Scott Walker’s Tax Cuts Have Wisconsin In Fiscal Jeopardy
The shortfall now is $281 million, and it’s growing.
[su_center_ad]
Wisconsin tax collections for the past year came in 2 percent short of estimates, the state Department of Revenue reported Thursday, news that won’t require immediate emergency action by the Legislature but that puts the state’s budget on track to be out of balance next year.
The figures show the state collected $281.2 million less for the fiscal year that ended in June than was anticipated by the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau.
Gov. Scott Walker and the Republican-controlled Legislature have cut taxes by nearly $2 billion since Walker took office in 2011, including $500 million in March, a fact they’ve trumpeted on the campaign trail but that Democrats say has put the state’s budget in jeopardy
Jake at Kos points to deficits of $1.8 billion over the next two years based on projections by the Wisconsin Legislative Fiscal Bureau.[su_sky_ad]
M D Reese September 1st, 2014 at 3:26 pm
Gotta love these small government/pro-business states. In Texas they are actually grinding up the highways into gravel rather than raise taxes to maintain them. I’m sure that all the companies that moved there for the low taxes are now enjoying the business-friendly atmosphere with lowered speed limits and higher wear and tear on their vehicles. Meanwhile though, if there is a health clinic left anywhere in their states that offers a complete range of women’s health care services, they will spare no expense to try to shut it down.
Candide Thirtythree September 1st, 2014 at 8:49 pm
and don’t forget that TX can’t even keep the lights on because they sold all of their utilities to private for profit vultures who could not care less about keeping their equipment up and running… it is so bad in TX that they have had to start buying electricity from Mexico.
Texas is one huge third world entity.
M D Reese September 3rd, 2014 at 5:55 pm
Wow. I guess that explains their new motto–“Texas! It’s like a whole different country”.
Candide Thirtythree September 6th, 2014 at 4:30 pm
LOL! I didn’t think about that, brilliant!
M D Reese September 7th, 2014 at 3:39 pm
They DO have a quirky sense of humor…I’ve been chuckling about the motto since I first it.
tiredoftea September 1st, 2014 at 3:31 pm
Yes, indeed, the Fed, Kansas, Wisconsin and the rest of the red states Repubs doing the same things and expecting different results. The Laffer Curve is once again proven false for everyone except the insane.
Billy Jackson September 1st, 2014 at 3:52 pm
It’s a real laugher all right.
Obewon September 1st, 2014 at 3:59 pm
Each Koch bros guber plummeted their states jobs creation to the lowest in the USA e.g. #47 Christie’s N.J! Math is too hard for cons! ‘Walker and the Republican-controlled Legislature cut taxes by nearly $2 B since Walker took office in 2011, including $500 M in March, a fact they’ve trumpeted on the campaign trail. Vs reality bites: $1.8 B Deficits over the next Two Years! Based on projections by the Wisconsin Legislative Fiscal Bureau. D’oh!
mea_mark September 1st, 2014 at 4:34 pm
The question is, why would anyone vote for republicans when they are doing such a horrible job?
Suzanne McFly September 1st, 2014 at 6:16 pm
Seems like common sense to us but who know what the rwnj’s are “thinking”.
Dwendt44 September 2nd, 2014 at 1:06 pm
“thinking”?
Suzanne McFly September 2nd, 2014 at 6:28 pm
My point exactly, that’s why I used quotes.
tiredoftea September 1st, 2014 at 6:25 pm
Because they do a masterful job of deflecting the blame for their disastrous policies with the social fear they spread. While their constituents are watching Fraud Spews and the rest of the fringe right media cluck cluck about the uncontrollable crimes and dangers of minorities and immigrants, they are stealing the federal and state treasuries with the tax reduction fantasy of jobs for them.
mea_mark September 1st, 2014 at 9:04 pm
So, fear and projection lead to blindness of reality, and theft of that which is valued. In the end, a pocketful of empty promises is all that will be had.
tiredoftea September 1st, 2014 at 9:17 pm
Add in chronic underemployment, persistent unemployment, stagnant wages, fewer workers rights and greater income flowing to the already rich and you have the right’s social and economic wet dream for our country.
raincheck September 1st, 2014 at 7:44 pm
I keep hearing they are going to take control over the Senate, and that the polls show the people would prefer a Republican to run both Houses… How can that possibly be when at the same time their approval rating is at an historical low?
I DON’T GET IT!
Denise September 1st, 2014 at 4:57 pm
As much as I detest math, I have enough knowledge to know that if you need, say $500 million to run your state, and you give tax cuts to the wealthy that total, say, $300 million, you are going to be short $200 million. Now you have to rob from Paul (education) to pay Bill (pensions). You still come up short. You can’t raise taxes cuz you are anti taxes.
At this rate, Walker is anti education, anti poor, anti government, anti regulation and anti anything that harms two people. Damn everybody else.
Obewon September 1st, 2014 at 7:06 pm
Everything the Grifter Ole Party does is theft based. Here’s an example of how they look at the world: 1. Darryl Issa gets $200 for stealing a BMW, $50 for a Chevy and $100 for a 4×4. If Issa boosts two BMWs and three 4x4s, how many Chevys will Darryl have to steal to make $800?
2. How many more cars will Issa’s GOP gang have to steal to clear $800 million tax-free?
3. Should their GOP gang diversify? Scott Walker has 2 ounces of Kochaine and he sells 10 grams to Sarah Palin for $820, and 2 grams to Ted Cruz for $85 per gram. What is the street value of the balance of Walker’s Koch if he doesn’t cut it? http://jcdverha.home.xs4all.nl/scijokes/1_8.html
raincheck September 1st, 2014 at 7:41 pm
Haaaa hahahaha
Dwendt44 September 2nd, 2014 at 1:06 am
Part of Walker’s plan consists of pushing debt off for a couple of years ahead. That way, either the economy improves and covers it or Walker is out of office and the next governor has to deal with it and, if it’s a Democrat (likely) gets the blame for mis-management.
majii September 1st, 2014 at 7:51 pm
I think that Walker, Brownback, and other GOPTP governors know that trickle-down economics doesn’t work, but that they’re so corrupt that they have sold citizens out for the opportunity to get rich themselves via their political offices. If anyone has been paying attention to their actions, everything they do is intended to increase their own wealth. The most successful scheme they’ve been using is convincing average Americans that tax cuts will benefit them. What they don’t tell them is that the tax-cutting legislation they write benefits those who are already very well off and includes few/if any benefits for the average citizen. Walker and his buddies are trying to get out in front of this and are lying their asses off in their attempt to sell the WI citizens the idea that it isn’t true that the Walker tax cuts have created a growing state deficit.
mmaynard119 September 1st, 2014 at 9:44 pm
This is all part of the Koch Brothers’American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) strategy to starve state and local governments through greatly reduced taxation and then take over politically and through privatization of formerly public sector services, such as education. Their plan is vile and evil. The three most prominent states that adopted this tax plan under the guise of “job creation”, New Jersey, Kansas and Wisconsin are in deep financial trouble. New Jersey’s bond ratings are just above junk bond level.
R.J. Carter September 2nd, 2014 at 11:01 am
Contrariwise:
— source: Forbes, “It’s Working in Wisconsin — High Court Upholds Act 10”, 8/12/2014
Dwendt44 September 2nd, 2014 at 1:05 pm
To clarify: the rich are enjoying the tax cut and the improvement in the employment arena are largely a result of the economy recovering despite Republican obstructionism.
R.J. Carter September 2nd, 2014 at 1:48 pm
So if the Republicans say they will help the economy, and the economy improves, they didn’t really do it, it did it despite them?
Taking tips from the anti-Obama playbook, are we?
RoyBig September 2nd, 2014 at 2:59 pm
Actually, your sarcasm is correct. Things would have/could have REALLY improved if it were not for the Republicans, can you visualize how that could be true?
bpollen September 2nd, 2014 at 4:02 pm
Just need to point out that Republicans “say” they are going to do a lot of shit. The fact that they say it and any later result are not necessarily connected.
Just look at the number of “jobs” bills they say they have put forward. The majority are tax cuts for the rich and corporations or regulation cuts or both that are supposed to somehow create jobs (trickle-down doesn’t exactly have a good track-record.) Just because they “say” they are jobs bills doesn’t make them so, and just because they “say” they are going to be improving the economy doesn’t mean anything they do will actually accomplish what they “say” they are going to do.
Short version: Telling lies is part of the Republican platform.
R.J. Carter September 2nd, 2014 at 4:24 pm
In the isolated, specific instance of Wisconsin, however, something concrete was done, with stated intents.
mmaynard119 September 2nd, 2014 at 4:06 pm
Of course, that was from the libertarian Forbes. Here’s what the local’s are concerned about
http://host.madison.com/news/local/education/local_schools/cash-strapped-wisconsin-school-districts-brace-for-walker-s-second/article_3c360eee-6731-11e2-87ed-001a4bcf887a.html
tracey marie September 18th, 2014 at 11:16 pm
they borrowed the money
TimTrott September 2nd, 2014 at 3:16 pm
Goodbye Detroit, hello Wisconsin! And the beat goes on…
cwazycajun September 2nd, 2014 at 4:55 pm
the republicon improvement plan only seems to work in bizarroland..backaswards the conservative way as long as their sugardaddies get what they want
ecotoper September 2nd, 2014 at 11:20 pm
i’m not a big fan of the GOP, but Indiana did a very good job of stabilizing it’s economy, and Wisconsin tried to follow suit, but was a little too late. The horror stories in Rhode Island, Illinois, Michigan, etc were, to a large degree, the result of public unions wrecking havoc with five decades of unbridled, self serving greed. I am embarrassed to admit that the leaders of this assault on taxpayer resources are the members of my own generation … I really believed that we had higher morals than that.
tracey marie September 18th, 2014 at 11:15 pm
you are gop, Unions are the reason for better working coinditions and help the middle class maintain their status.