For Some Republican Recall Candidates; Taxes are too high, even if we don't pay any ourselves.

Why am I not surprised at this? Again, the rule of thumb; anything a Republican whines loudest about is either just the opposite or a fabrication. Via the Political Environment, the Wisconsin Gazette, and this nice piece of investigative research from Cory Liebmann: 

One of the most frequent complaints we hear from Republicans is that their tax burdens are too high. But it might surprise voters in Wisconsin to know that some of the candidates whining about taxes actually pay little to nothing in net income tax to the state.

Perhaps the most outrageous Republican recall candidate is current state Sen. Randy Hopper, R-Fond du Lac. In 2008 the Fond du Lac Reporter, highlighted that the wealthy senator had only paid Wisconsin personal and business taxes once since 1997. The one time that he did pay, it was a capital gains tax resulting from the sale of one of his radio stations.

State Sens. Dan Kapanke, R-La Crosse, and Robert Cowles, R-Green Bay, will also face recall elections ... Like Hopper, they rant against the high tax burden that they allegedly face … media outlets have reported that both senators have had recent years when they owed no net income tax to the state.  For Kapanke it happened in 2008, and for Robert Cowles it was in both 2008 and in 2009.

Kim Simac, who is mounting a challenge to Sen. Jim Holperin, D-Conover, is the founder of a Tea Party group that makes railing against taxes its highest priority … Simac’s family business, the Great Northern Adventure Company, earns approximately $300,000 in annual sales.  Yet ... records show that Simac paid zero net income tax to the state in 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2008. Records show that in 2000 she paid a total of $4 in net state income taxes. In 2007, her tax bill was a single dollar. Any complaint that Simac has about being overtaxed shouldn’t garner much sympathy.

Jonathan Steitz is a corporate attorney working for a firm in Chicago.  If he wins his primary this month, he will go on to face Sen. Robert Wirch, D-Pleasant Prairie ... Records show that Jonathan Steitz owed no state net tax in either 2008 or in 2009. These candidates must be called on their hypocrisy.