With this year’s rising tuition and skyrocketing segregated fees, students may begin wondering, “What’s next?” Well, we may now be able to thank Democrats in our state Legislature for an increase in rent.
It’s common logic that when costs for landlords, such as property taxes, rise, the fee is almost always passed on to the tenant in the form of higher rent.
This year, Republicans included a strongly supported property-tax freeze plan into the state’s biennial budget. Senators’ and representatives’ phones were flooded with calls from constituents voicing their approval and gratitude for this proposal. Unfortunately, Gov. Doyle bowed to the pressures of special-interest lobbyists and blatantly ignored the pleas of tax and rent payers across the state by using his veto pen to eliminate one of the most sensible parts of the budget bill.
After the governor’s veto, Wisconsin taxpayers were vocal once again. Representatives heard their constituents’ message loud and clear: they need some tax relief. In fact, this issue alone helped a Republican from Milwaukee win an Assembly seat in a special election — a seat that had been occupied by only Democrats for more than 70 years. This event alone should have served as a wakeup call for his Democratic colleagues. Fortunately, Wisconsin citizens were given another chance to have their appeals honored by their elected representatives. The Wisconsin State Senate reconvened Aug. 12 for a special session in an attempt to override the governor’s veto. Apprehension was high in the days and hours leading up to the vote. There was much speculation over whether the Democrats would vote in allegiance with their governor or with their constituents back home. Republicans needed four Democratic votes for the override to be successful in the Senate.
Yet again, voters were let down, with the measure falling just one vote shy of passage.
Now, in the aftermath of the tax-freeze saga, those Democrats who chose to vote against it have much to worry about. When it comes time for their re-elections, these legislators will have to explain to their constituents why they voted to stick them with what could potentially be the biggest property tax hike in Wisconsin’s history.
While the general public has a rather short-term memory when it comes to legislative action, I’m sure that there are many who will be quick to remind them of the decisions made in the summer of 2003.
However, while the rest of their party members may be fretting about how to face their constituents and the ballots, our elected representatives here in Madison can sit back and relax. Since the population of students that actually votes in their elections is staggeringly small and overwhelmingly liberal, Madison incumbents don’t have to worry about truly facing the one issue that is most important to almost every student: money. Most students have little of it, and any extra has now been stretched to finance nearly $300 in seg fees and an extra $700 in tuition.
Now, those legislators that we send to the Capitol to make crucial decisions for us have indicated that they are not willing to spare us an inevitable increase in rent. But maybe these lawmakers have made the smart decision. If they can get by without making a difficult budget decision, can stay in good favor with the governor and also stay in office, why not simply vote on party lines? The pats on the back from special-interest groups will certainly drown out the whining and complaints from students who won’t bother to show up at the polls.
We need to give these decision makers a reason to keep our interests, instead of their personal political security, in mind. Madison legislators should have the same responsibilities, pressures and loyalties as lawmakers from the rest of the state. Students are no less important as citizens and constituents than are any other voters in Wisconsin. Let’s demand that we start being treated that way.
Nicole Marklein ([email protected]) is a junior majoring in political science.