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February 5, 2010 Democrats: Enough Tax Increases to Sink a Battleship[Madison, Wisc….] In an article in today’s Lakeland Times, Wisconsin Democrats finally admitted what the rest of us already knew: that the 2009-2011 state budget bill that they passed last summer raises enough taxes and fees to “sink a good sized battleship.” The publication highlighted an email correspondence between Senator Jim Holperin (D-Conover) and a constituent. After months of the Democrats portraying the budget bill as a responsible piece of legislation that will benefit the average taxpayer, Holperin admitted in the email that he and his Democrat colleagues greatly increased the burden on taxpayers in 2009. “You know the Governor's got enough little tax and fee hikes in that budget of his to sink a good sized battleship,” wrote Holperin. This admission comes after Assembly and Senate Democrats spent months characterizing the 2009-2011 budget as a huge success and insisting that the actions taken in the budget bill were responsible. “We tightened our belt - all agencies and the Legislature,” Senate Majority Leader Russ Decker (D-Weston) said in a June 18, 2009 article on Channel 3000. “We looked to squeeze every nickel out of every dollar throughout this process, but we invest in jobs." “Through deep spending cuts, Democrats protected middle-class workers and families from tax increases,” wrote Assembly Speaker Mike Sheridan (D-Janesville) in a July 3, 2009 column on the budget. “The bottom line is that Democrats—and sadly, Democrats alone—have delivered a responsible, forward-thinking, balanced budget….With quick and thoughtful action, Democrats solved the worst budget crisis in state history, setting Wisconsin on a track to fiscal soundness and future prosperity.” The column is a sharp contrast to Holperin’s frank email correspondence about the budget bill. “We Democrats authorized all kinds of new taxes in the recently adopted state budget (cigarette taxes, capital gains taxes, solid waste fees, cell phone tax, boat registration fee, etc. etc.) and took a lot of heat for that," Holperin wrote. “Senator Holperin admitted what the Democrats have been long denying to taxpayers. Now the truth finally comes out,” said Senate Republican Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau). “They enacted nearly $5 billion of tax and fee increases at one of the worst possible economic times. The Democrats’ actions this session worsened our state’s economic situation and will place a greater burden on Wisconsin taxpayers.” Since December 2007, Wisconsin has lost 163,800 jobs or 5.7% of its workforce. Manufacturing has taken the biggest hit with 40 percent of the job cuts in that field. In the past two years, 62,800 factory jobs in Wisconsin have disappeared. January 21, 2010 Senate Republicans Propose Real Job Creation Agenda[Madison, Wisc….] On the day that Democrats intended to claim they were creating jobs, Republicans unveiled a much more extensive and aggressive plan to grow Wisconsin’s economy. Senate Republican Leader Scott Fitzgerald was joined at a press conference this morning by many of his colleagues to discuss their plan. “Nibbling around the edges won’t work to bring Wisconsin’s economy back. The Democrats bill is fine, but it doesn’t even scratch the surface of what needs to be done to jumpstart job creation in this state,” Fitzgerald said. “Our plan lays out the roadmap, as drawn by the real private-sector job creators, of where we need to go.” The Senate Republicans “Wisconsin Jobs Now Agenda” focuses on controlling government spending, reducing the tax and regulatory burdens, reforming health care to reduce costs, and revamping the educational system to make it work better for students. “What the Senate Democrats want to do today is make Wisconsin residents forget what they did in 2009 to kill jobs, by putting the word ‘jobs’ in every bill they come up with whether it creates 1 or kills 40,000,” Fitzgerald added. “Just because you say something, doesn’t make it true and Wisconsinites know the Democrats’ record--$5 billion in tax increases in one year.” The Democrats’ C.O.R.E. Jobs bill adopts a couple of Senate Republican proposals including the education tax credit and an expansion of the angel investment tax credit. To that, Senate Republican Leader Fitzgerald said, “Great, but where’s the rest of it?” The Senate Republican plan includes the recommendations made by more than 160 businesses at small business discussions held around the state by the Wisconsin Jobs Now Task Force as well as the Global Wisconsin plan. “Senate Republicans stand ready to work with Democrats to get this state back on the road to economic recovery, but the Democrats’ bill doesn’t come close to undoing the damage done by their $5 billion tax increase,” Fitzgerald stated. “When Wisconsin ranks the third worst state in the nation to do business, our number one priority has to be job creation. Republicans have a real plan to do that.” To view a video featuring the Senators discussing the plan or for more information, go to www.wisenategop.com. January 6, 2010 2009 Deer Hunt under Review, DNR Changes RejectedThis week, the Senate Natural Resources Committee and Assembly Fish and Wildlife Committee rejected proposed changes to Wisconsin’s deer management population goals. The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) rule was returned to the department for modifications after the committees agreed that the rule didn’t reflect needed deer hunting changes. The vote followed a December 17th hearing on the clearinghouse rule and the traditional nine-day 2009 gun deer season. Hunters from around the state attended last month’s hearing to share their thoughts on the hunt and the status of the state’s deer population. The hearing highlighted the deep concern throughout Wisconsin with the DNR’s deer management strategies. The 2009 Wisconsin gun deer season had one of the lowest deer kills in years with nearly a 30% decline in deer killed compared to 2008. Neighboring states like Minnesota and Illinois saw 10% declines in their gun deer numbers. I’ve heard from Wisconsin hunters who routinely see numerous deer each hunting season, but they saw only a fraction of their usual number if they saw any deer at all. There has been much discussion on the cause for the low numbers and the DNR’s methods for calculating the deer herd population. Many hunters feel that deer management policies such as Earn-a-Buck, excessive doe tags, and special hunting seasons have depleted the herd numbers. I believe that the DNR is using a faulty deer population estimate model, which has resulted in them grossly over-estimating the size of the deer herd for years. Consequently, the department enacted unnecessary herd overkill methods that created the worst season that deer hunters have seen in years. With the recent rule being sent back to the DNR, hopefully the agency will better understand the seriousness of the deer population problem. The department will submit its proposal for the 2010 deer hunting season structure to the Legislature early this spring. I will closely review it to ensure that it accurately reflects the changes that are needed, and I will work to hold the DNR accountable so that the deer herd is managed properly. It is essential that we maintain Wisconsin’s deer population to ensure the continuation of our state’s hunting tradition for future generations. I am conducting a survey on the 2009 deer hunt to obtain your opinion. This feedback will help state legislators and the DNR make appropriate adjustments for the 2010 season. To take my survey, please visit my website: www.senatorfitzgerald.com and click on the Deer Hunting Survey icon. Your input is valued and appreciated. |
The Wisconsin Jobs Now Task Force held numerous roundtable discussions across the state with more than 150 employers. The Task Force provided a forum for employers to share their thoughts on the condition of Wisconsin’s business climate and suggest changes to strengthen it. |
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