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9/9/2010
Sladek: Stay focused on the spending
The din of electioneering is ramping up and, for better or worse, this is only the beginning. Many, many citizens are angry about the direction incumbents are taking our state and nation and much, if not most, of that anger revolves around fiscal matters.
The candidates will be advancing carefully worded positions aimed at winning votes. The words will all sound good. Balanced budgets. Growing the economy. Living within our means. Making government more efficient. Tax reform. And on, and on, and on.
Many candidates who don’t truly stand for smaller government will try to make the debate about “balancing budgets.” Why? Because one way to balance budgets is “revenue enhancement,” which of course means new and higher fees, new and higher taxes.
Then there will be the advocates of “tax reform.” They seek to make the debate about “fairness,” which means convincing voters that someone else is not paying enough in taxes. The solution of course is new and higher fees, new and higher taxes.
Demand that the candidates talk about spending and how they propose to reduce spending. Will they support spending controls (caps)? Will they support spending cuts? How will they achieve a balanced budget by working on the spending side of the equation versus working on “revenue enhancement?” What programs and spending do they aim to reduce or eliminate? If they don’t have targeted cuts, do they support across-the-board cuts? If an incumbent tells you they’re a spending cutter, have them explain their achievements to date.
Find out if the candidate has signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge advanced by Americans for Tax Reform. Don’t let them play dumb …they all know of the pledge, they all have the opportunity to sign it. Candidates who signed the pledge have put any tax increases off limits – meaning the only way to balance a budget is to control the spending. And candidates who have not signed the pledge? I’d be asking them to explain.
Cut through the clutter and spin. Don’t let any candidate mislead you. Don’t let THEM select the topic. YOU select the topic – and make that topic SPENDING.
Tom Sladek is the Treasurer of the Brown County Taxpayers Association.
COMMENTS
I support the effort to protect the taxpayers. I AM THE "ONLY" CANDIDATE IN THE 56TH ASSEMBLY TO SIGN THE PLEDGE! A true CONSERVATIVE See the list who has!!!!
Jay Schroeder (Thu Sep 09 07:45:40 2010)
Read Mark Neumann's business plan for Wisconsin, and vote Mark Neumann for WI Governor next week.
Andrew Ellis (Thu Sep 09 12:13:50 2010)
In this economy, The Great Recession, I think that jobs should be the focus, not spending.
Dean Weichmann (Thu Sep 09 13:17:41 2010)
Such a pledge is a cynical and simplistic feel good symbol and nothing more. Cut Spending? Yes, absolutely and be very precise about how much and where so everyone can see. But , "not raise taxes". Hmmmm does that mean that tax reductions/subsidies that have been given to special interest groups should not be removed? Does that mean that a gas tax to pay for road improvements used by the people who use the road should never happen regardless of the condition of the road? Does that mean that sales taxes shouldn't be raised to provide property tax relief or vice versa? Any candidate who signs such a pledge is saying to the world that they are either naive or pandering. One or the other.
dave allen (Thu Sep 09 15:13:30 2010)
Dave
We are not talking about a slim -trim 180 # Government here, We are talking about a bloated 400 # behemoth.
Sure you need calories to exist, but the rate of consumption is just incredible.
There is NO reason in the world for the tax increases we have seen these past two years
Remember this ?:
"Income Tax Increases
The Act increases Wisconsin's marginal income tax rate (which applies to ordinary income and capital gains, as reduced below) for individual taxpayers with income over certain thresholds from 6.75% to 7.75%. For single individuals, the 7.75% rate applies to all taxable income over $225,000 and for married couples, the 7.75% rate applies to all taxable income over $300,000. Effective Date: Retroactive to January 1, 2009 "
Dave, that is a 14.8 % increase, when people are losing their jobs. Or how about the 4 cents a gallon they added to gas taxes Dave, how about you telling Doyle to quit taking money out of the transportation fund.
Why worry about short-changing certain obligations ? it hasn't stopped Madison from grabbing the money from somewhere else !
Hey dave, pass me the Twinky
Rich Carlstedt (Thu Sep 09 17:10:03 2010)
You Kiddin Me?
You are bitching about a tax increase on income over $300 grand? Cry me a river!!! If you make a half million bucks your tax goes up $2000. Big Whoop.
Dean Weichmann (Thu Sep 09 17:44:24 2010)
Rich,
The simplistic cynical pledge says no new taxes at all. Now you're talking about a specific tax here at least no matter whether you or I disagree or agree with it. Like I said simplistic pledge , pandering, naive. And to boot, disingenuous. That's what the pledge is.
dave allen (Thu Sep 09 19:23:33 2010)
Dean, I am not bitching about the tax, Heck I am so far from it , it might as well be never never land.
But that does't stop Doyle or the Dems from adding on the total. I was merly pointing out that taxes are being levied at huge rates. The Dems are smart, one year its hunters, and the next year its smokers... They play class warfare. and then use the money willy-nilly. There is no "dedicated" accounting. Just look at what they did to the Injured Patients Medical Fund when they ( read Doyle) took 200 million dollars and got slapped by the courts
And Yes Folks, we don't need to tax because there is so much waste to cut !
Rich Carlstedt (Sun Sep 12 23:33:08 2010)
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