Paying for Public Employees on the Backs of the Middle Class

After the 2010 Governor election, Scott Walker instituted some policy changes that have angered liberals and public employees.  They claim that he balanced the Wisconsin budget on backs of the public employees.  In an attempt to regain the control they once had, we have been in a constant state of recall ever since.  In other words they wish to turn back the clock on Wisconsin and return it to the policies under the Doyle Administration.

This seems odd, since we had massive budget deficits under Doyle.  In 2009, the Milwaukee Journal reported that the ’11-’13 budget was projected to have a deficit of $1.5 billion.  Later in 2010, after Doyle was given an opportunity to fix this deficit, the Journal reported it had grown to $3.1 billion.  In all fairness, when Jim Doyle took office in January of 2003 he also inherited a budget deficit, not unlike Walker.  According to a post by WEAC on January 10^th of 2003, Doyle was handed a deficit of $4 billion dollars by Scott McCallum, which they claim Doyle would erase without raising taxes.  However, he did raise taxes, fees and refused to limit property tax increases.  All while never really erasing the deficit.

In his 2009 budget, Jim Doyle did increase the tax on the rich (which every good recall supports wants to see happen).  This 1% tax was created by adding a new tax bracket and expected to raise about $300 million in new taxes.  In order to fill the remainder of his budget gap, he instituted $1.7 billion worth of new fees.  Here are a few new fees:

• a $.75 tax on all cell phone bills. 
• Increased the sales tax on cigarettes by $.75. 
• Sales tax on digital products (dowloaded music, games and ringtones)
• Lowered tax exemption on capital gains from 60% to 30%
• 15% increase on boat registration
• Combined Reporting (hurting businesses)
• Increase on the tax on Hospitals
• Increase in the Nursing Home Bed Tax
• Increased fees on hunting permits
• Work permit fees for Teenagers
• Increased property tax
• Increase in birth, death and marriage certificate fees

Most of these taxes and fees will not be felt by the rich.    Most of these increases can easily be absorbed by a person making over $1 million dollars.  These taxes and fees attack the middle and lower classes, especially those that affect the income of local business, who in turn hire the middle class.

When all is said and done, Jim Doyle paid the public employees on the backs of the middle class.  This appears to be what recall supports want us to return to.  They want higher fees and taxes on services used by the middle class and higher corporate taxes on business that employee the middle class.  Why?  So the public employees can have their pay raises back, their free (or ridiculously discounted) health insurance and work privileges not seen in the private sector.