On Barrett takes swipes at Walker in initial debate
Posted on September 27 at 1:50 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
tax cuts and shifts that overwhelmingly benefit the rich and big business. But he has said wage and benefit cuts for state workers are one way to close the state’s $2.5 billion-plus projected state deficit. In order to finance both the tax cuts and close the deficit, Walker would need to cut state worker pay and benefits by 50 percent, or slash 37,000 state jobs.•
Slash income taxes for the top one percent of income earners who make more than $225,000 a year — two-year budget cost: $287 million.
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Reopen the “Las Vegas Loophole” which allows Wisconsin businesses to shelter their tax obligations to Wisconsin families through phantom “offices” in states without corporate income tax — two-year budget cost: $375 million.
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Repeal changes made to the capital gains tax deduction, despite the fact 70 percent of capital gains filings are from those earning more than $200,000 a year — two-year budget cost: $243 million.
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Shelter the assets of the wealthiest Wisconsinites even more by a radical end to tax paid on retirement income, regardless of income — two-year budget cost: $920 million.
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Shift tax revenue from new car sales into the transportation fund — two-year budget cost: $1 billion. [Wisconsin State Journal, 6/20/10; Legislative Fiscal Bureau]
[Legislative Fiscal Bureau, 2/23/09, 7/8/09, 1/25/10; “Upfront,” WISN-TV, 11/8/09; La Crosse Tribune, 11/24/09]
Seven months after proposing his tax cuts for the rich and big business, Scott Walker has yet to show how he can pay for this and balance the budget. Worse than anything, Scott Walker wants to take a $2.5 billion budget hole and double it to $5 billion with a reckless tax cut plan for the rich and big business that
Scott Walker’s plans for Wisconsin are a complete farce. First, he says he will reduce the unemployment rate to zero and now he wants to balance the budget and pay for tax cuts for the rich and big business by slashing state worker pay almost in half or by cutting 37,000 jobs.
Walker’s worker cuts could mean the loss of 50 percent of the state’s public workforce – thousands of teachers and researchers from the University of Wisconsin, prison guards and state troopers who provide public safety and health care workers who assist the elderly and people with disabilities.
Walker, appearing before the Milwaukee Press Club, said he would address the state budget deficit by “proposing major wage and benefit cuts from state employees.” As has been true throughout his campaign for governor, Walker refused to provide any specifics, particularly on what additionally he would cut to pay for four proposed tax cuts he first outlined in November 2009, including:
On Barrett takes swipes at Walker in initial debate
Posted on September 27 at 1:48 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Examining the five separate budget votes, voted lock-step for the increases in spending, but also he voted with the majority on every single one of hundreds of roll call votes which made up the budget deliberations.
This contrasts with complaints Walker has repeatedly leveled against government spending. When Walker announced his opposition to Wisconsin receiving billions of dollars in needed Recovery Act funds, he hypocritically claimed it was state government spending which was to blame, failing to point out the 84 percent jump in budget spending he supported over nearly a decade in the state legislature
On Barrett takes swipes at Walker in initial debate
Posted on September 27 at 1:47 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Walker Votes Grew Budget from $27 Billion to $49 Billion; Voted for Nearly $200 Billion in Total Budget Spending
Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker voted for five straight state budgets, which increased state budget spending from $26.6 billion to nearly $49 billion, an increase of $22 billion – or 84 percent, according to an analysis by One Wisconsin Now.
Scott Walker was a unilateral “yes” vote for all five budgets he saw as a member of the Republican-led State Assembly. On every roll call, on every procedural vote, on every increase, Scott Walker voted with the majority and nearly doubled the size of the state budget.
When Walker entered the state legislature in 1993, the state’s biennial budget spending was $26,577,693,600. Walker then voted for five consecutive state biennial budgets, including the 2001-03 biennial budget, where spending increased to $48,868,063,300. This represents an increase of 83.9 percent in the budget during Walker’s tenure. [Source: 1992 WI Act 269; 2001 WI Act 16; WI Legislative Fiscal Bureau]
The increases Walker voted for were consistently several billion dollars every biennium. Each of the five budgets Walker voted for increased spending between $2.7 to $4.7 billion.
On Barrett takes swipes at Walker in initial debate
Posted on September 27 at 1:45 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
As Milwaukee County Executive, Scott Walker proposed budgets to increase spending 35 percent, far ahead of the more modest spending plan of Gov. Jim Doyle.
Walker poses for holy pictures when discussing taxes and spending issues, but the devil’s in the details and his halo’s not so shiny. Walker’s proposed spending increases were higher than the entire state of Wisconsin under their current executives.
One Wisconsin Now’s analysis took the official budgets proposed by Doyle and Walker and charted the budget-by-budget increases each subsequently proposed. Walker topped the list, his budget requests growing 50 percent higher than Gov. Doyle’s.
The figures do not reflect changes made by their respective legislative bodies, but rather the spending proposed by the elected executives themselves, giving the clearest possible picture of their records.
This is a great topic next time Walker speaks at an event for the Tea Party extremists or during his weekly on-air chat with Charlie Sykes. He can talk about how his proposed budget spending topped that of Governor Doyle.
Walker’s record on county spending was unsurprising, given a similar analysis of Walker’s record in the state legislature. The analysis, completed by One Wisconsin Now in November, showed Walker voted for five straight biennial budgets which increased state spending by 84 percent. Walker’s unanimous support for this record-setting period of spending saw the state budget grow by $22 billion.
On Barrett takes swipes at Walker in initial debate
Posted on September 27 at 1:42 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
The state has not ended the year in red under Governor Doyle, yet under Scott Walker’s leadership, Milwaukee County has twice ended the year with budget deficits: 2003 & 2004. Like the state, Milwaukee County has frequently announced mid-year budget deficits, which they are required by state constitution to close by the year end. 2003: $3,553,990 budget deficit [Milwaukee County Executive Budgets] 2004: $1,573,366 budget deficit [Milwaukee County Executive Budgets] 2005: projected $10.8 million budget deficit [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 07/28/2005] 2006: projected $10.2 million budget deficit [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 06/19/2006] 2007: projected $4.2 million budget deficit [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 07/20/2007] 2008: projected $6 million budget deficit [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 09/25/2008] 2009: projected $14 million budget deficit [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 06/13/2009] 2010: projected $10 million budget deficit [WISN, 02/22/2010] 2011: projected $44.9 million budget deficit [Public Policy Forum, 07/13/2010]
A recent report issued by the Milwaukee-based Public Policy Forum, predicts five more years of county deficits, running totaling over $495 million.
Scott Walker for Gov?
On Barrett takes swipes at Walker in initial debate
Posted on September 27 at 1:38 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
First off , maybe Mr walker answered the question about jobs. Does that mean he's qualified to be gov? I think not! Because you throw some overly hypothetical number out there like 250,000 jobs, doesnt make you more qualified to be governor, it simply means you are willing to completely try to B.S. everybody into voting for you. Everyone reading this and in this state knows that Walker can cut all the damn taxes he wants, he will NEVER "create" that many new jobs. I would say that point is NOT even debateable. So if he says numbers that he KNOWS aren't true, isn't that a lie? I am no Barrett fan, however I will say this at least when it comes to positions on issues , like real job growth. Mr. Barrett may realize that the answers are not there right now, because no one knows. Not economists, not anyone. Where our country/economy is 5 yrs I haven't even a guess. I do know this things haven't gotten this bad in just 2 yrs! It's been happening for a lONG time, and both parties are to blame. What I do know its not time to give control to the same type of thinking that got us into this crap.
I would implore anyone voting in this race to simply look at facts. Promises are simply campaign commercials, if anyone truely believes that , in this economy that Scott Walker could essentially ELIMINATE unemployment, I have some real expensive swampland dor sale. The politicians that are willng to blow more smoke up your rear are the ones winning the arguement.
For God's sake a guy like Ron Jon is running tight w Russ. That in itselfshows how bad it is for Democratic incumbants right now.
On Janesville School Board OKs teacher contract
Posted on September 22 at 7:40 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
I wish the board would've rejected this, if it goes to a mediator and the teachers get MORE! Stop hoarding the fund 10 balance, created by the teachers general health. Pay them that money, they deserveit! I truely hope Sodemann stops running for school board, he doesn't understand why 95% of educators in this community can't stand him? What an arrogant man! Take your personal politics to govt please! Get out of the schools! Unfortunately we live in a conservative community that buys the crap that you are selling, I for one am not! Tapping the gavel becaue someone you criticize is being berated? I wonder if you would have done the same thing if someone would have been bashing the teachers.
I do wonder this if your QEO numbers were so correct. Then why on earth were you all so afraid of a mediator?
Stop comparing your private sector buiness and the teachers. Apples and oranges. I am sick of reading about you in the paper, why can't you just go away? If you are so concerned with tax waste why aren't you at city council meetings complaining about the 2 million dollar waste of an ice arena they just approved?
It will be a great day for Janesville when you are no longer a school board member. Your own ego wont let that happen will it?
On Janesville council approves ice arena funding
Posted on September 14 at 10:12 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Where is the NEED for moving the fire station what six blocks south? Where is the NEED to spend 2 million plus on another ice arena? Heres an idea, if we need to subsidize the current arena to the tune of 80k a yr, why do you think another one will succed? There is plenty to do in Janesville, lots of parks, rotary gardens , JPAC to go see a play or show, theres the armory. If you wanna skate, wait till january, go to kiwanis, lions pond and skate your bum off. Your logic isn't very realistic, well , we have to spend this or we'll have to spend this. Huh?! Hows about spending money on our education system, polie, or fire. Don't throw the fire station in like its the deal breaker, that is garbage. The firestation at the top of the hill is in a perfect place. If you want to renovate it , go ahead, but no rebuilding as a condition of a new ice arena. thats ridiculous. Do any of you really think that this atrocity will make money? or will we susidize this one too? My guess is the latter.
On An open letter to the Muslim world
Posted on September 14 at 1:22 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
the definition of the word islam is peace. may peace be with you and may allah keep you , and give you many virgins in heaven.
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On Barrett takes swipes at Walker in initial debate
Posted on September 27 at 1:51 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Truth hurts, Vote for the right candidate not the one that runs the most commercials.