Taxpayers Rally For Change
by Scott Walker

Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Scott Walker wants to cut state employee costs

 

Posted by Shawn Johnson, Wisconsin Public Radio Tue, 11/03/2009 - 1:49pm

MADISON (WPR) Republican Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker says he’ll get rid of recently-passed tax increases on investors, wealthy residents and multi-state corporations if he’s elected Governor. 

And to help pay for it, Walker says he’d cut pay and benefits for state employees.

Walker says it’s too early to say what kind of concessions he’d seek from public workers.  But he says their pay is out of step with the private sector. Walker says no level of government can look at its future and be sustainable “unless they get wage and benefits for public sector employees under some degree of control.”

State workers were ordered to take eight unpaid furlough days in each of the next two years to help balance the current state budget.  That amounted to a three-percent pay cut.

Walker faces former Congressman Mark Neumann in the Republican primary.  Democrats are still searching for a candidate.

 

On Saturday, I spoke at a taxpayer rally at Veteran’s Park in Milwaukee. Thousands of people turned out to voice their opposition to big government and big spending.

I am amazed by the number of people attending taxpayer rallies across Wisconsin and across America who have never been involved in politics before. These are average citizens with extraordinary enthusiasm who share our commitment to take back our government, keep taxes low, and protect our personal freedoms. Their determination reminds me of the movement that began nearly eight years ago when we fought to take back our Milwaukee County government. We said “enough is enough” when it came to corruption, outrageous spending, and abuse. We are seeing those same frustrations today.

Since taking back our county government, we have worked together to reduce spending without raising taxes, and even during tough economic times, Milwaukee County posted a slight budget surplus in 2008. We can take back our state government the same way we took back county government, and together, change the way Madison does business.

On Saturday, I boldly said:

The pundits see events like this as all about anger. I see it as about hope. Economic prosperity for all is based on limited government, lower taxes, and restoration of personal liberties. Some people say more bureaucracy is our answer. We believe that giving people more freedom is the answer to our problems.

Thankfully, the problems we face are not irreparable. With the right leadership, we can build a better and brighter future for Wisconsin. Together, we can take back our state government and build a Wisconsin we can believe in again.

Governor Doyle’s Denial - June 16

On Friday night, Governor Doyle delivered his speech to party activists and promised to sign a budget that protects the middle class from tax increases while maintaining health care and education. Yet the budget plan currently before the legislature raises taxes and fees on Wisconsin families, and according to Todd Berry, President of the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance, “This may be the worst budget for K-12 education in many decades.”

Governor Doyle also said he would “keep Wisconsin moving in the right direction,” even though surveys show that Wisconsinites overwhelmingly believe Wisconsin is on the wrong track. In addition, 96% of the Board of the Directors of Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce said the state has “seriously gotten off on the wrong track,” and 2,100 business executives from across the state have signed petitions opposing plans to raise taxes and fees by $3 billion. Still Governor Doyle declared, “We are the party that understands that you don’t just talk about developing business, you actually go out and help businesses develop in this state.”

We can do better. As I told an enthusiastic group of supporters Saturday in Green Bay, during tough economic times, the first principle that every elected official should be held to is ‘do no harm’ to the families and employers of Wisconsin. Raising taxes by $3 billion dollars and increasing state spending by 7% will create a new burden for state taxpayers and new barriers to job creation.

How will the State Budget Affect You?
My good friend and former colleague, Representative Mike Huebsch provided this summary of budget items affecting Wisconsin families:

Do you own a house?

Your property taxes will go up $316 according to the LFB (Legislative Fiscal Bureau) estimate of the increase on an average home.

Do you use a telephone, cell phone, or fax machine?

Add 75-cents to your monthly bill for each one in order to fund 911 dispatch centers, plus more to fund an $11 million increase in the existing $30 million Universal Service Fund (which ensures all Wisconsinites have phone service). Then watch helplessly as Governor Doyle and the Democrats siphon $100 million to plug holes in unrelated state programs.

Do you have a child in daycare?

Forget about deducting child care tuition and fees from your state income tax. The deduction approved by the legislature and signed into law by Governor Doyle in 2007 has been scrapped. In addition, the per-child licensing fee your child care provider pays to the state is increasing 39%.

Do you pay a portion of your health insurance premium?

It’s no longer tax deductible in Wisconsin. This deduction was also established in 2007.

Do you pay for automobile insurance?

Your rates will go up about 33% due to higher mandatory coverage amounts.

Are you getting married or having a baby?

The marriage and birth certificate fees are doubling.

Is your teenager looking for his or her first summer job?

The work permit fee is doubling.

Do you turn on the lights, heat or air conditioning at home?

Your utility bill will go up so that you can chip in to fund a $9.1 million annual increase in the existing $105 million low income energy assistance fund. And, you can again watch helplessly as $18.2 billion is drained from the fund during the two year budget period in order to pay for Wisconsin Works (W-2) benefits.

Do you have a child attending a University of Wisconsin school?

Tuition for the 2009 school year will go up at least 5% while financial aid is held flat.

Do you have a family member in a nursing home?

The nursing home bed tax will double this year and then increase another 13% next year. And, once again, most of those dollars will be used to pay for other programs.

Do you invest in stocks or real estate?

You’ll share any earnings with the state treasury now that the capital gains exclusion is slashed.

Do you depend on municipal garbage collection?

The “tipping fee” charged to your local government by the state more than doubled.

Do you buy cigarettes?

You’ll pay 75-cents more per pack.

Do you download music, ring tones, videos or books from the Internet?

You’ll now pay a 5 state sales tax on these digital products.

Do you ever fill your tank with gas?

You’ll pay 4-cents more per gallon.

Wisconsin taxpayers need relief from higher taxes and fees, and a state government that prioritizes spending while tightening its belt during tough economic times.

Celebrating Covert Government

Last weekend, Democrat party activists gathered in Green Bay to celebrate their unilateral control of state and federal government. Unfortunately, the party’s elected leaders have adopted the M.O. of crafting major policy changes behind closed doors, then pressing their colleagues to quickly adopt these plans, without a full disclosure of details and a robust public debate.

More often than not, sweeping policy changes which impact the lives of ordinary citizens are passed in the wee hours of the morning when the press and public are fast asleep. Such was the case at 5:15am Saturday when Assembly Democrats passed a $62.2 billion dollar budget by a margin of 50—48 votes before heading to Green Bay for their convention. A few weeks ago, the legislature’s Joint Finance Committee passed its version of the budget at 5:30am, making disastrous last minute changes in order to secure enough votes for passage.

This year’s budget process has helped punctuate the need to make Wisconsin government more transparent and accessible to the people it serves. And while Assembly Majority leader Tom Nelson said the budget process was like “a combination of band camp and math camp,” it might be more appropriate to compare the budget process to Rush Week in the movie Animal House. Assembly Republicans were black-balled from the Fraternity party and Wisconsin taxpayers were subjected to hazing in the form of tax and fee increases that the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel said would affect almost all families.

Representative Nelson made no apologies for the Assembly budget which he called, “a fair share budget.”

We knew back in November, whatever party would be in control, they would have to make some really tough decisions and the end product would not be without controversy. Democrats–the state–this country elected Democrats to lead, and here we are.

In This Edition….from the Walker Weekly– Week of June 10
Dealing with Deficits the Old Fashioned Way
Madison Doesn’t Share our Values
Citizen Action Makes a Difference
Newt Gingrich is coming to Milwaukee, Register Now!
Make sure to Visit Scottwalker.org Often

Dealing with Deficits the Old Fashioned Way

It’s never easy to tell someone that they’re not going to get the raise they wanted or that you’re going cut their pay, but when an organization takes in millions of dollars less than it is spending, it may be the only way to protect the organization and its investors. This is true for government as well as business.

Over the last few weeks, we learned that Milwaukee County is facing budget shortfalls for the remainder of 2009 and 2010, due to sharp declines in tax revenue and state aid. Unlike Governor Doyle and the Democrats in Madison, my plan to deal with declining revenues doesn’t include raising taxes on hardworking families or businesses. Instead, we’re dealing with this short fall at the county level the Old Fashioned Way. My plan will cut county spending across the board, freeze employee wages at current rates and implement a mandatory 35 hour work week for all county employees.

My hope is that the county can avoid more permanent employee layoffs down the road. Of course, if the state budget passes in its current form, Milwaukee County will likely be facing even sharper declines in revenue next year.

Madison Doesn’t Share our Values

If there was any doubt that state leaders in Madison don’t share our values, it quickly dissolved Friday morning as the legislature’s Joint Finance Committee’s (JFC) passed its version of the state budget.

The JFC is led by Madison liberals, Senator Mark Miller and Representative Mark Pocan and includes 12 Democrats and 4 Republicans.

Here are just a few of the policy changes approved by the JFC on a straight party line vote:
Tuition breaks and driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants

Taxpayer funded health care for the same sex partners of state employees

Early prison release for all kinds of dangerous criminals

Removing local spending caps and repealing repeal teacher pay controls while reducing state aid to schools (expect to see sharp increases in property taxes next year)

Allow University of Wisconsin faculty to form unions.

Increase the state gas tax to $38.7 cents a gallon (making it the highest in the nation)

Increase the garbage tax by $63 million (making it the highest in the nation)

Double the sales tax in Milwaukee County and set aside 15% of the proceeds for the City of Milwaukee to spend however it sees fit.

Creates three unelected Regional Transit Authorities with the power to raise taxes, issue debt and take your property.

We cannot just sit by and allow these changes to be made. As Milwaukee County Executive, I know these changes would be disastrous for our communities and our economy. The early release of prisoners into our neighborhoods will result in more crime, placing additional demands on already stressed law enforcement and social service agencies. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that higher sales taxes in the state’s largest county will result in more businesses leaving the county and state.

Contact your legislators and tell them to vote no on the JFC budget.

Citizen Action Makes a Difference

Another important way you can make a difference in the ongoing budget debate in Madison is to write a letter to the editor or a guest column for your local newspaper. Don’t be afraid to be controversial and to name names either. Tell readers how you feel about Senator X’s support for increasing gas taxes and releasing dangerous criminals into our communities.

Read this excellent guest column “State must live within means” by Wisconsin Taxpayer, Darlene Vosen in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.