Perpetual tax hikes shouldn’t be a given

My column for the West Bend Daily News is online.  It’s called ”Perpetual tax hikes shouldn’t be a given.” In this column, I urge the elected Republicans to change their strategy from defense to offense.

Instead of just trying to limit the number and amount of the tax and fee increases that the Democrats want, the Republicans should launch an aggressive campaign to actually lower spending and cut taxes.

The Assembly Republicans should begin passing bills that cut taxes and spending. AB190 is already proposed and cuts income taxes by over $177 million. AB 107 would eliminate the state tax on health insurance premiums and is a $149 million tax cut. AB149 would move the elimination of the state death tax up by one year and be a $100 million tax cut. AB28 would gradually decrease the tax on retirement income and save seniors $840 million over the next five years. The Assembly should pass all of these bills and then pass some more tax cuts. Send all of these bills to the state Senate and force the Democrats to explain why the taxpayers of Wisconsin don’t deserve a tax cut.

But to pass tax cuts without spending cuts is irresponsible. The Assembly Republicans should begin an aggressive effort to cut spending in the same amounts as tax cuts. Beyond that, the Republicans should draw a hard line in the marble and absolutely refuse to pass a budget with tax and fee increases.

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We must change the debate in Wisconsin. Our tax burden is already far too heavy. We must stop debating how much heavier that burden should be and begin to find ways to lighten it.