Governor's Budget Critics Rhetoric Doesn't Stand Up
If you watched Governor Doyle's budget address last night, you probably noticed that the vast majority (all?) of Republican legislators sat through the address in opposition to most of what was proposed.
They wouldn't stand up for affordable health care, quality schools or creating new jobs, but they did want to fight to defend their friends in big oil and big tobacco. Now that's a position to take with the public in Wisconsin.
Look, the GOP is trying to pass on the rhetoric that there is a $1.7 billion tax increase in the budget, costing the average family $724 a year. Right. Maybe if that family owns Exxon or Philip Morris.
In reality, the Governor's budget provides REAL tax breaks for working people. It includes tax breaks on residential property taxes, tuition and other educational costs, health insurance premiums, child care costs and social security. Real tax breaks, no rhetoric.
So, in the coming weeks get ready for all the tax rhetoric from the GOP. But then look closely at the tax breaks that are actually in the budget.
My guess is that the public will side with the working families of Wisconsin instead of Exxon (who made $4.1 million an HOUR last year in profit).
posted by Mark Pocan @ 10:26 AM
4 comments
4 Comments:
The rhetoric doesn't make sense on the oil issue because it assumes (at least in my understanding) that oil companies if they passed on the cost would only pass it on to Wisconsin consumers. Why would they do that? It would be impractical to charge significantly different prices to one state that has only 2% of the national population. I could be wrong but I think the companies would spread the cost out over the entire country which means the amount of money Wisconsin families would pay extra wouldn't be close to $724 a year.
Overall I'm impressed with the Governor's budget. It's a progressive budget, one that I've been waiting for since he took office in '03. I'm not sure how in the world he will pay for all of it (I haven't exactly crunched the numbers) but if the money is there, I'm all for it.
Th rhetoric may not stand up, but the reality unfortunately will not yeild. I refer to the reality of the working class and those on fixed incomes who have had their incomes erode over these last years. Wages that do not keep pace, benefits that are reuduced, little by little year after year,positions that are not filled but the work spread over the remaining, down-sizing, outsourcing, increaesd deductibles and premiums, bottom-up cuts - all of these have hurt families - we are not in good shape. Interest rates threaten to rise and there are indicators of economic slow-down. b
By and large the people I describe here are not the families who donate to parties. They do not attend council meetings. They can't afford the time it takes to be politically active ( or assume they will not be heard, which is quite likely true), nor can they do the "money as free speech" nonsense.
Counties, school districts and municipalities have dealt with their budget shortfalls through referenda and increased fees. These are "tax" methods that hit the poor and lower middles harder than those who attend campaign fundraiser coffees.
The Republican rhetoric may not stand up to Doyle's budget (hey, who ever mourns the demise of rhetoric anyway) but Doyle's budget does not stand up either, not to the reality of the conditions of life in Wisconsin.
Doyle does NOT get in the faces of the elite or the moneyed and demand that they pay their fair share, he does not work to reverse the trickle-down mentality we have all had shoved onto us these last many years. Instead he proposes to further bleed the already anemic.
Now we are getting it (financial ruin) from both parties
So - what was that you er saying about "the tradition of Fighting Bob"? Really too many people invoke his name these days. That's some rhetoric that is wearing thin too by the way. Enough with Fighting Bob already.
Doyle - we just don't have the money, sorry dude.
We
Don't
Have
It.
New tax on gas--hurt the poor.
New tax on cigs--hurt the poor.
Higher vehicle registration--hurt the poor.
Higher drivers' license fee--hurt the poor.
I wouldn't stand and clap either.
Mark,
Did you hear that you've now killed the real estate market by raising the tax on buying a $110,000 home from ~$450 to ~$900?
The regular family buys a home how often.. every 20 years maybe? Even longer?
People will simply stop buying home now because once every 20 years (or longer) they have to pay less than $500 more. RIIIIIIIIIIIGHT...
I'm getting tired of the silly rhetoric from the right on this budget. Let's say for example that taxes were to go up $724 for a Wisconsin family (doubtful). The question is whether you get $724 of benefit out of it. If you now get health insurance when you didn't before, you CERTAINLY get that money back and more, that benefit is easily in the thousands. If you pay for health care premiums yourself, they are now tax free which saves most families $300. If you have children in day care, you can deduct up to $6000 in costs, a saving of $400 for a family of four.
Not to mention the continued investments in education and technology that will create future jobs and raise wages for the ones already here. I sure think most families are going to get their money back on this and more.
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