OPINION & EDITORIAL
Doyle’s vetoes will lead to his demise
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Also by Nicole Marklein:
- College Repulicans: Vote for four more years (November 2, 2004)
- Legislators: Override Doyle on conceal and carry (January 22, 2004)
- What is 'African American?' (January 29, 2004)
- Cultural differences run deep (February 4, 2004)
- A seasonal paradox (December 10, 2003)
Related Stories:
- Navigating China Town (July 18, 2001)
- Give something and get something this holiday season (December 4, 2003)
- 'Big box' ban helps keep Madison nice (April 7, 2005)
- A holiday shopping guide (December 5, 2002)
- Regent Street revamp should not corporatize area (February 1, 2006)
by Nicole Marklein
Wednesday, November 19, 2003
Almost everyone likes to go shopping, right? Even if you don’t really care for shopping malls, crowded stores or spending your money, we all like to be able to choose something new for ourselves.
In that case, Wisconsin citizens will have a field day in 2006 when they have the opportunity to go shopping for a new governor. It may seem a bit presumptuous to discuss this so early in Gov. Doyle’s term. However, his actions are repeatedly making this topic relevant. In fact, there are even a lot of citizens already saying that they are merely trying to “wait out” the next three years.
To many, it seems as though our Madison governor has forgotten that he also represents interests outside of the capitol city. While the next gubernatorial election is still slightly less than three years away, Governor Doyle’s performance to date has already prompted a long list of potential candidates to line up.
In just less than one year, Gov. Doyle, using his veto pen, has succeeded in halting several important pieces of legislation that were greatly supported by voters across the state. Thus far, he has vetoed over ten pieces of legislation, either partially or in full. Doyle told taxpayers that they will not be granted the assurance of having their property tax levels frozen during Wisconsin’s current difficult economic situation, that he will continue to allow convicted felons to work in the schools where taxpayers send their children and that he does not support giving Milwaukee-area parents greater choice and more options in their children’s education. He can add this list to vetoes of additional bills that proved to be exceptionally popular among citizens, including the Defense of Marriage Act and the Voter ID bill, which would require voters to present picture identification at polling sites.
In fact, it appears that our governor is making a conscious effort to ensure his status as a one-term governor — and he is succeeding quite impressively. Perhaps he had hoped to capitalize on voters’ short-term memories when he vetoed the property-tax freeze provision of the biennial budget, realizing that his next election was nearly three-and-a-half years away. However, it seems that Doyle does not want us to forget his transgressions. He has been refreshing our memories over and again by vetoing more and more bills that have broad-based support. It makes one question: Just how seriously is he taking his job and his commitment to Wisconsin’s citizens?
Yesterday Doyle may have put the final nail in his gubernatorial coffin when he vetoed Wisconsin’s Personal Protection Act, which would have allowed law-abiding citizens to carry concealed weapons in many public places. Proponents of this legislation have worked tirelessly to compromise with various groups to make the bill as acceptable to as many parties as possible. Nonetheless, Doyle has continually vowed to defeat their effort. The legislature will now convene in an effort to override this veto.
Although he has been successful thus far in maintaining all of his vetoes when faced with a possible override vote by the legislature, Doyle may not be so lucky in the case of the Personal Protection Act, nor in the future.
Each time that the Wisconsin State Legislature convenes in attempt to override one of Doyle’s vetoes, the governor puts his democratic colleagues in a rather tough spot. Each time, these legislators must make a difficult decision. Should they vote as their constituents would wish, or should they vote in alliance with their democratic governor? Eventually, these lawmakers will have to begin looking out for their own political futures and say, “Enough is enough.” As Doyle’s reelection chances become bleaker and bleaker, even this early in the election cycle, democrats in the state legislature have less and less incentive to side with him. It is time that these representatives start working for the people who elected them and not for their governor.
To most, 2006 is a long way off. It will most certainly feel this way if Doyle continues to use his veto power to halt popular legislation that comes to his desk.
The unfortunate news is that it looks as though our governor will continue to disregard the wishes of his constituents across the state, but we can look on the bright side: a new administration is less than three years away, and we even have a governor who is helping to ensure that this change takes place.
Nicole Marklein (nmmarklein@wisc.edu) is a junior majoring in political science.
gene willis (February 11, 2006 @ 6:42am):
2006,the ccw law was voted for in 1993 by wisconsinites and resoundly defeated by those who would protect the rights of criminals from all walks of life,not to mention the right of their self protection from the honost citizens there in!people like govn.doyle are the perfect example of media mass hiestaria for vetoing the concealed weapons law in favore of protecting those who would,kill,rape,kidnap,slaugter the innocent to chapion the rights to protect those who lower the human equation to his favorite dispot!people who are elected to a position of office want to forgety why they ran for this post,even at the experations of a human life under the criminal protection act of wisconsin by those so trusted to uphold what is the citizens think is just and fair,not how they feel by pride and ignorance from the offices they were voted into!
