Fond du Lac County residents will not get an opportunity to vote on the question of accepting federal dollars to expand Badgercare in Wisconsin. The Fond du Lac County Board voted 14-8 Tuesday night against placing the advisory referendum on the November ballot. Supervisor Martin Schroeder was one of eight supervisors who voted in favor. “I think its pretty sad that we did that. I think $4800 is a very small price to pay to allow the people of this county to have the chance to send a message to the people that represent them,” Schroeder said. Marty Ryan and 13 other supervisors voted against putting the question on the fall ballot. “I felt the county board made a good decision. I think the people’s voice is heard quite often,” Ryan said. “We have an opportunity if this group wants to bring it back the board can look at it again in the spring.” Before the vote four people from the public spoke on the issue…two in favor…two against. Dr. Robert Newton, a family physician from Brandon, says this shouldn’t be a political issue. “It allows the citizens of Fond du Lac County to be able to go back to our legislators and say you know guys we want this decided in a non partisan way.” Former board supervisor Jim Kaiser says the $4800 it would cost to put the question on the ballot would be a waste of taxpayer money. “Do we really believe this is going to impact the legislature? As it stands right now its not.” A White House report earlier this year showed that expansion would result in more people getting health insurance, more jobs and additional federal spending in Wisconsin. The governor said he decided against expanding BadgerCare in Wisconsin because he didn’t want to put the state’s taxpayers on the hook for the bill a few years down the road when the state becomes responsible for an increasing percentage of the cost. The non partisan legislative fiscal bureau reported this week that decision by the governor cost Wisconsin taxpayers more than $200 million in the last bienium.
