March 18, 2009

Doyle's budget: $1.7 billion in tax, fee increases

Day after day, we're learning to read the fine print. (Those AIG bonuses, fer instance.)

Well here -- according to the Legislative Fiscal Bureau -- is the fine print buried in Gov. Doyle's budget ... the extent of state tax and fee increases over the next biennium.

In a word: $1.7 billion.

Well, you knew all that money for state services had to come from somewhere, right?

Here's the key graf from a 25-page report released yesterday:
In summary, the changes included in the Governor's budget would increase net taxes by $1,469,989,300 ($685,919,000 in 2009-10 and $784,070,300 in 2010-11) and would increase net fees by $237,745,100 ($97,046,800 in 2009-10 and $140,698,300 in 2010-11). In addition, measures included in the bill to enhance the collection of current taxes/fees would generate an additional $61,262,000 ($46,519,000 in 2009-10 and $14,743,000 in 2010-11).
Bob Lang, fiscal bureau director, said the analysis was done because "a number of legislators have requested information concerning state tax and fee changes included in the 2009-11 budget recommendations of the Governor."

Details about some of the tax hike proposals have already been released -- a 75 cent per pack cigarette tax increase, higher income taxes for married couples earning more than $300,000 a year, $215 million levied against multi-state corporations and those of you who buy things online for a few examples -- but this is the first complete look.

You can read all the details here.

Believe it or not, there actually are a few fee cuts -- but look closely (Page 7), or you'll miss 'em.

No doubt, there'll be more negative reaction like this, from Rep. Jeff Fitzgerald, R-Horicon.

8 comments:

  1. That is why we are planning on
    leaving the state of Wisconsin
    in a few years. We are counting
    down the months. Its just ridiculous.

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  2. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  3. Sorry about the previous deletion - hit publish before I was finished.

    anon - After living in this state my entire life, we've started the "looking for better options for retirement" process. Because of job and family, it will take years, but unless things change drastically, we'll be joining you in your exodus.

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  4. Actually, there are some good breaks in there for citizens. I think the republicans want their cake and eat it too. What did they expect when Thompson has pushed forward a huge debt that was hidden for years. Doyle inherited a republican debt and a republican led assembly and senate tied his hands in order to fix even tightening the laws to stop the fraud in daycare benefits.

    Read the whole thing.

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  5. Doyle will also end what would have been 100+ Million in investment in doing films in Wisconsin.
    All Ready CBS has relocated a series that would have been filmed in Wisconsin.
    Darkside films will be doing their projects in MA with the 5 million that would have been spent in this area.
    All in all at least 200 will lose good union jobs becuse of Doyle.
    And could someone please tell Rep Mason that since he sits on joint finance he reps EVERYONE in the State vs just his District, not that we had any hope in a lap dog of Doyle
    Trust me Corry the unions(SAG Teamsters) in this State are quite unhappy with this and will reminded of this in 2010

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  6. Anon 6:16 please pull your head out of your butt.

    This is not a Tommy Thompson problem this is a Jim Doyle problem. He is on his second term, he created this mess, he has had plenty of time to fix it.

    Polling has shown that 83% of Wisconsin voters want government to make cuts in this environment not expand the budget by 10%+.

    Ah being a democrat is never having to admit your guy is at fault.

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  7. Asking ciggie smokers to pay for Doyle's excesses is not sustainable for any number of reasons.But why not keep raising the tax ante under the guise that "people will quit".

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  8. Amen Smok'em...
    Those evil smokers’ should take lessons from a gentleman that I work, regarding the expensive habit. Each week, this guy purchases a number of cartons of the evil product from Doyle’s gambling establishment friends. My friend sells than at work, making a couple extra $$$ and they are still less expensive than purchasing and paying Doyle’s sin tax. Moreover, Doyle is a hypocrite on many levels, but specifically the smoking fact: What did he do with the money earned from suing the tobacco companies? Applied the money to his past budget deficit’, nothing too different than stealing/transferring transportation dollars to past budget deficits. Who did he have manage the Tobacco lawsuit? None other than is favorite contributing attorney friends that rec’d million’s in payback!
    Doyle campaigns on helping the very ones that his sin tax effects the most..

    As for the state of Wisconsin and the ridiculous taxes, I too purchased land down south and am counting the days till retirement. Although a beautiful state, yet; many just continue to accept being overtaxed and retiring here is not conducive to those that funded their own financial retirement package. Even those that rape the state tax payers, earning the lavish pensions/retirement packages are leaving.. WEAC is the largest offender when it comes to placing Wisconsin in the rearview mirror. I would like to see those pensions marked null and void for those that choose to rape the Wisconsin Tax payers, retire, and leave the state to escape paying taxes. I wonder how many legislators would sign on to write that bill for me.
    Doyle finds no problem continuing to raise taxes across the board, yet; he cannot follow through on one simple campaign promise, “Cutting the size of state government”. Did he or did he not campaign to cut 10,000 State employees? To date, he has cut 3000 and if he can't cut the other 7000 during this economic crisis to save tax dollars, he never will, period. Just another broken campaign promise, which equates to similar broken campaign promises we just witnessed: “banning earmarks, transparency, no lobbyists etc etc.”
    And finally; TO Anon 6:16. Your claim that Doyle inherited this situation is moronic! Or are you practicing to share this ridiculous claim when Obama, the same man that makes a joke out of the mentally challenged is in his second term?

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