Friday, March 09, 2007

Doyle’s Budget Has $1,780,620,800 Tax and Fee Increase

Well, now it’s not just Republican rhetoric.

Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle’s proposed two-year budget includes $1.74 billion in higher taxes and fees, according to a report by the Legislative Fiscal Bureau made public today.

That is about what Republican legislators estimated after the governor gave the Legislature his spending plan on Feb. 13.

When Doyle presented his 2005-‘07 budget two years ago, it included $304 million to be raised from tax and fee increases, according to the non-partisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau. That was the last budget he presented before his re-election last November.

The Fiscal Bureau report said the largest tax increases were $506 million from raising the tax on cigarettes from 77-cents to $2.02 per pack; $417 million from a new tax on hospitals to attract more federal Medicaid dollars; $272 million from a tax on oil company profits; and $142 million by doubling the real estate transfer fee paid when property is sold.

But it’s actually even worse than that.  The budget also includes a $32.6 million tax increase from “measures included in the bill to enhance the collection of current taxes/fees.” 

It gets worse.  There are several things in the budget that will result in higher taxes and fees, but the LFB couldn’t determine the impact.  For example:

Circuit Court Automated Information Systems Fee [Page 523, Item 7]. Authorize the Director of State Courts Office to establish and charge fees for use of the circuit court automated information systems.

The budget would allow a new fee to be created and levied, but leaves the amount up to a bureaucrat.  Since no amount is specified, the LFB can’t tell us the fiscal impact, but there will be a fiscal impact. 

Governor Doyle sure likes to spend our money.  The question is, can we afford it?

(4) Comments
Posted by Owen at 1945 hrs
Politics + Politics - Wisconsin

  1. He should have increased it by $1,780,620,799.99.  It would seem a lot less.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on March 09, 2007 at 2023 hrs


  2. It’s like there is this whole “shadow”/“underground” taxing & fee economy, and I am embarrassed to admit that it is something I never thought of until now.  Most citizens are aware of real estate, income, and sales taxes.  I always bought into the concept that “fees” reimbursed the government for specific services rendered (e.g. - your auto license fee covers the cost to process your license, and nothing else).  Now we are talking about a $1.74 billion increase in taxes and fees.  How much is already being collected in similar taxes (excluding property, sales, and income) and fees? 

    We need more transparency, that’s for sure.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on March 09, 2007 at 2116 hrs


  3. When he said “tax freeze,” do you think he really just said, “tax increase” really fast? You know, like when you were a kid and you told your baby sister that if she cleaned your room you would give her ten dollars, but really you just said, “ten doll hairs” really fast, so you repaid her by ripping the hair out of her baby doll’s head?

    Posted by Fuzz on March 09, 2007 at 2154 hrs


  4. The bottom line with all of this just reaffirms my long-standing position: You can do just about anything you want in the state of Wisconsin, just as long as government gets a taste. 

    And then in exchange for your many payments to the government, they promise to protect you.  Hmm…sounds a like another kind of organization.  One with corruption, and scandals, and illegal gaming, and high ranking officials on the take…wait, this is sounding all too familiar.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on March 11, 2007 at 1150 hrs


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