We Voted to Protect Families, Safety and Checkbooks

By Dane County Supervisor Brett Hulsey

In Dane County, we all appreciate the hard and dangerous work of our Dane County deputies which is why we invest more tax money in the Sheriff's department than any other. The Sheriff and his staff are doing a great job to protect our safety.

It is unfortunate that the deputy association leaders are personally attacking me, but I hope we can have a reasonable poIicy debate without resorting to personal attacks. Last fall, I simply could not support the deputy association leaders' plans to cut vital services by millions, slash flood and lake protection, and raise property taxes a record 12% so that they would not have to take furloughs like all other county and state employees. Doing so would be unfair and unwise.

As chair of the Personnel and Finance Committee, I try to balance the needs of everyone to sustain vital services, protect jobs and protect taxpayers—a challenge in the worst recession since the Great Depression and millions in state budget cuts. We had to make hard choices like most Dane County families.

The majority of the county board voted to put our money where our mouth is to protect public safety:

• The Sheriff's budget is our number one priority with $54.6 million in tax investment and a 1.9% increase this year.
  
• Public safety and family services together get 75% of our tax investment.
  
• The deputies are amoung our top paid union workers with excellent benefits.
  
• I sponsored the deputies' new contract with a 3% raise at the end of next year.
  

Source: Dane County 2010 Budget and Department of Administration figures.

For comparison, Milwaukee County required 22 furlough days, 38% more than we have, and most large counties around the nation are laying off hundreds of workers. Our goal here was to maintain service and avoid layoffs without extreme tax increases, which is what we did.

On the overtime issue, I appreciate the sheriff and deputies addressing this cost area when it came up and saving county taxpayers $1 million last year. To address this, I also set up a subcommittee to study and recommend controls for unbudgeted overtime in all departments, not just the sheriff's office.

For the past 12 years, I have worked well with the deputies association voting to add 83 new deputies, a 22% increase, which is almost three times more than any other department. I also voted for many salary increases.

But I became concerned last summer that the deputy leaders were taking an unfortunate turn. On purchasing the National Park Ice Age Trail property, their spokesman said:

"Everyone in this room is up for reelection in April, we will keep track...In my mind and my association's mind, people who spend money like this are either on our train or in the springtime may be underneath it."^[1]

Threatening and bullying behavior is not appropriate, especially from public employees sworn to protect our safety. We should be able to have a civil discussion and difference of opinion without making threats.

Not creating this National Park project also cost county taxpayers $2.2 million in state and federal matching money this year. This money could have restored all cuts in family services, or cut property taxes by 2%, or reduced the salary cuts by almost 50%.^[2]

I tried to talk and meet with the deputies several times to discuss their budget priorities and practical saving ideas, but to no avail. They did say many things in the media that concerned me, however.

The deputy association's spokesman told the Isthmus in "Hell No, we won't go (along)," that they wanted to cut 1% from other programs rather than take furloughs like all other county and state employees.

But since people's jobs are 85% of our budget, that 1% cut would have cut hundreds of jobs at the child, senior, veteran, disability, and family services, human service agencies, the 911 Center operators, snow plow drivers, and even other civilian sheriff department employees.^[3] The County Board majority and I did not support that.

But even with all the thanks and tax investment we give our deputies, their president told the Wisconsin State Journal they were considering a record 12% tax increase rather than taking furloughs like all others.^[4]

The State Journal editorial said, "If the deputies get their way - and other unions fight off any pay reductions - the county property tax levy could jump by 12 percent. That's nuts."^[5] The County Board majority rejected that idea too.

Again, I asked the deputies for reasonable budget solutions. Their only response was to cut all investment in the Land and Water Legacy and Conservation Funds that protect our families from floods, clean up our lakes and beaches, and protect critical habitat.

They did admit that cutting these capital borrowing funds would not help them as they cannot be used for salaries. Conservation investment actually brought in more than $3.5 million of state and federal money last year paying for all of its debt costs, with $300,000 left over to help pay salaries.

These funds help protect us from flood damage that is increasing 700% from record rains.^[6] The County Board majority reduced but did not eliminate this funding that brings in state and federal money.

In closing, I am honored to represent the families, seniors and taxpayers in my district and work for a better Dane County. But I could not support the deputy leaders' proposals to cut senior, child, veteran, and family service jobs, flood and lake protection, and hike taxes 12% so they would not have to take the same furloughs as every other county and state employee. That would not be fair and not be in our best interests.

I did sponsor their contract with no layoffs and a 3% raise next year. Perhaps they could be thankful of that in this tough economy with so many people out of work. Let's hope the economy continues to improve.

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Supervisor Brett Hulsey of Madison's west side is Chair of the County's Personnel and Finance Committee.

Dane County Deputy Association Vice President Jim Brigham statement, July 16, 2009 County Board meeting at about the 1:58 point, http://www.cityofmadison.com/mcc12/dcb.html.

² November 19, 2009 Memo from Dane County Comptroller Chuck Hicklin.

³ "Hell No, We won't go (along)," The Isthmus, 10/29/2009, A 1% cut in all programs would cut $4.9 million total and cut family and human service funding by at least $2.5 million. www.thedailypage.com/isthmus/article.php?article=27274,

⁴ Wisconsin State Journal, http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt_and_politics/article_069eff6c-a7d5-11de-85c4-001cc4c002e0.html.

⁵ Wisconsin State Journal editorial, October 4^th 2009, http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/opinion/editorial/article_ac1c557a-b05e-11de-933c-001cc4c002e0.html

⁶ Dane County Hazard Mitigation Plan, 2009, www.countyofdane.com/emergency/mitigation_plan.aspx

Unnecessary Commercial Vehicle Idling Saves Jobs, Lives and Money

 

By Supervisor Brett Hulsey

 

Today I joined 16 other members of the Wisconsin Clean Diesel Coalition to call on the State Senate to strengthen the Clean Energy Jobs Act (SB 450, AB 649) to reduce unnecessary commercial vehicle idling. We supported stronger language after a yearlong discussion following my proposed Dane County diesel unnecessary idling ban.

 

Stronger statewide commercial unnecessary idling ban will create jobs and reduce fuel costs, while protecting the safety of truck drivers and emergency equipment operators.

 

The letter was signed by a diverse group from all over the state including the Wisconsin Transportation Builders Association, Wisconsin Motor Carriers, Associated General Contractors of Wisconsin, Dane County, American Lung Association in WI, Inland Power Group, Associated Builders & Contractors of Wisconsin, Brooks Tractor Inc., Wisconsin Grocers Association, Antigo Construction, Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Assn., Inc., Capitol Underground Inc., WI Engine Manufacturers and Distributors Alliance, Transport Refrigeration Inc., Miller-Bradford & Risberg, Inc., Leonardo Academy, and Wisconsin Kenworth Madison.

 

Our proposal is stronger than the current bill and Global Warming Taskforce language by:

 

1. Covering commercial gasoline and diesel engines, both large sources of emissions;
   
2. Covering commercial on-road and off-road vehicles, both large sources;
   
3. Having fair exemptions to protect the health and safety of drivers and operators; and 
   
4. Was created by the industries that will be impacted, ensuring higher compliance. 
   

 

"We urge the Legislature to adopt this language negotiated with the members of the environmental community and the regulated industries who know effective ways to significantly reduce emissions including not only greenhouse gases but NOx and particulate matter," said Tom Walker of the Wisconsin Transportation Builders Association. "We can continue to clean our air, keep our transportation building jobs going, and save money at the same time."

 

Twenty other states, including Illinois, California, and Arizona regulate idling with exceptions based on weather, sleeping and rest, reasonable operation, and emergency vehicle use. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates trucks in the United States consume more than 800 million gallons of diesel while idling, costing more than $2 billion each year.

 

"Those of us in the trucking industry support this because we can save fuel and reduce emissions at the same time, not jeopardize driver safety and comfort, and avoid a patchwork of local measures," said Tom Howells of the Wisconsin Motor Carriers Association. "This is the right thing to do and the right time to do it."

 

The Clean Air Task Force estimates that idling reduction and other clean diesel measures could save 100,000 lives over the next 20 years in reduced air pollution levels.

 

"This stronger clean diesel language is one of the best ways to keep kids safe and reduce asthma attacks caused by school bus exhaust," said Dona Wininisky of the American Lung Association in Wisconsin. "I commend Supervisor Hulsey and all the Wisconsin Clean Diesel Coalition members who signed on to support cleaner air and healthier schools and buses."

 

I worked with one Madison grocery store and mall to go idle free last year working with Hill Farms Neighborhood leaders.

 

"The Wisconsin Grocers Association supports reasonable idling reductions because we know it helps manage grocers' expenses, reduced emissions, and helps us keep down the increase in food costs which helps consumers," said Brandon Scholz, president of the WGA. "Metcalfe's Market and Hilldale Mall in Madison were one of the first grocers and malls in the nation to put idling limits in place last year and it has been good for the store and neighborhood."

 

Wisconsin leads the nation in clean diesel technology manufacturers with Cummins Emission Solutions, Universal Silencer, Combustion Catalytic, Idle Free Systems and many other clean diesel and idling reduction technology makers based here.

 

Reducing unneeded engine idling also creates good jobs right here in Wisconsin since we have more companies building clean diesel and idling reduction technologies than any other state and this measure will help us create more good jobs right here.

 

Wisconsinites also spend $21.5 billion a year importing diesel, gasoline, and other fossil fuels so cutting unnecessary commercial idling keeps money in the state that creates jobs also.

 

Hopefully the legislature will listen and adopt this measure to reduce unnecessary commercial idling. That will clear the air for us all.