In This Issue | 1. No Hope for Tax
Relief
2. Madison's Goofy
Priorities
3. It Takes a Teaching
Certificate
4. Free Speech
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"Hope" Plan for Tax Relief is a Scam
 In the upcoming fall elections, Wisconsin Democrats will be out touting their "Homeowners Property Tax Exemption" plan (curiously dubbed H.O.P.E). The plan was originally drafted as a change in the state's statutes, until the bill sponsors realized it was unconstitutional.
Of course that won't keep the Democrats from promising home owners a $569 tax cut even though it would take a minimum of four years, a successful statewide referendum and separate enabling legislation before they could deliver on their promise. Meanwhile Governor Doyle and the Democrats will continue to loosen spending caps on local governments while the costs of public employee benefits go through the roof.
The HOPE plan would exempt the first $60,000 of a home's value from the property tax by raising sales taxes on a variety of goods and services yet to be determined. Proponents of the plan will claim that they are closing corporate loopholes and making businesses pay their fair share of property taxes, but they only way they can possibly fund their plan is to remove tax exemptions on everything from haircuts and tax preparation to disposable diapers and prescription drugs.
Since the plan requires a constitutional change, a resolution would have to be passed by the Legislature in January of 2009 at the earliest and then again in January of 2011. If the amendment were approved by state voters in the spring of 2011, the legislature would be required to pass enabling legislation for the Governor to sign. Given that voters have twice rejected the same amendment, last time by a margin of 70%-30%, the best case scenario requires more than just hope. As Senator Clinton would say, it requires the willing suspension of disbelief.
So what are Democrats hoping?
- They HOPE you don't realize their plan is illegal
- They HOPE you don't mind waiting four years for property tax relief
- They HOPE you won't mind paying sales taxes on every good and service currently exempt
- They HOPE voters who rejected the same idea by 70-30% won’t realize this is the same scam
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Madison's Goofy Priorities
 With Madison police sitting on three unsolved murders near the University campus in less than a year, Greta Van Susteren, a Wisconsin native and host of Fox New Channel's On the Record, devoted an entire program to the incompetence of the Madison police department and Dane County's 911 call center .
The fact that two of the three murder victims were killed inside their homes in broad daylight within six blocks of each other, has residents questioning whether the capitol city is still a safe place to live, and whether their elected leaders and local enforcement are equipped to fulfill their primary mission of protecting the public safety. And with good reason. When county board members held a public hearing to address these concerns, none of the invited county or city leadership bothered to showed up, including the Madison Police Chief, 911 Center Director, the County Executive, or Sheriff.
But fear not, Madison residents. Mayor Dave Cieslewicz has a new Brookings Institute Study in hand that ranks Madison 81st out of 100 cities in worst carbon emissions, --- so why get all exercised about the violent random murder of three young people when the earth is warming a whole degree every 100 years? It's time to resume ignorance of the increasing crime rate in Madison and get on with the business of banning plastic and building expensive commuter rail and trolley systems to run alongside the empty buses and occupied automobiles causing traffic jams of up to 5 minutes during peak rush hour on a really snowy day.
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It Takes a Teaching Certificate
 Last year, a Wisconsin Court decision made statewide news when it declared that virtual schools ran afoul of the law. The decision determined that since parents play a greater role assisting with daily lessons in a virtual school environment, virtual schools did not meet the public school requirement that instructors be licensed as teachers by the state.
On February 28, a Court of Appeals decision in California went one step further, declaring home schooling to be out of compliance with state law. The California Court used the same justification as the Wisconsin Court - that parents must be licensed by the state to teach their own children.
Governor Schwarzenegger called the decision "outrageous" and vowed to overturn the decision legislatively if the Supreme Court refuses to take the case on appeal. Other legislators in California have begun to take action via the legislative process.
Yet this case once again demonstrates the extent to which the teachers' union is willing to undermine educational choices that may lead to fewer public school teachers. Rather than sue to improve the quality of their own failing school districts, they go to court to dismantle educational choices that actually work, through empowering students and parents. They want complete control over the education of your kids, and they want you to pay top dollar for the privilege.
In the early 90's, union toady and former State School Superintendent Bert Grover said that home schooling was tantamount to child abuse. How do you suppose Dr. Grover would feel if he had to send his own children to a Milwaukee Public School, where less than half the kids graduate?
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 Wisconsin is Ground Zero in the fight for free speech during political elections. It was Wisconsin Right to Life (WRTL) that took their case against the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. The high court’s opinion in WRTL v FEC struck down a large portion of the McCain/Feingold campaign finance law restricting the right of citizen organizations (such as WRTL) to broadcast issue advocacy messages within 60 days of an election.
But as we have previously reported, the battle to protect our right to criticize our public officials rages on at the national level and across the fifty states.
The Center for Competitive Politics recently filed a lawsuit in Ohio to block enforcement of an even more restrictive state campaign finance law. The CCP also continues to pursue a case in the D.C. District Court that would liberate independent advocacy groups from restrictions on their ability to expressly advocate for or against a candidate for federal office.
Closer to home, the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board continues to express their interest in unilaterally suppressing free speech during elections. The Board is comprised of unelected political appointees and is thus accountable to no one, may begin to place limits on our political speech as early as this summer.
As we move towards the 2008 elections, it is incumbent upon of all of us ordinary citizens to stand against any attempt to silence our right to criticize our elected officials, no matter what time of year it is or whose name is on the ballot.
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