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January 10, 2008

Wednesday Update

Wisconsin Club for Growth  January 10, 2008 Volume 2, Number 2 The Wednesday Update  In This Issue 1. Dave Hanson's      Hat Trick  2. Supreme      Coercion 3. Shame on You     Senator Miller 4. How Many     Congressman. 5. Will Work for      Food Make a Donation today! Keeping Free Marketers Current on the Issues   Thanks for your support of Wisconsin Club for Growth! We hope you enjoy the newsletter. Our goal is to be brief, informative and bit provocative. We welcome your feedback. Please feel free to contact us anytime by emailing staff@wifg.com , or come visit us on the worldwide web. Wisconsin Club for Growth Website  Back to top Dave Hanson's Pulls a Hat Trick Wisconsin Senate Democrats seem intent on driving businesses out of the state, and when jobs do flee Wisconsin, Senator Dave Hansen will be the pied piper leading them away. Hansen of Green Bay was a strong proponent of the Senate's 2007 budget that would have raised taxes by over $18 billion.  Since then, Hansen has unleashed a barrage of anti-free market legislation that seeks to punish honest businesses for being successful.  His latest assault on the lawful pursuit of capitalism proposes investigating all the legal ways companies hold down their tax burden.  Hansen's would create a public database to report tax information for every business in Wisconsin, including income companies earn in other states.  Hansen and the bill's co-sponsor Senator Bob Jauch, say businesses aren't paying their fair share of taxes in Wisconsin, and they're using legal loopholes to avoid paying more. Ultimately Senate Democrats want to collect state taxes on the income businesses earn outside of the Wisconsin, a practice commonly known as "combined reporting."  This would drive up the tax burden for businesses in the state while driving jobs to other states.  Businesses would still look for ways to lower their tax burden - but they'd do it with moving vans instead of accountants.  The Hansen-Jauch proposal is particularly breath-taking in light of the decision Miller/Coors executives will make about whether to locate their corporate headquarters in Milwaukee or Denver --- a decision with 800 jobs at stake In the event any businesses stay in Wisconsin and dare to make a profit after that, Hansen is leading the charge for a $15.2 billion government-run health care plan that's even too rich for Governor Doyle's expensive taste.  A fiscal analysis by the plan's own authors estimated the new payroll tax would cost up to 8,100 minimum-wage workers their jobs.  And Dave Hansen says he's looking out for the little guy. Trouble comes in threes, and so do Dave Hansen's bad ideas.  Last week he unveiled a re-treaded version of his old "HOPE" plan, which purports to exempt the first $60,000 in property value on residential homes from the property tax.  In order to fund this ridiculously unconstitutional bill, Hansen proposes raising sales taxes --- he just won't say which ones.  Hansen will leave it up to a legislative committee to figure out which consumers to punish, but he rationalizes the sales tax increase, criticizing "unfair" business tax "loopholes" that can be closed.  Some of these sales tax loopholes include the purchase of homes, medical equipment, prescription drugs, and disposable diapers for your kids.  Contact Senator Hansen and tell him which one of these "big business loopholes" you'd like eliminated. Back to top Supreme Coercion  Last week, the Wisconsin Club for Growth caused a stir when we investigated the political backgrounds of the members of the Wisconsin Judicial Campaign Integrity (WJCIC).  This committee, created by the Wisconsin State Bar, is supposed to serve as the "fair arbiter' of issues in the upcoming race for the Wisconsin Supreme Court. As it turns out, 7 of the 8 members are former Democratic political leaders or appointees and/or donors of Governor Jim Doyle, and three members have direct links to the campaign of Justice Louis Butler, who is up for election this April.  The naked partisanship of this supposed "nonpartisan watchdog" raises an interesting question: Who is paying for this board to operate. The Wisconsin Supreme Court requires all lawyers to pay dues to the State Bar.   There has been controversy in the past over the use of state bar dues for lobbying on issues that some members don't support.  As a result, the Bar allows members to deduct a (very small) portion of their dues which they say constitutes the portion spent on lobbying.   But the State Bar takes positions in other ways which are politically offensive to some members.  The formation of this secretive, partisan committee which appears to be attached to and staffed by the State Bar is another example.  But can lawyers opt out of paying for this sham committee when they begin railroading candidates like Judge Gableman? A current legislative proposal would put an end to the State Bar's legal monopoly.  If the WJCIC isn't careful, the idea might start gaining momentum.    Back to top Shame on You Senator Miller If you're wondering why Wisconsin's finances are in such disarray in the first place, look no further than the people who are supposed to be spending our tax dollars wisely.  State Senator Mark Miller (D-Monona) made the state Department of Revenue's internet list of delinquent taxpayers; also known as the web of shame. According to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Miller owed $5,776 in unpaid taxes.  In a classy move, Miller threw his wife under the proverbial bus, saying the unpaid tax liability was all her fault.  Miraculously, Miller's name had disappeared from the list by last Friday afternoon.  Last year Miller threw Senator Judy Robson under the bus in exchange for the chairmanship of the legislature's Joint Finance Committee. Next time the state needs money to fill in its own deficit hole, you can thank all the fine legislators who do an equally dismal job managing their own finances. Maybe somewhere in the $50 billion state budget, we can find a couple bucks to buy Senator Mark Miller a calculator. . Back to top       How Many Congressman to Change a Lightbulb?  Congress voted to phase out traditional incandescent light bulbs beginning in the year 2012.  Instead, consumers will be forced to purchase fluorescent bulbs, whether they like them or not.  The energy bill also created massive giveaways to the ethanol industry and mandated future bio-fuel use levels. Naturally all of these measures will cost you more money in the future.  Start saving now. Here's how Wisconsin's delegation voted. Nay WI-1 Ryan, Paul [R] Aye WI-2 Baldwin, Tammy [D] Aye WI-3 Kind, Ronald [D] Aye WI-4 Moore, Gwen [D] Nay WI-5 Sensenbrenner, F. [R] Aye WI-6 Petri, Thomas [R] Aye WI-7 Obey, David [D] Aye WI-8 Kagen, Steve [D] Back to top  Will Inform for Food    If you have any money left over after taxes, please consider a contribution to Wisconsin Club for Growth so we can keep fighting to keep your taxes down. Donate Now! Back to top