Uppity Wisconsin

So let me get this straight.

Wisconsin's facing a budget deficit of something like $2-billion, and Scott Walker's idea is to dig the hole deeper with a big corporate tax break? And the news media treat him seriously?

As Gov. Jim Doyle was getting ready to deliver his State of the State speech, Walker, surrounded by a bunch of Republican leggies, proposed repealing the state's combined reporting law -- the one that plugged what was widely known as the Las Vegas Loophole.

The Las Vegas Loophole let corporations avoid paying taxes on income they made in Wisconsin by registering their business in some other state, like Nevada, without a corporate income tax. Re-opening the loophole would add another $375-million to the deficit in the next budget cycle.

 How would Walker balance the budget while giving hundreds of millions in tax breaks to corporations?

by "redefining the way we provide government, looking at wages and benefits." He said all options would be on the table.

Everyone always says all options are on the table, but it's pretty clear that Walker wants to take the money out of the hides of state workers, following the same anti-worker, privatization policies he's used to create a disaster in Milwaukee County government.

The $375-million is just the tip of the iceberg, by the way.

Wait Lady,” said the Jackson County man. “I am paying MORE in taxes and you just said the state has reduced taxes. Are you nuts?”

“And right you are!” I told the man. “You ARE paying more in taxes. But some are paying a LOT less.”

Another man wrote me. “It is a slap in the face that us taxpayers be thought so gullible as to believe that propaganda.” The man went on…

The last property I purchased was about 12 years ago. The property tax {then} was about $900. Last year it was about $2,400. When I complained about it, they always told me ‘state mandate.’”

I find it curious that John McCain and Sarah Palin have latched unto Barack Obama’s response to Joe the Plumber as a negative and a cause for criticism.

Calling Obama’s desire to spread the wealth around “socialist,” is telling of how detached McCain and Palin are from the American people and the quest for the American Dream.

An essential part of the American Dream is the notion that if you work hard enough, you can get ahead.  Inherent in that belief is the idea that you can share in the bounty of your labor—and you can use this new-found wealth to purchase and own your own home; create a better future for your children by sending them to college; and live without fear and want.

Why do conservative business people in Wisconsin promote doing LESS business in this great state? WHY? I just don't get it.

Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce insists on leading its newsletter with damaging crap about the economic climate in this great state. It's truly perplexing. 

Their newsletter editor, Jeff Schoepke, continues to diss us (I hope this guy has no career ambitions beyond WMC!):

The national, non-partisan Tax Foundation releases a State Business Tax Climate Index annually. In the 2009 Index, Wisconsin ranks only 38th best, which is also 13th worst. While that’s one spot better than the 2008 ranking, Wisconsin’s business tax climate continues to land in the bottom quarter of all states.

And never mind these jackasses haven't been able to respond to former UW-Madison Chancellor John Wiley's eloquent assertion lambasting this jack-assed-ness (dude knows how to call 'em like he sees 'em!).

The question has to be asked: Does WMC want Wisconsin businesses to fail?!

Golly! Is Wisconsin Attorney General J. B. Van Hollen a crazy socialist, or WHAT?

He has allocated more than $700,000 to continue funding "Drug Endangered Children Teams" for Methamphetamine abuse in the state. Go figure.

Of course, this problem was originally pursued aggressively in the Cheese State by the remarkable former AG Peggy Lautenschlager. Nice follow-up though ... as long as it leads to rehabilitation over crazy convictions.

Did you know Wisconsin Republicans Jim Sensenbrenner, Paul Ryan, and Tom Petri voted for the repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act in 1999 which is what led to the current financial meltdown? What a joke it is that these guys are now doing hilarious CYA moves to trick the people of Wisconsin into thinking they have any leadership when it comes to fiscal responsibility. 

Journalist John Nichols wrote a good article about this recently.

And nevermind that the Bush Administration added $4 trillion to the U.S. debt in the last eight years. Oh, and that doesn't count the current Wall Street bailout.

And this Doonesbury strip says it all. 90 percent of the U.S. national debt was created under three Republican presidents. Enjoy!

Talking Points Memo has a great breakdown of what top economists are saying about the Wall Street bailout. It's a darn good, insightful, and concise read. You'll learn a thing or two.

Maybe we will also get answers to some hard questions. Like:

--Why was the CEO of Goldman Sachs in the room when government officials decided to bailout the insurer AIG, especially since Goldman has about $20 billion, half of its shareholder equity, at risk on AIG? Keep in mind that Treasury Secretary Paulson is the immediate former CEO of Goldman.

--Why was Lehman Brothers, a Goldman competitor, the only Wall Street firm in trouble so far left to collapse on its own? The Wall Street Journal reports today that it was the collapse of Lehman (which because of its structure may not have been an attractive firm for purchase) that "triggered cash crunch around the globe."

--Has Treasury obtained from every bank the amount of its illiquid assets, which would tell us if the problems are concentrated at a few banks or are pervasive?

Well, here's something that may finally win over the republicans in my family!

Are you among the 95% of Americans who will receive a tax cut under President Obama?

Find out with the The Obama tax cut calculator!

Spread the word on this!

The Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce spent heavily to get State Supreme Court Justice Annette Ziegler elected, then helped finance a major tax in which Ziegler wrote the Court's pro-WMC, 4-3 ruling.

The case blows a $265 million hole in the state budget: who do you think will make up the shortfall?

Once again, the story is what you don't know if you rely on the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

You undoubtedly know that Wisconsin ranks high among the 50 states in how much taxes its citizens pay. The media, including the JS, have been reporting it for years.

So when there's what qualifies as at least a minor man-bites-dog story -- or at least man-growls-at-dog story -- on the same topic, you'd expect to read it.

Guess again. We'll let Bruce Murphy of Milwaukee Magazine take it from here:

On May 27, the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance did a new report showing Wisconsin dropped out of the ranks of the 10 highest-taxed states for the first time in more than 25 years. Indeed, going all the way back to 1963, when the state first adopted a sales tax, Wisconsin has ranked in the top 10 every year except 1980 and 1968.

As recently as 1999, when Republican Gov. Tommy Thompson was near the end of his long tenure, Wisconsin ranked as the third-highest taxed state. Today, Wisconsin has dropped to 11th-highest. That’s quite a change, and it got extensive coverage in the Wisconsin State Journal . The story was picked up by other newspapers statewide.

The U.S. Army has developed architectural drawings for a "Tigris Woods Golf and Country Club Resort" for a planned "zone of influence" in Baghdad, and the Boston Herald is reporting that the plans have the support of the Pentagon.

There are also plans for an amusement park.

There are many appaling questions that deserve answers about this given the lack of electricity, running water, civil war atmosphere, much less who will maintain security for people standing in line to ride a rollercoaster in a war zone.

You're paying taxes that support this war, whether you like it or not.

Vice President Dick Cheney's defense company KBR, with $16 billion in no-bid contracts - 8x the work of its nearest competitor - doesn't.

From the Boston Globe:

"Over the course of the five-year war, their tax bill would have been more than $500 million."

Here's how they do it.

Get UPPITY! Let your Wisconsin Senators know what you think about this.