Doyle's budget plan:
Forces choice between roads, local government

		Eye on the  Capitol  John Huebscher

One of the more interesting debates shaping up in the 2003-05 state budget discussions is over Governor Doyle's plan to use $500 million in funds generated by motor fuel taxes to fund a portion of school aids to local school districts and shared revenues paid to local governments.

As with many other government functions, most of the funds to pay for transportation services are collected by the state government in motor fuel taxes, mostly the tax on gasoline and vehicle registration fees. The state allocates much of revenues to counties, cities, villages, and towns in the form of transportation aids. The state uses the balance to finance highway construction and repairs of state highways.

Funds for transportation

Motor fuel taxes and vehicle fees are classic "user fees." Those who travel in cars and trucks pay them. They are also for the most part "segregated fees" in that they are allocated specifically for transportation purposes. From time to time, governors and legislators think about tapping into this revenue source for other purposes.

But there is a long tradition of using the transportation revenues for roads and highways and these efforts to allocate dollars raised via motor fuel taxes to other programs have generally failed. Indeed, it was only after a major battle that some of these transportation revenues were allocated to fund mass transit costs.

Doyle's plan

Doyle's plan goes farther. He proposes using $250 million in each of the next two years to fund part of the school aids appropriation and the account for shared revenues.

The governor argues that such a shift is reasonable because school districts incur transportation costs to bus students to and from school and local governments allocate funds beyond those received in transportation aids to pay for local roads and transit services. Thus, he argues, this plan continues the tradition of using transportation revenues for transportation purposes.

Opponents argue that this plan does in fact represent a departure from the "user fee" approach and diverts money to non-transportation purposes. They argue that school districts and local governments are not obligated to use the money for transit costs and that the state's motorists will subsidize schools and local governments.

Whether Governor Doyle or his critics win this debate, some needs must go unmet or at least deferred. If Doyle prevails, he intends to delay $500 million in highway construction projects for two years.

If his critics win the argument, $500 million in additional cuts will be needed to make up the difference. To the extent that these cuts come in school aids or shared revenue payments, reduced services at the local level are a likely outcome.

Facing questions

This debate, like so many others in this difficult budget year compels citizens and leaders alike to set priorities and make hard decisions as to what matters more.

Can we live with a delay in road construction projects more easily than we can with cuts in school programs or municipal services? Is it important to us that the money we pay at the gas pump be used for the specific purpose of sustaining our transportation services?

Or, is it more important for those dollars to be used to fund the local school or to keep a local park or library open? Are we still committed to fund services that can't be tied to a fee or that are provided to large groups of people who can't afford fees in the first place? What approach best serves the common good?

These are not easy questions. But in this time of fiscal austerity citizens have to face them.

John Huebscher is executive director of the Wisconsin Catholic Conference.

Legions of angels: Help us accept our crosses

		Grand Mom  Audrey  Mettel Fixmer

Last month I wrote in this column about a heroic couple, Dr. Robert and Lois Liners, parishioners of St. Henry Parish in Watertown, who, for more than 25 years, have been traveling halfway around the world to give their gift of free dental service to the people of Third World countries.

The amazing thing is that they continue to perform this service into their 80s. At this writing they are still not safely home from Kenya at a time when war is threatening. They still need our prayers.

An inspiration

One of the many responses I had to that column was a letter from one of my readers in McFarland, Wis. Kathleen Blair, mother of seven and grandmother of 14, wrote to say she finds inspiration in my columns. And then she told me about her experience, in which I found inspiration.

"My husband of 48+ years passed away on Oct. 17, 2002, and I was with him to the end. He suffered his first stroke 17 1/2 years ago and became progressively disabled every year since then, including blindness for the last six years of his life and hemodialysis for the last four years. I was his primary caregiver through all those years with occasional help from our children and assistance from Elder Care of Dane County for the past four years.

"The last two years were so hard I remember praying, 'God, I don't think I can handle this much longer - but I don't want it to end!'"

Enduring suffering

Her story immediately brought to mind a famous story by Tolstoy entitled, "He Also Serves Who Only Stands and Waits." I don't remember much about the story itself except that it dealt with the kind of long-suffering Kathleen describes and that it focused on the power of faith and the merit of serving God by accepting (no, embracing!) the cross He gives us. A timely meditation for Lent?

Kathleen goes on to describe the comforts she derived from prayer and from writing. "As I'm sure you know, I found writing to be very therapeutic," she writes.

It's a sermon I often preach when I speak, teach, or write. Save your life! Write it!

Well, here is one person who demonstrates an amazing strength of character after rolling through her purgatory on the wheels of faith, using writing for therapy.

Legions of angels

Enclosed with the letter was an essay she wrote about an incident that occurred when her husband was first dying in July of 1999. On his release from the hospital the doctors said that he might last weeks, not months.

"It was my desire to be with him when he died. So he was transported home by ambulance and our living room became a hospital room complete with a hospital bed and related equipment and supplies. My daughter and I took family medical leave from our jobs and prepared to 'walk him home.'

"Meals consisted of about two tablespoons of pureed food and an occasional can of Ensure, whenever we could get him to swallow . . . He was transported to the dialysis unit on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday each week on a stretcher via ambulance at first, then in a cardiac chair by minivan.

"As I helped him back to bed one night in September, he grabbed my hand and said, 'I want to tell you something.'

"Then he told me about the angels.

"'When I was sick . . . I saw angels floating above me, about eight or 10. They were dressed in flowing white robes and all were dark-haired and good looking. Then one of them sat beside me but I couldn't feel any weight on the bed. She touched my cheek and said, 'Don't worry, LaVerne, the Lord is with you.' Then they were gone and I woke up and realized I was in the hospital.'"

Bearing us up

In October of 2002, when her husband was too weak for any more dialysis, he asked to be taken off the machine. Kathleen immediately had him returned home and the family began their final vigil, lasting 36 hours.

She writes: "It was the saddest, most stressful and sacred time our family has ever experienced. Late the second night I played a CD of Marian hymns softly. I kissed him and told him I loved him. His lips formed the words, 'I love you too.' The music stopped suddenly, and I became aware of the sound of soft, clear, beautiful chimes. I remember wondering if this was a sign of the presence of LaVerne's angels."

Kathleen alerted the children and they all "joined me at his bedside for the last three hours of his life. He passed into his new life peacefully. As I reflect on this most profound moment of my life, I am comforted to know those 'dark-haired, good-looking angels' presented my beloved husband to our Lord."

Do we wonder how these courageous people like the Liners and the Blairs find the strength to carry their heavy crosses? Perhaps it's those legions of angels God sends to "bear them up." It makes perfect sense to me.

"Grandmom" likes hearing from other senior citizens who enjoy aging at P.O. Box 216, Fort Atkinson, WI 53538.