect Wisconsinites From Trump, Rejects Destroying Surplus
Roys on bipartisan rejection of deal to spend projected surplus
“Our schools and our kids need long-term solutions from leaders who are committed to their success. I fully support increasing state funding to public schools which will lower property taxes. But I will never support spending money recklessly in a manner that makes it hard to pay our bills or make desperately needed investments to fix a rigged economy.
“Ultimately, my no vote was very simple – you don’t go on a spending spree with money you don’t have. This is a projected surplus, meaning it doesn’t exist yet. It’s based on estimates from before Trump attacked Iran, causing massive economic uncertainty and skyrocketing gas prices. If the state is potentially heading into a Trump recession, we can’t afford to be in a massive budget hole. Republicans see the writing on the wall: Trump lit the economy and their political futures on fire so they’re trying to spend as much as possible to prevent Democrats from having the resources to deliver higher wages, lower costs, and more freedoms for Wisconsinites.
“Wisconsinites are struggling under Trump’s tariffs, healthcare cuts, and gas price hikes, and from GOP budgets creating massive property tax increases. The truth is the state has failed for 15 years to keep its promise to our kids. I’ve laid out specific plans to permanently fix these problems, but this proposal would have put those solutions further out of reach meaning we have fewer resources to protect Wisconsinites from the Trump regime.
“Doing what’s right is sometimes unpopular, but leadership requires tough decisions. In 2009 as a newly elected State Representative, one of my first votes was a budget repair bill necessitated by the Bush Recession. We had the first Democratic trifecta in 24 years, but we had to make brutal budget cuts because of the severity of the crisis — the state’s finances couldn’t absorb the economic downturn.
“I know better than most how devastating it is to have to cut services and raise taxes — and that’s why I did the responsible thing to prevent us from being in that position as we head into a potential Trump recession. It would have been the easiest, most self-serving thing in the world to say yes to showering one-time money on people right before an election and getting our schools the money Republicans promised last year — but it would have been wrong.
“Real long-term solutions to funding public services like schools, roads, and public safety are within our grasp. As governor, I will work with the legislature to deliver those solutions.”
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
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