cur-mud-geon:
anyone who hates hypocrisy and pretense and has the temerity to say so; anyone with the habit of pointing out unpleasant facts in an engaging and humorous manner
That is an odd thing to say having recently received our Germantown property tax bill and seeing a decrease in real dollars. However I have just become aware of the state’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for 2006 and that is indeed a bleak picture.
Wisconsin completed the 2005-2006 fiscal year with a general fund deficit of $2.15 billion.
The Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance points out that this is $8.3 million more than the state’s debt in 2004-2005 and $231.6 million more than in 2003-2004. These numbers use Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) which is prescribed by the Governmental Accounting Standards Board. This is more likely to produce a “truer picture of the state’s long-term financial position than a state budget would suggest” according to Todd Berry, president of the Alliance. What Mr. Berry doesn’t say is that we’ll hear less straight talk from our politicians than is portrayed in this report.
Having just come through what, to my mind, was likely the most negative election season to be recalled, we have already begun to hear the drumbeat about “budget shortfalls” in Madison coupled with the need to “close sales tax loopholes”, “increase motor vehicle registrations fees” and, possibly, “take another look at gas tax increases”. Remember that some $513 million was transferred from other funds to keep the ship of state afloat during this period. Much of that came from the transportation fund, so we now need to pay the piper as it were.
Governor Doyle has promised to balance the state budget without tax increases. Apparently when fees are introduced or increased, that does not constitute a “tax increase” in any form except to remove more money from state residents’ pockets. What if the state decides to cut back on the funding provided to Germantown in order to "balance" the state budget? Is that decision likely? I submit that it is very likely if the “no tax increase” vow is to have the aroma of credibility with which politicians can cover themselves.
Further, if the state does this to Germantown and every other community how will it be justified? The state can permit local governments to increase their property tax rates sufficiently to offset the lost state revenue. And, the local communities can claim they were forced into the position…and that will have been true to one degree or another.
What about the QEO (qualified economic offer) that Wisconsin has observed for a decade or better that caps the income and benefits increase available for public school teachers? Is it likely that the Governor will owe something to one of his largest contributors, the Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC)? I believe this is quite possible. I will not be surprised to see the QEO go the way of dinosaurs. If that should occur, the school districts will certainly increase their portion of the total tax bill since there is pent-up demand for maintenance money, etc. not to mention the demands that will be forthcoming from teachers.
Those of us who think we already live in one of the most highly taxed states in the country had better be sure our tranquilizers have been refilled because we’re going to be very agitated. And, we can wait for between two and four more years before we’re able to do anything other than vent…if we’ve not forgotten our ire by the time we could do something about it at the polling place.
Is it just me or do you feel a tax increase coming?
