Republican Principles make Managing Wisconsin, and the country, Impossible.

Scott Walker and the legislature have a big problem; they can’t raise taxes.

Even though Wisconsin’s infrastructure is deteriorating, which is having a negative impact on business, conservatives believe they can’t raise or reformulate taxes in way that doesn't break their no tax pledge to an out-of-state lobbying group.

But there’s no alternative. So the Walker administration is unable to manage the state. 

It's not unusual to read stories about Republican states that are welcoming a return to gravel roads.   

Even the conservative editorial board at the Journal Sentinel can’t help but point out this glaring problem:

Walker has solutions staring him in the face, but they involve the dreaded "T" word: taxes. For a governor with his eyes on potential Republican primaries in two years, we get it; that's poison.

But in January, the Transportation Finance and Policy Commission, which was chaired by Gottlieb, recommended raising the gas tax by a nickel a gallon and creating a mileage-based fee. The report also found that even if the state allows roads to deteriorate further, it still would face a $2 billion deficit over the next 10 years. The state needs to fill that hole and come up with another $4.8 billion over the next decade, the commission found.

Republicans were dismissive of the ideas in the report.

We're all for creativity, but it's hard to see where the money comes from.

So let's talk about getting rid of our income tax. That was easy.