Gov. Jim Doyle announced Friday the dates of six budget outreach hearings planned to give Wisconsin citizens the opportunity to present suggestions for repairing the state budget.
“These hearings are a chance to discuss the upcoming budget out in the open and for citizens, local leaders and interest groups to present their suggestions of services they could do without and cuts they would make in state government,” Doyle said.
The meetings will be held in the second and third weeks of December in Wausau, Appleton, Racine, Superior, Eau Claire and La Crosse.
“This will be a time to listen, ask questions and openly address the priorities for our state,” Doyle said. He invited local legislators of both parties to join him at these hearings to hear suggestions from citizens.
Doyle also encouraged citizens to fill out a suggestion form on his website, www.doyletransition.com.
“I believe these budget outreach hearings will be an important first step in setting a new tone in state government and reforming the way the budget is crafted,” Doyle said.
The results of a new survey released by WisPolitics.com and Wood Communications Group showed state citizens rating the budget deficit as the top issue concerning the state.
According to the survey, 28 percent of the 400 citizens polled responded “the budget deficit” when asked the open-ended question: “What do you think are the one or two most important issues facing Wisconsin right now that you think state government should tackle?”
Sixty-six percent of respondents said they had read or heard “a fair amount” or “a great deal” about the deficit, and 87 percent felt the budget deficit was serious enough to affect them and their families.
Other responses were publicly funded schools and K-12 education (19 percent), jobs and the economy (18 percent), health care (17 percent) and property taxes (17 percent).
The poll was conducted over the phone from Nov. 21 to Nov. 25 and carries a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percent.
WisPolitics.com and Wood Communications Group will host a forum on the state’s budget deficit today from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Madison Club. The discussion will involve Assembly Speaker-elect John Gard, new Senate Majority Leader Mary Panzer and a Doyle representative.