Returning visitors to BadgerPundit might have noticed the new "Support TABOR" link in the upper left hand corner of the page, accompanied by an engraving depicting the Boston Tea Party. Like many overtaxed residents of this state, I am hopping mad about the arrogance of Wisconsin public employees unions and government officials, who seem to believe the more they squeeze, the more the people of the Badger State will just roll over and pay up. It's time to bring a "Tea Party" ethos to the public spending debate in Wisconsin. Thus, instead of complaining, concerned citizens should focus their energies on smashing the instrumentalities of oppression- in this case, fragmented and democratically unaccountable taxing authorities throughout the state. (Really, how many of you actually leave work to go vote in a school board election?).
TABOR is the weapon for modern Sons (and Daughters) of Liberty. The idea is simple- a state constitutional amendment which will limit growth in all state and local spending to inflation plus population growth. If municipalities or counties would like to spend more than that, they will have to go to the people and seek their explicit approval by referendum. Simple, flexible, democratic. What's not to like?
Well, predictably, Wisconsin's Education Mafia is scared stiff of TABOR, and is determined to fight it tooth and nail. Public unions like WEAC count on the indifference and laziness of the voting public to achieve their agenda (which is increasing the pay and benefits of their membership, not educating Wisconsin's children). They know that if forced to take their extortionate demands for more pay and ludicrously generous healthcare benefits to the people, they will lose time after time after time. In contrast, if school boards have unfettered authority to raise taxes again and again, all WEAC has to do is elect a few of its members or sympathizers in sparsely attendend local elections, and voila, the fox is guarding the hen house. The virtue of TABOR is thus proved by the vehemence of WEAC's opposition.
Why does Wisconsin need TABOR? Wisconsin taxpayers have been being violated for so long that they appear to be suffering from Stockholm syndrome. So here's a reminder. According to the nonpartisan Tax Foundation, Wisconsin levies the 6th highest state and local taxes as a percentage of personal income (based on 2004 data). From 1992 to 2002, state and local tax levies grew 3.57% per year, while Wisconsin personal income grew only 3.09% per year. The cumulative effect of government outspending its citizens' ability to pay is that Wisconsites now give an additional 0.5% of their incomes to to the WEAC thugs (and their allies) than they did 10 years ago. This is a problem, because at 11.1% of personal income, Wisconsin's state and local tax burden is already well above both U.S. and regional averages.
In addition, Wisconsin has one of the 10 worst tax environments for business, reflecting in large measure the absence of credible spending controls to keep taxes in check. Wisconsin also ranks 8th in terms of state and local property taxes collected as a percentage of income- this rank is worse than it appears, however, because Wisconsin trails high property tax states such as Texas, Florida, and Tennessee (which have no state income tax). Wisconsin, by contrast, has the nation's oldest and 3rd highest state income tax burden.
BadgerPundit believes Wisconsin should have the nation's 6th highest tax burden if Wisconsin also ranks 6th in per capita personal income. Unfortunately, Wisconsin ranks a mere 21st on that score. It's time to make state and local government live like the rest of us in Wisconsin- let's get the face paint and tomahawks and head for the figurative WEAC tea ships in Lake Michigan.
Your analogy of Stockholm Syndrome to Wisconsin Taxpayers is just classically hilarious.
Posted by: OnTheBorderline | January 25, 2005 at 08:49 AM