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Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Big Business Bosses demand end to Highest Tax Bracket for the Wealthy and Local Control for Mining...that's all.

Okay, have we all seen enough of the warning signs we're no longer a functioning representative democracy anymore? Will of the people...zap! Will of Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, of course.

A second, one party Republican term in Wisconsin, will finally pull away the curtain to reveal who's really in charge now (as if you still needed convincing after the mining bill).

In full public view, the state's biggest group of business lobbying thugs have "suggested" legislative changes that would do away with the top tax rate, pass right-to-work, and get rid of "burdensome" regulations that still holds businesses accountable to society in general.

For crying out loud, they want to do away with the top tax rate. Hello...?
WKOW: Officials at the state's top business lobbying group say Wisconsin's top income earners deserve a tax break ... WMC is pushing to eliminate the state's top income tax bracket of 7.65 percent, a rate paid by individuals earning $240,190 per year or more and married couples earning $320,250 per year or more.
No backroom deals, no subtle or concealed campaign donations, just a bold faced statement of fact; the wealthy are in charge. The growing grotesque income disparity ain't wide enough yet.
If eliminated, the highest rate would be just 6.27 percent, which WMC believes would attract more businesses to Wisconsin. 

By WMC's own estimates, scrapping the top tax rate will reduce state revenues by $250 million dollars per year. 
So how do you make up the difference so millionaires don't have it so tough? Well, you drag out a talking point from 20 years ago:
Rep. Amy Loudenbeck (R-Clinton) (said), "I think we're all trying to look for ways to make government more efficient and ways that we can streamline and not affect service delivery at the state level." But Todd Berry, President of the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance, says that could be easier said than done, especially since the state faces a projected budget deficit of $2.2 billion by mid-2017. "This state has had round after round after round of budget crises, so, in some respects the low-hanging fruit has all been picked," said Berry. 
WMC is also behind the "big government" Republican push to remove local control, and old and quaint talking point that no longer makes sense under GOP rule. Cap Times:
(WMC) called for weakening local control over frac sand mining, calling those opposed to the industry "radical environmentalists."

State Sen. Tom Tiffany, R-Hazelhurst introduced a stalled frac sand mining bill last year, said he plans to try again in the upcoming session. He told WisPolitics.com that while most local governments haven't abused their regulatory authority, there are "a few that are just exceeding the authority that they have."
Tiffany doesn't like it when local governments step out of line I guess.  

WKOW covered the breathtaking arrogance of this power grab:


2 comments:

  1. Thank God I live in no income tax TN.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I guess you'll have to figure out a way to pick the fruit on the tops of the trees now eh?

    ReplyDelete