The Budget Bob Show is a series of short, low-fi videos that provides a comprehensive overview of the Wisconsin state budget. The series covers such topics as where the money comes from, what it is spent on, how the budget is developed, how the current deficit came into being, and how that deficit might best be addressed. The information is presented in an accessible, jargon-free, and even occasionally entertaining way. Let Budget Bob help bring you up to speed on all things budget in Wisconsin. For best viewing quality, select the HQ option in the bottom right corner of the screen when the video starts to play.
Budget Bob, Sing Along Budget (Lyrics for "Talkin' 'bout the budget.").
In this second episode of Budget Bob, Bob describes the state budget process in story and song.
An Overview of the 2009-11 State Budget – Balancing the 2011-13 budget was an exceptionally challenging task. This paper provides a general picture of how the budget was balanced and outlines some of the more significant decisions relating to services for children and families (August 28, 2009).
Supports for Low-Income Families – Notwithstanding the state’s severe budget challenges, policymakers were able to protect key safety net programs and even make some modest improvements in programs serving low-income families. This paper examines the budget provisions relating to the Wisconsin Works (W-2) program, child support, and tax credits for low-income families (September 3, 2009).
Federal Fiscal Relief Helps Balance the Budget – Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), the federal government provided significant sums to state and local governments, allowing them to avoid even more painful cuts to critical services and programs. This 2-page paper examines that revenue and the challenge facing the state when it expires at the end of 2010 (September 4, 2009).
Health Care Highlights of the 2009-11 Budget – This paper provides an overview of the major provisions relating to health care in the 2009-11 budget bill and looks ahead to the challenges the state will face in 2011-13 (September 8, 2009).
Revenue Uppers Help Close Budget Shortfall – The biennial budget bill makes changes that generate a little over $2 billion in revenue. The changes range from an increase in the cigarette tax to changes in the treatment of capital gains. Still, these revenue uppers by themselves closed only a fraction of the budget gap, and General Fund taxes in each year of the new biennium will be less that the level in 2008-09 (September 8, 2009).
What's Passed is Prologue...for Future Budget Difficulties - The state faces a “structural imbalance” for the 2011-13 biennium of $2.05 billion. That figure represents the amount of revenue growth that will be needed in the next biennium simply to maintain 2010-11 spending levels, without any adjustments for inflation or caseload growth. This brief paper examines the magnitude of the problems and its causes, such as phased-in tax cuts and the use of short-term fixes for long-term spending commitments (September 9, 2009).
Comparative Analysis of Act 28: The 2009-11 Biennial Budget Bill. This document is a comprehensive summary of the 2009-11 biennial budget bill – focusing primarily on issues relating to children and families, but also addressing measures relating to the immense challenge of filling a budget deficit of more than $6 billion. It compares the final law (Act 28), including the Governor’s vetoes, with the versions approved at each stage of the budget process (Updated June 30, 2009). View the summary...Read the WCCF press release...
Supports and Recommendations for Amendments to AB75 - This document includes a list of items that WCCF is encouraging support for as well as some suggestions for the legislature to consider during budget deliberations (March 24, 2009).
Advocacy Do's and Don'tsHelpful Hints for contacting your legislator, making phone calls, writing letters or
e-mails and testifying at public hearings.
