Deadlines are looming. Property taxes may be going up. But to one government watchdog the political budget games are still being played.
After weeks of public posturing, the overdue budget talks are now going on in private amid accusations of who's to blame for the stalemate.
Common Cause Wisconsin's Jay Heck says it appears partisan politics is trumping good public policy and for him that's disgraceful.
Heck says there's no urgency to get a budget done. In fact, he's heard some republicans are willing to hold out until Christmas to get what they want.
Heck says the budget process is broken. It needs, he says to be compressed in time with hard deadlines and consequences if they're not met.
And he says, the talks need to be done in public.