Agree cynicaleye: Wife has a older relative around 80 who has lived with her husband for last 40 years or so in their home on a lake in northern Wisconsin. He was forced into early retirement around age 60 and she did not get any pension from nursing home where she worked as a nurses aid. He is in his early 80's and still substitute teaching to try to make ends meet including paying property taxes. Easy answer is let them sell the house for what they can get (much reduced) and move into town. How fair is that??? Same with income tax ... At least exclude some pension income such as 40K in retirement income from state taxes. Some states do. That would at least give them a shot and at the same time satisfy those of you that believe the "rich" should pay more. Seems some people's definition of "rich" is anyone that makes more or has more then them.. Class warfare is not the answer for this country IMO

How about property tax reduction for Seniors and all Veterans. Many other states do it. Why stay here and pay the higher property taxes?

I left Wisc in 1982 because I couldn't find a job after being laid off. I'd like to come back to be near family now that I'm close to retirement, but property taxes there are twice what I pay in Colorado. Retirement magazine articles rank Wis in the bottom 10 of desirable states to retire for that reason (and the cold weather).

an article was just posted that Wisconsin is the 10 worst state to retire in. And people are tired of being taxed to death.

It will be all about climate for me. Mom is retiring from wisconsin to tennessee next year. I might follow. Cold weather sucks.

This state has nothing to offer someone on a tight budget. It's a beautiful place to visit. But that's as far as it goes.

Florida has no income tax. Maybe if WI adopted that a lot more people would come?

Born in Cambridge, lived in various states and countries while in service, lived in Chicago(no WI jobs), retired in WI. Taxes are high but life is good.

It makes perfect sense, I left Wisconsin 12 years ago and returned 10 years later, I realize now why I left. Even with two college degrees I am unable to live at the level I did in other states, the pay here is awful for professionals and the taxation does not correlate with the rate of pay compared to most states. Despite the higher cost of living in California I lived a much higher standard of living there due to higher wages. I do not see this changing in this state anytime soon and pile on the weather that is usually (except this year) pretty brutal for a chunk of the year, Wisconsin is becoming less and less appealing.

When I retire, I'll look at climate myself. Mostly looking at the Pacific Northwest. And I don't see too many young people moving here, the political situation is not good for them.

People retire outside of Wisconsin for two reasons: milder weather and lower cost of living. Global warming might one day cause people in the southern states to move north to escape hot summers, but would they choose Wisconsin over other northern states? Perhaps the Gazette should do a cost-of-living comparison between Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, etc.

Wisconsin taxing of pensions is short-sighted IMO. Wealthy retirees may be able to move and escape the tax (and not spend their money in Wi). Average income retirees are stuck and just end up with less money to spend because of this tax on their now fixed income. Wisconsin tax law along with the lousy housing market has kept me from my dream of moving back to southwest Wisconsin closer to where I was raised and closer to siblings once retired. Wife would have liked to have moved back to Janesville/Milton area near most of our children and grandchildren. However, the taxes avoided on pensions by staying just south of the border are more than enough to cover our property tax. So no other logical choice but to stay put instead of returning to Wisconsin