AWOL Democrats Will Cost Wisconsin $165 Million–Tomorrow

Governor Scott Walker’s office released this statement earlier this morning:

Title: Walker to Senate Democrats: One Day Left to Save the State $165 million
Madison-One component of Governor Walker’s budget repair bill is debt refinancing, which will save taxpayers $165 million in fiscal year 2011. According to the Legislative Fiscal Bureau, if Senate Democrats refuse to return to Wisconsin and cast their votes in the next day the option to refinance a portion of the state’s debt will be off the table.
Along with this notice Governor Walker’s spokesman, Cullen Werwie, released the following statement:
Senate Democrats claimed they fled the state to slow down the process so the public had enough time to learn about the budget repair bill. If that was their true intention, they have been successful.
Now they have one day to return to work before the state loses out on the chance to refinance debt, saving taxpayers $165 million this fiscal year. Failure to return to work and cast their votes will lead to more painful and aggressive spending cuts in the very near future.
This is the Senate Democrats’ 24 hour notice.

The Democrats fled Wisconsin to create a window of time in which the public sector unions could mobilize demonstrations and try to sway public opinion against the Governor’s budget plans. That doesn’t seem to have happened, and in the meantime, the Democrats looked idiotic hiding out in Illinois. Now it appears they will have to return in the next 24 hours, or be blamed for dealing yet another needless blow to Wisconsin’s finances.

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