July
2007
So now we’re supposed to believe the GOP wants to Cut Taxes? Yeah, right.
Republicans held the Governors mansion and both the State Assembly and the State Senate for years and both taxes and fees went up despite rhetoric of cutting taxes and spending.
Feeling a need to feel important after the democrats held their convention in Milwaukee this weekend, the Executive Director of the Republican party said “Republicans support cutting taxes and less government
bureaucracy”.
Since when?
I’m old enough to remember the era of Ronald Reagan when the size of the federal government nearly doubled and when deficits and the nation debt soared.
I’m also not daft enough to forget that fees for every state service under the sun exploded under former Republican Governor Tommy Thompson. Taxes went up and now we have more of our state paved than ever before. We’ve got roads that get more traffic from deer than cars thanks to Thompson.
So we’re supposed to take the GOP seriously? Please.
They accuse the dems of supporting pork in the budgets but until recently they’ve been in control and they are still in control of the Assembly. As the minority party for 14 years, how is it that the dems could have made spending go out of control? Did the party not in power force the republicans to spend like drunken sailors?
Was it Democratic Governor Jim Doyle’s fault that he was handed an obscenely large budget deficit when he entered office? And I’m confused on how the GOP figures they can justify how former Governor Scott McCallum, who said he was a fiscal conservative, sold off future proceeds from the tobacco lawsuit in order to fund the budget yet still left a huge hole for Governor Jim Doyle to fill when he came into office?
And now several republican lawmakers are saying they may not vote for any budget which increases taxes. Forgive the allusion, but when did they find Jesus? Many of these same legislators were happy to hike taxes when it was their party in control. Now they want to be obstructionists? If they were sincere about wanting to keep taxes low they would go to the negotiating table and push for the cuts they want. They should propose things that they believe are in accordance with their core values.
But let’s not hold our breath on that one. If recent history of GOP tactics is any indicator, they would rather try to hold the dems under water than to swim to the side of the pool together.
Jim McGuigan
Jim McGuigan
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Interesting observation, Jim.
In my view the Republican s have lost their way. They have abondoned their core values of fiscal restraint and smaller government.
Instead, they have embraced exorbitant spending - at a rate that rivals that of a drunk in a casino. Furthermore, they have intruded in the personal lives of the citizenry at a level that is positiively breath-
taking.
They continue to chant the holy mantra; but cannot back their words with deeds. They are lost in the wilderness and we mainstream Republicans hopefully await the arrival of our Messiah.
How many of the “several republican lawmakers [that] are saying they may not vote for any budget which increases taxes,” voted for the budgets/previous spending levels you are lamenting.
Tell the whole story McGuigan.
Jim, your memory is as faulty as your logic.
Taxes went up under Tommy Thompson?
Tommy Thompson’s budgets have been ridiculed by some on the right for their growth in spending and the number of state employees. One can not, however, deny the fact that Tommy grew Wisconsin through an aggressive agenda that included a myriad of tax cuts.
In 1996, Thompson led the way in cutting the top income tax rate from 7.9 to 6.5 percent, while eliminating the income tax for families earning less than $18,000. That’s right, Jim. He eliminated income taxes for the working poor. In 1999 he ushered in an additional $330 million in permanent income tax cuts. In total, Thompson reduced Wisconsin’s income taxes by more than $6.5 billion.
Also in 1996, Thompson provided the largest tax cut in state history with a $1.2 billion reduction in property taxes. When he left office, the property tax , based on percentage of family income and adjusted for inflation, was 20 percent lower than it was in 1993. Twenty percent.
Had the QEO, cost controls and two-thirds funding not been implemented under Thompson, actual property taxes would have been $8 Billion (yes that’s a B) higher.
His elimination of the inheritance and gift taxes also allowed Wisconsin taxpayers to keep an additional $1 Billion of their own money. Under Thompson, the capital gains tax on the sale of a home, farm or business from an individual to their child was eliminated. Thompson refused to adopt the federal tax increases on social security, made many long-term care costs tax deductible, and made business training costs deductible as well.
Thompson worked with legislators of both parties to get many of these initiatives passed. Clearly, his efforts were helped and in some cases inspired by his Republican allies in the legislature, but one can NOT deny the fact that under Tommy Thompson, taxes went DOWN.
Most Democrats acknowledge the incredible turn around of Wisconsin’s economy under Thompson. Hell, some even are trying to take credit for it.
Fraley, I would hope you were kidding but I fear you’ve decided to imbibe in your own kool-aid.
Tommy Thompson hiked spending in Wisconsin more than any other Governor.
I’ll remind you of what you and your Republican family have been saying about Jim Doyle but you can only say it because you’ve seen it used in action by your own Tommy Thompson. Here’s the fact — Tommy Thompson never met a fee he didn’t want to hike. Hunting, fishing and camping licenses all took a dramatic increase under Thompson.
At the same time, road builders and prison builders were happy to have their little orgy for his entire tenure as Governor.
We as taxpayers took an obscene hit and when you talk about low wage earners getting a break — let’s look at the reality. If you take away one tax, and replace it with another tax which makes it more difficult for you to maintain a quality of life, you have done a dis-service to the public.
Thompson did a dis-service to the public and most Republican strategists such as yourself are in denial when it comes to the failings of one of the longest running Republican administrations in this states history. Republicans are so enamoured with him that you folks named a highway after him.
Add to that fact that Republicans, who once upon a time were against social vices, brought nearly unregulated gambling to Wisconsin.
There were only two Republicans who were against gambling and one of them sat quiet until it was too late. Then Lt. Governor Scott McCallum stood silent but former State Senator Bob “the silver fox” Welch stood with me and other democrats against the expansion of gambling.
Where were the Republicans? Is gambling not a social bain which traditional republicans would oppose an expansion of? Why did they remain silent on the issue until a democrat took over the governors mansion?
Nice little “smoke and mirrors” there, Jim.