Scott Walker, who plans to veto County Board action calling for a spring referendum on raising the sales tax in Milwaukee County:

"I think the public wants us to manage the resources we currently have without raising taxes and find a way to provide those core services,” Walker said.

There would be one way to find out for sure what the public wants.

What would be wrong with letting the public express itself in a referendum?

Conservatives like Walker are all for "letting the people decide" on issues like gay marriage, which they think (wrongly) will help them at the polls.

But he's afraid to find out whether people value parks and other counry services enough to willingly pay more in taxes to support them.

Bottom line: He's afraid he might not like the answer.