Wisconsin State Journal, March 4
State standoff might be for the best
State leaders can’t agree on what to do. And for once, that’s a good thing.
The governor and Legislature haven’t been able to reach a deal on how to spend hundreds of millions of dollars in higher-than-expected revenue.
The Republican-run Legislature proposed a $250 million tax cut that would reduce the average taxpayer’s income tax bill by $106. Lawmakers included a tax break for businesses in their plan, and they sought to pay off some state debt.
Gov. Tony Evers vetoed the GOP package last week. Instead, the Democratic governor wants to steer a similar amount of money to public schools and property tax relief.
Evers has suggested a compromise is possible, but the Assembly has adjourned its regular business for the year, with the Senate soon to follow.
So for now, state government’s coffers will get bigger, providing an extra cushion against uncertainty over the coronavirus and its impact on the global economy. State leaders, whether they intended to or not, will have more wiggle room to respond to emergencies.
The public shouldn’t panic about the virus or the economy. Public health officials are working hard to prevent the illness from spreading, and the economy continues to grow, as it has since 2009. But that can’t last forever. The Federal Reserve on Tuesday lowered interest rates, saying the virus and efforts to contain it will hurt global business. The stock market has been volatile, and President Donald Trump’s trade wars have hurt Wisconsin manufacturers and farmers while increasing the cost of consumer goods.
The nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau estimated in January that the state would collect $818 million more in revenue than expected by mid-2021. By state law, half of that money must go into a rainy day fund, which could climb to $1 billion over the next 16 months. Thank goodness for that state law, adopted under former Gov. Scott McCallum, which forces today’s state leaders to be more fiscally responsible.
But the Fiscal Bureau’s optimistic financial forecast came before the coronavirus arrived in the United States, including Wisconsin, bringing with it lots of concern. Moreover, when generally accepted accounting principles are applied to state government’s finances, Wisconsin is actually running a budget deficit of $773 million, according to the latest comprehensive tally.
The politicians appear eager to debate the merits of their competing tax-cut and spending plans during the fall elections. That’s fine.
In the meantime, because neither side got its way, the state will have more financial wherewithal if the virus spreads quickly and the economy stalls. We sure hope that doesn’t happen. Yet hedging against a downturn is prudent for state leaders - even if they can’t agree on how to move forward.
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The Journal Times of Racine, March 2
As e-sports explode, Wisconsin can play a leading role
College scholarships to play video games?
It’s not as crazy as you think; in fact it’s happening now, and at least two Wisconsin legislators want to make sure the state isn’t left behind.
In mid-February, state Reps. Tip McGuire, D-Somers, and Kalan Haywood, D-Milwaukee, introduced LRB-3801, creating a grant program for Wisconsin schools to establish esports programs.
McGuire noted that esports - i.e. video-game-based competitions - is a rapidly growing field that provides a competitive environment that can be more inclusive than traditional athletic events.
At the start of the 2018 school year, there were 128 colleges/universities offering approximately $15 million in scholarships related to esports, McGuire said. In five years, that number is expected to rise to 800 colleges/universities and $100 million in scholarships.
Not unlike sporting events, esports tournaments draw thousands of spectators and rake in millions of dollars. According to statistics compiled by Newzoo, there were nearly 900 major esports events in 2019 that brought in ticket revenue of more than $56 million.
And it is possible to “go pro” in esports, with top gamers making hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.
Also notable is that esports can be played on a level field by anyone - height, weight, gender and physical prowess are not factors.
At the same time, esports have been shown to have the same benefits as regular sports, with an emphasis on teamwork, communication and overcoming obstacles. Like a football or basketball team, players on esports teams train regularly, taking part in drills and sharpening their acumen.
Gateway Technical College announced the formation of an esports club this year, and UW-Parkside is preparing to offer an esports program in the fall. More and more high schools and colleges are also starting esports teams. As the activity explodes, it stands to reason that the state should step up.
“The passage of this bill would be a critical step in positioning Wisconsin as a leader in the global esports industry,” said James O’Hagan, Racine educator and founder of the Academy of Esports.
“With a projected $100 million in collegiate scholarships by 2023, the funds in this bill will ensure equitable access to this extraordinary opportunity for our state’s students and place Wisconsin at the forefront of the national conversation about education and esports.”
The time for scoffing at gamers and stereotyping them is over. Esports is a wave of the future and should be regarded no differently than traditional sports.
We agree that Wisconsin should take the plunge into esports and strongly consider the merits of the bill proposed by the legislators.
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Janesville Gazette, March 3
Stay vigilant on coronavirus
New novel coronavirus cases emerged over the weekend indicating the contagion has infected people without any connection to China, where the virus originated. It is spreading within some communities.
At this point, our community should assume it’s here-even if it isn’t, yet.
There remains no reason to panic, though vigilance should be a top priority among schools, employers and households alike. Health officials say the danger is still low and that the seasonal flu remains the biggest threat, but there’s reason to believe the risk level could rise quickly.
A better-safe-than-sorry response beats the alternative.
News reports Monday indicate the virus may have been circulating in Western states undetected for more than a month. A Seattle biologist who examined samples of two coronavirus patients concluded Saturday night that “there has been cryptic transmission” in Washington State for the past six weeks. “I believe we’re facing an already substantial outbreak in Washington State that was not detected until now due to narrow case definition requiring direct travel to China,” stated Trevor Bedford, a computational biologist at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle.
We also know that many local and state health agencies have been unable to ramp up coronavirus testing, in part because of an initial failed rollout of test kits, according to a Wall Street Journal report last week. Wisconsin health officials have been sending virus samples to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, though a state official told The Gazette last week his department hopes to have testing capabilities this week.
Ultimately, this slow testing process could have created an opportunity for the virus to circulate within communities undetected, especially if health officials have been only monitoring for cases with a connection to China.
Nationwide, health officials are looking to expand their testing criteria to account for community spread. This is a smart move.
The good news is the majority of people who contract the virus experience mild symptoms. It also appears to leave children relatively unscathed, unlike the seasonal flu. But health officials have acknowledged it’s possible the mild symptoms could complicate efforts to contain the contagion, as those with mild symptoms could introduce the disease to workplaces or public areas, potentially exposing people considered most vulnerable, namely the elderly and those with underlying conditions.
We encourage local school districts, employers, nursing homes and day care providers to make clear their expectations for handling this disease. Waiting for an outbreak to unveil a plan could lead to hasty decisions and unintended consequences.
It’s important to strike the right balance in a crisis, avoiding the bipolar extremes of panic and denial. The place we need to land is vigilant. Are we there yet?
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