Walker touts income tax cut, job push in speech
MADISON — Gov. Scott Walker promised during his State of the State speech Tuesday to deliver a significant income tax cut for the middle class and to renew his focus on putting people back to work, saying he was “doubling down” on his campaign promise to create 250,000 jobs.
The 30-minute speech was brief on details and drew derision from Democrats, who said Walker has shown no urgency to create jobs over the first two years of his term — noting he is far from fulfilling that jobs promise, even by his own count.
But the Republican governor, just seven months past his recall victory, said there are signs that the state’s economy is improving, including a drop in the unemployment rate.
“We are moving Wisconsin forward with bold vision and bright hope for the future,” Walker said.
Two years removed from the bitter partisan fight over his first budget that led to his recall election, Walker has been striving to cast himself in a more moderate light midway through his first term as governor.
His first budget imposed deep cuts to education funding and infuriated public employee unions by going after their collective bargaining rights. His new budget plan, expected to be released next month, figures to be less divisive — but he revealed few details Tuesday.
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Jan 18, 2013 at 12:29 p.m.
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Walker is too busy working on GOP Voter Suppression Tactics, promoting the bill to strip public workers of collective bargaining rights and controversial budget cuts to public education, the University system and health care...JOBS??What JOBS??? He is too busy strip mining the middle class. His loyalty is to the Billionaires who BANKROLL his campaigns. Walker raised $37 million for the recall election. Those ads that ran on TV...were very MISLEADING....In May of 2012, a video was released of a January 18, 2011 conversation with Beloit billionaire Diane Hendricks about creating a red state, wherein he states he is going to "divide and conquer" unions.As a strategy against unions, starting first with a "budget adjustment bill" applying to public workers. She gave Walker $500,000 on April 12, 2012 and $10,000 on January 31, 2011, making her his single biggest contributor. Hendricks has given money to Paul Ryan, Ron Johnson, Tommy Thompson and the Republican National Committee and is worth an estimated $2.8 billion...Just another thing that makes ya go Hmmmm. JOBS?? What does Walker's actions tell YOU???
Jan 16, 2013 at 8:23 p.m.
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So we're facing another $3 Billion deficit and he wants to decrease revenues? Doesn't take a college education to see where that is going to lead.
Jan 16, 2013 at 6:28 p.m.
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Anything Walker says is not to be taken seriously as he has not come through on anything he said So another lie to add to his black book.
Jan 16, 2013 at 6:26 p.m.
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Midnight_Ride When will you get that the GOP are the ones that put the higher taxes out there The one Obama put in expired for less tax and to get the GOP to sign the tax bill he had to let that lower tax expire Please research before you spit lies. In 2011, reduced the Social Security payroll tax from 6.2% to 4.2%,temporarily, which meant extra money in the pockets of the American people and, ultimately, the marketplace. It was designed to help boost the economy.
Jan 16, 2013 at 4:36 p.m.
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asking wisconsin tax payers to flip the $500,000 to redo the kitchen in govenors mansion that surely helped the state deficit
Jan 16, 2013 at 3:05 p.m.
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Go Gov! We need relief from tax burdens especially now that Obama has lied to every working American.
Jan 16, 2013 at 12:56 p.m.
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oldtimer, if you don't understand that reducing shared revenue placed more responsibility on local taxing bodies to raise revenue, I'm not sure what to do -- suggest you retake fourth grade math, where they discuss commutation?
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We are not dumb. Many of us still remember Dreyfus and Thompson pushing for statewide "property tax relief", which involved increasing shared revenue and household tax credits. Under Act 10, that was all thrown into reverse, so what should we call it? "Property tax reinstatement" is about as accurate a term as I can come up with.
Jan 16, 2013 at 11:54 a.m.
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I wish he would've discussed Wisconsins 2 year plunge to near bottom of all States in economic growth and job creation and what policies he will change or introduce to help this mess. Cutting revenues with income tax reductions historically has shown that it doesn't do much for economic or job growth.
Jan 16, 2013 at 9:58 a.m.
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rprp, absolutely, that is a major issue in this state and is a big reason many people leave. The property taxes here are insane, the rates make CA look moderate.
Jan 16, 2013 at 9:47 a.m.
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Obama blames Bush for higher local taxes?
Jan 16, 2013 at 9:47 a.m.
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Walker should be talking about the unfair property tax in Wisconsin and what he plans to do about it. He won't do anything about it because the farmers union controls this state and that is why there will be no jobs.
Jan 16, 2013 at 9:33 a.m.
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Tikiman1. What are you talking about?
Jan 16, 2013 at 9:07 a.m.
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He is not responsible-Walker should be like Obama and blame Bush.
Jan 16, 2013 at 8:47 a.m.
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Why isn't Walker touting the higher local taxes that he is responsible for?
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