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7/24/2009
Tea Parties are great but....
In a summary of tax and fee increases (provided by Rep. Huebsch), Rep. Don Pridemore’s “Special Edition Newsletter” recaps the state budget signed by Governor Doyle in late June. After all the numbers and explaining, I appreciate Rep. Pridemore’s last sentence: “TEA PARTIES are great but we need to turn that energy into voter turnout so we can return Wisconsin back to fiscal responsibility.”
Hear, hear. JE
Rep. Pridemore’s Budget Recap:
While most of the media is fixated on National Health Care it is important that Wisconsin voters remember what state Democrats have done to make the recession here even worse. While all of us struggle to maintain our household budgets under the threat of pay cuts, layoffs and even job loss, the Governor and the liberal spending legislature, have used the budget to pay back all the special interest groups that helped get them elected. The democrat’s mantra is “take it from those who earn it and give it to those who don’t.” And in the process of taking it, skim off a sizable portion for state government to expand and regulate even more of our daily lives.
At a time when revenues from income and sales taxes are down7%, the state budget the Democrats passed (without one vote from a Republican in either house) increases overall spending by 6.2%. Even in the face of a freefalling economy, the Democrats continue to “tax and spend” the working people of Wisconsin out of their homes and their jobs. Wouldn’t it be great for your household budget to be able to spend more than you take in and force your neighbor’s kids to pay the difference? According to the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute, Wisconsin personal income growth ranked 47th from 2003 through 2008, yet the Governor continues his attacks on working families. Wakeup Governor! Wisconsin can no longer afford it!
This budget (including the budget repair bill passed earlier this year) raises taxes by over $2 billion and allows property taxes to increase $1.5 billion. Furthermore, Governor Doyle’s budget borrows more than $3.5 billion over the next two years, leaving our children and grandchildren to pay for his lack of fiscal responsibility.
As bad as this budget is, the next one will start out even worse. The budget the Democrats passed last month leaves a $2 billion hole for the next biennium and that doesn’t include the $2.2 billion in federal stimulus money used for the sole purpose of filling in the budgets general fund shortfall.
Spending increases include extended benefits for welfare recipients and domestic partners. Badger Care, which originally provided health care for uninsured children, was expanded (Badger Care Plus) to include childless adults. The incentive to work hard and make good choices simply diminishes year after year.
The tax and fee hikes include:
- New Income Tax Bracket (Individuals earning $150,000 and couples earning $300,000 or more)
- Capital Gains Tax Increase
- Delay Deduction for Health Insurance Premiums
- Delay Deduction for Child Care Expenses
- Eliminate Tax Deduction for Domestic Production
- Increase Corporate Income Tax (Throwback Sales)
- Increase Cigarette Tax
- Increase Tobacco Products Tax
- Increase Hospital Tax
- Apply the Hospital Tax to Ambulatory Surgery Centers
- Increase Nursing Home Bed Tax
- Delay Tax Credit for Conversion to Electronic Medical Records
- Delay Tax Credit for Community Rehabilitation Program
- Delay Biodiesel Fuel Production Tax Credit
- Reduce Film Tax Credit
- Increase Sales Tax on Businesses (Sales Tax Treatment of Disregarded Entities)
- Delay Sales Tax Exemption for Alternative Energy Resources
- Reduce Farmland Tax Credit
- Create deceptively titled ‘Police and Fire Protection Fee’ assessed on all phone lines
- Increase Low-Income Assistance Fee (assessed on all utility bills.)
- Increase Work Permit Fee for Teenagers
- Increase Child Care Licensing Fees
- Increase Birth, Death and Marriage Certificate Fees
- Increase Boat Registration Fee
- Increase Handgun Record Check Fee
- Increase Securities Trading Fees
- Increase Increased Assisted Living Facilities Licensing Fees
- Increase Insurance Agent Appointment Fees
- Increase Bobcat Hunting Permit Fee
- Increase Elk Hunting Permit Fee (Wisconsin does not have an elk hunting season.)
- Increase Solid Waste Tipping (Garbage) Fee
*** (The above list provided by Rep. Huebsch)
This partial list represents a range of fee and tax increases taxpayers will be forced to pay at a time when people are losing their jobs and those who are working are experiencing cuts in wages and hours. These increases only go toward saving government jobs. The attack on small businesses, entrepreneurs and the private sector contained in this budget is relentless and quite frankly, insane. The added burden on senior citizens and others living on fixed incomes is unjustified and will force many to leave for tax friendlier states and take their retirement nest eggs with them.
Due to the budget’s $2 billion structural deficit and because it uses an additional $2.2 billion in one time federal stimulus money to fund permanent state programs, the future prosperity we enjoy in Wisconsin has been severely jeopardized. This budget will further restrict job growth and economic activity. I predict the continued erosion of the state’s economy due to the wrong direction this budget heads us into, will force yet another budget repair bill. Change! Yes, we need it desperately! TEA PARTIES are great but we need to turn that energy into voter turnout so we can return Wisconsin back to fiscal responsibility.
Don Pridemore is a Republican and represents the voters of the 99th Assembly District.
COMMENTS
Joe - your comment is right on the mark. In making the rounds of the common sense web sites this morning I found this on FoxNation: http://www.thefoxnation.com/politics/2009/07/28/tea-party-protest-erupts-during-senators-town-hall
McCaskill thought she was going to do an Obamathon and spew Congressional BS, but found the citizens weren't quite as gullible as the moonbats.
All we need here in Wisconsin is a communication system to get "quickie Tea Parties" underway when the Acorn mongers do their little publicity stunts. AFP has the beginnings of such a system, as well as a quickly forming national network.
Duke (Tue Jul 28 08:56:47 2009)
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