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11/17/2008
Rahmlow: Bernard Schaber will get pressure on taxes
Last week I asserted that the agenda of Wisconsin Democrats “will be enacted over the objections of Republicans, completely helpless to stop or slow these proposals.”
While that may yet become the reality, there is good reason to hope that Assembly Republicans will be able to slow the most extreme parts of that agenda; from universal health care to higher income and property taxes. And there are three Democrats that Minority leader Jeff Fitzgerald (R-Horicon) will need to focus on to help in that effort. Those Democrats reside in Northeast Wisconsin.
“The next two-year session has people coming in you might think of as activist, government program expanding liberals,” State Rep. Bob Ziegelbauer (D-Manitowoc) told a group of his constituents recently. Ziegelbauer even acknowledged a $5 billion budget deficit will make “activist” governing very difficult. This is coming from a Democrat with a history of bucking his party in a very vocal way.
For a longtime, Ziegelbauer was the lone conservative Democratic member of the State Assembly. He supported John Gard’s run for U.S. Congress and sided with majority Republicans last session to oppose raising taxes to balance the budget. “Most successful long-range governing is done from the middle,” Ziegelbauer continued.
Many of his colleagues must have agreed given their surprise elevation of Rep. Mike Sheridan (D-Janesville) to the Speakers post. Sheridan has promised to work closely with the minority party. That promise will be tested in January. It seems more likely Sheridan will become the governor’s “yes man” and/or quickly steer his caucus left. In any event, chances are slim he will be a moderate voice next session.
Ziegelbauer has company in his view of limited government if for no other reason than political necessity. Two freshman Democrats, from AD 57 and AD 2, have the potential to give their leadership headaches.
Penny Bernard-Schaber and Ted Zigmunt rode Barack Obama’s coattails into office in districts that have otherwise been Republican strongholds. The political newcomers must learn from Ziegelbauer if they desire to stay in office longer than one term. Zigmunt seems to understand that. “Unfortunately, real property tax relief will probably mean making cuts in services,” the candidate said on his campaign website.
Bernard Schaber is the wildcard. She received a tepid endorsement by Appleton’s Post-Crescent days before the election by vowing to work in a bipartisan manner if elected. Sadly, Bernard Schaber may not understand the district that elected conservatives in the mold of David Prosser and Steve Wieckert, known for their efforts to reduce the tax burden.
“The burden of the tax responsibility should be shared by all of us,” Schaber’s campaign website says. That sounds like Obama’s “spread the wealth” comment. How Schaber will vote on tax issues is something of a mystery. With Democratic leaders already laying the groundwork to hike personal income taxes, Schaber has been noticeably absent from the early debate, perhaps understanding that her political survival depends on becoming an anti-tax stalwart.
Nevertheless, it is worth the minority leader’s effort to reach out to these Democrats to establish a working majority. Keeping taxes in check and challenging the spending priorities of majority Democrats will define Fitzgerald’s tenure over the next two years. It is essential for Fitzgerald to be aggressive in his new role. And he must use all the tools at his disposal to slow the liberal agenda.
Rahmlow is a former field director for Tim Michels 2004 U.S. Senate campaign and briefly served as Terri McCormick’s campaign manager during her Congressional run.
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| 2009 |
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• The Lawton-Bader files
• Yup, it’s the TAX LEVY, not the tax RATE
• Ellis: costly automobile insurance laws must be rolled back
• If not Barrett, who?
• The subsidy game
• Burri: Bailouts, Banks, Health Care, and the Mob
• Attend Appleton Schools budget meeting tonight
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• Rep. Huebsch: Wisconsin is proof government health care isn’t the answer
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• What? Obama, the Peace Prize?
• TODAY - hearing on Campaign Finance Reform
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• Important votes Tuesday, including Appleton Common Council
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• From Mark Gundrum: One of the greatest honors an American can experience
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• Joe Martin the best candidate in Appleton's 8th
• State programs to cut? - Volume II
• Oh the naivete of youth
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• Make cuts only AFTER you're elected....
• Getting serious: What programs can we cut?
• Rep. Steve Kagen joining me on Jerry Bader Show today
• Rep. Van Roy: Dental Care Pilot Program
• Has Dave Obey turned the corner on earmarks?
• Speaker Huebsch: Governor turns down Federal Aid?
• Mark Rahmlow: "We're Broke."
• As taxpayers, how do we know if it's a Chevy or a Lexus?
• This is trash talk - about a veteran
• Frank Lasee: Take time to get the Compact right
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• First suggestion for 'slashing' programs
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• Any chances???
• I'm doing the Jerry Bader Show, today, the 11th
• Representative Frank Lasee: Final Waltz of the Season
• Guest Blog: It's not the county's business to be in the nursing home business
• Yup, Hillary won Texas and Ohio
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• The Troha sentencing, Doyle and that $200K
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• Lots of ideas. No money.
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• Kagen and Reagan in the same breath?
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• Any way you slice it, Wisconsin government wants (further) in on health care
• The World is Flat...what about health care?
• The PAC - too precious to fail. Day 3
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• Fox Cities PAC - too precious to fail - Day 2
• Fox Cities PAC - too precious to fail
• New Transit Tax coming your way
• Rep. Petri has his finger in the dike - I guess
• AASD Retirement Costs Burdensome
• Health care, health care, health care, health care
• Water rate increase was no slam dunk
• Education for all is just a bad dream
• New Year's resolutions from a parade snob
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