Another lying politician wanting to increase taxation and claim the monies will go for a single defined purpose when history has shown these same politicians move money from budget to budget to do what they want anyway.

If they would just come out and say, "look we want to raise taxes on this because it is low lying fruit, in comparison of other states, and well, we just want more money"...then they could be taken as truth tellers, but as it is they are not.

Rex, you are rude first off. You are also making WAY too many assumptions about me. Someone you know nothing about. I'd prefer they make cuts in operations however they'd never make the correct cuts anyway. It's also unlikely that things will ever change. Thinking that they are going to might be more ignorant than assuming that everything is the democrats fault.

As for your habits costing tax payers, how about the increased cost of your medical care because you smoked for 40 years before you end up on medicare, living in a nursing home on oxygen as you die? Or unable to work and on disability because your liver stopped functioning? Or just maybe you dropped your cigarette while you were driving and smashed into someone else's loved one. I get everyone has bad habits. Some are just worse than others. And maybe you do choose to exhibit those behaviors in a legal manner but you are smart enough to know that the majority the population does not and cost tax payers a lot more money.

I'm not bashing those that smoke or drink. The reality is you don't need those to live so if they have to tax something, I'd rather they tax them (or your boat, or your 3rd and 4th car, or your vacation home) than something I must have like food for my kids, a home to live in and gas to get them to school.

So whether I'm republican or democrat or liberal or not doesn't really matter or have anything to do with my stance on this. You've no way to know that based on my comments. Just as you've no way to know how I live my life or what 'bulk of the taxes' I pay.

By the way, gotta love the "pony up your dough and shut up", are you Jim Doyle? Perfect example of you tolerant liberals. Get back to me in 2 years and ask me why your party is out of control of the legislature, I'm sure it will still be a mystery to you at that point.

"I don't love the 'tax everything' idea...

but I've never EVER paid the cig tax...because I've never smoked.

And I'd never pay the beer tax because I don't drink beer.

The 'habits' you choose to have cost other tax payers plenty of money so pony up your dough ahead of time and shut up."

No, of course, you just agree with taxes for things you don't partake in. Exactly how to my "habits" cost taxpayers money if I do so within the limits of the law? Maybe if you stopped drinking from the liberal kool aid fountain you'd realize that some of us out in the real world, you know, those of us who are already paying the bulk of the fees and taxes imposed on us by the folks you elect to office, actually live a fairly simple life and just want to continue to do so without being taxed and feed for every last thing. I suppose that's a foreign concept for a raging liberal like yourself though so I'm just wasting keystrokes.

Just make a road trip down to Illinois and stock up......Seriously, it's not that far away:)

I don't love the 'tax everything' idea...

but I've never EVER paid the cig tax...because I've never smoked.

And I'd never pay the beer tax because I don't drink beer.

The 'habits' you choose to have cost other tax payers plenty of money so pony up your dough ahead of time and shut up.

"...The $58 million raised would help pay for costs associated with alcohol abuse. "
Give me a break! I'm sick of all the lying!!!
There is no way that this revenue will go towards costs associated with alcohol. The money will be diverted to pay for other things...such as pay increases for government? They are just looking for more ways to raise money to spend spend spend! Whatever will they do if everyone quits drinking & smoking? Tax the heck out of food and Americans will lose weight? Maybe then health care will become more affordable & available to all with smoking, drinking & obesity eliminated?

rexkramer, I am not a dope and judging by your comments my guess is you might be the one lacking intelligence. I didn't see you offering to pay the $1.63 tax increase myself and other smokers have had to pay in the last year and thats just in the last year. The tax on cigarettes has increased many times since the last tax increase on beer in 1969. Its time for beer drinkers to take some responsibility for road repairs, child health care and other items that the smoker has been told the tax increases were passed for. I'm not for any more taxes, but I feel myself and other smokers have been sin taxed enough. I think that the people who drink should share the bill. I know its not the reason the lawmakers are looking at this but maybe a tax like this would cut down on how much a person drinks which might lead to less drunk drivers, bar fights, alcohol related domestics and other problems. Like I've been told about the cigarette tax, if you don't want to pay the higher tax just quit.

why dont they publish how much revenue the great state of wisconsin generates now, without an increases? you never hear that side, its always what can be made with an increase.lets hear both sides of the matter.

I have an idea. How about instead of raising taxes on alcohol we take the cable TVs out of jail and computers as well. How about we make jail more of a jail and less of a country club for the inmates hm? AND have harsher punishments on first time offenders so they aren't so likely to re-offend 13 times before they are put in jail? Sound good? Any objections?

jahma61:
Thank you very kindly for sticking up for me and my democrats. We have pledged and continue to pledge to never raise any taxes. This is just a fee -- all of you drink beer or liquor will have to pay. These people complaining don't know what they're saying -- what a couple of cents right? And if we say it's going to help prevent alcohol abuse, then what the heck. All of you JAHMA61's out there -- LET'S ALL CHEERS FOR TAXES!!! (umm sorry FEEES!)
Love
Jimmy

"Its about stinking time, but the tax should be a lot more. Its about time the drinkers start paying their fair share."

Spoken like a true tax and spend liberal dope. Tell you what, since you can't seem to pay enough taxes to feel good about yourself, fell free to reach into your own pocket and pay my share instead of sentencing me to further taxes because I've had enough.

No way, the Democrat controlled legislature is considering yet another tax?! What's next, "Sun will rise in the morning". Give me a break. These clowns will continue to tax and fee us subjects to death as long as there are morons out there to keep voting them into office.

gazette13 - maybe you missed it, they want to raise Wisconsin liquor tax by 58%, too

Its about stinking time, but the tax should be a lot more. Its about time the drinkers start paying their fair share.

58 Million Dollars?!!! I think they need to redo the math.
To get that amount from 2.4 cents a bottle, you need to sell 2.4 Billion bottles of beer.
Using the July 2008 census, that figures 1.6 bottles of beer for every man woman and child every day for a year.
$58 Million sounds a little low-ball to me.

I guess I will start drinking Captain and coke!!!

Tax it all you know they will eventually tax anything they think they can.

"The $58 million raised would help pay for costs associated with alcohol abuse"! Now that is waste -- all it'll do is keep counselors off the streets. People who abuse alcohol won't stop drinking until they choose to do so, and not from external pressure or forced counseling sessions.

Might as well let the governor use it to buy more train sets to add to his collection, or some rails or track to actually run them on.

I don't oppose the criminal penalties on drunk driving being raised, but I think raising the beer tax is going to be more effective overall. It's only been kept so low as a sop to the Tavern League.

More accurately this is a beer 'consumption' tax. Be prepared for a (pay attention lawmakers) 'consumed beer disposal tax' payable at all public restrooms!

I'm sorry for calling all of you "rubes." I really meant "beer swilling rubes."
Sorry.
Love
Jim

Hello to all my friends. Do you love me? I love all of you. Regarding this beer tax -- c'mon, i can balance the danged budget on the back of all you rubes. But please do remember, I pledged back in 2003 to never raise your taxes. This would not be a tax. No way -- take that to the bank (I will!).
Love
Jim

Double it to a nickel and the state legislature won't have suffer having their paymasters (oops, I meant the beer lobbyists) pressuring at them for another 40 years.
.
This tax won't affect home brewers, will it? Perhaps that is what the breweries and bar owners are really afraid of - more people deciding to save money by making their own beer and enjoying something cheaper, and from what I hear (I don't drink) much tastier than commercial beers.

the article states, "The $58 million raised would help pay for costs associated with alcohol abuse. "
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how do we know this? because some politician from madison says so? the money will be used for general purposes -- likely a small portion heading to "alcohol abuse" (pretty general term isn't it?)
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2.4 cents per bottle. 58 cents a case.
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don't forget the recently proposed 50 cents per pint of hard liquor tax.
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this is a classic regressive tax. it affects the poor and the working man much more than anyone else. REMEMBER THIS AND THE OUTRAGEOUS CIGARETTE TAX NEXT TIME YOU VOTE (DEMOCRATS HAVE DONE THIS FOLKS -- DEMOCRATS).
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i don't drink beer and i don't smoke. a tax is a tax is a tax is a tax. cut waste! that's what we have had to do.

Why is ok to tax smokers up the a**, yet people grip about a 2 cent increase? Give me a flippin break!! I know more people killed or disabled for life by a drunk (it's up to 12 now) and only 2 people killed by smoke! WI = drunk capital of the states! Gov. Doyle gets huge kickbacks from the lobbists thats quite obvious!

2.4 cents, the first increase since 1969? And you guys are complaining!???? Go for it! Drinking causes or contributes to a lot of problems that are costly to society and should be taxed heavily. (Car accidents, domestic violence, child abuse, unplanned and unprotected sex, date rape, fetal alcohol syndrome/effects, alcoholism, and the list goes on.)

"The $58 million raised would help pay for costs associated with alcohol abuse"
Lies, lies, lies. No statement coming out of our state government should be trusted.

Oh, I forgot. A tax every time it snows!

Let's raise taxes on everything! How about a tax on each breath you take? Or every thought you have? (Legislators would not have to worry about that one.) I know, a tax for walking down the street. A tax for looking out the window. A tax on getting dressed. How about a tax for being a legislator in Wisconsin?

How about a tax on ILLEGAL ALIENS to pay for all they are not paying for themselves, that all our taxes are COMPLETELY paying for - wihtout the chance of any reimbursement ....leave my beer ALONE !!!!

http://www.newglarusbrewing.com/Headline...

Say no to more beer tax =)

If tougher drunk driving laws mean higher fines and a resulting increase in state revenue, why is any state legislator calling for more taxes ?

Doyle is AGAINST a tax!?!?

I am against it as well.