Conservatively Speaking

Digital TV is coming soon

Mary Lazich — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 13:20:00 GMT

This is another reminder that in less than three months, all high-power TV stations will convert to broadcasting with an all-digital signal, affecting millions of American consumers. The switch takes place February 17, 2009. Many consumers are unaware of what to do, if anything.

In a nutshell, if you have cable or satellite TV, you’re fine. If you don’t, the solution is a simple converter box at a minimal cost.

Here are more details.

The deadline to sign up for the Wisconsin No Call List is Sunday

Mary Lazich — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 21:42:00 GMT

If you wait until after Sunday, your number won't be on the list until April 2008.

There are two ways to sign up for the Wisconsin No Call List. You can sign up over the phone by calling 1-866-9NOCALL (1-866-966-2255), toll-free in Wisconsin. You can sign up at the Wisconsin No Call List website here.

Only one adult in each household needs to register. There is not a charge to register for the Wisconsin No Call List.

A new welfare migration to Wisconsin

Mary Lazich — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 14:30:15 GMT

Wisconsin has a moving problem. Too many are voting with their feet.

Our state’s high level of taxation is forcing too many residents to pack up and leave. During November 2005, the Wisconsin Taxpayer Alliance issued a very troubling report entitled, "Moving In, Moving on: Migration in Wisconsin." During the five years prior to the 2000 census, almost 669,000 people either moved to or out of Wisconsin. However, the net in-migration into Wisconsin was a meager 7,282.

Individuals with college or advanced degrees were more likely to leave, while those with less education tended to come. Individuals with household incomes above $75,000 left Wisconsin. Those with incomes of $200,000 or more had the highest rates of leaving.

The huge exodus of wealthy Wisconsinites leaving the state caused a loss of an estimated $4.72 billion in net worth and a loss of $455 million in income over the five years of this study. That means far fewer in-state bank deposits, less stock in Wisconsin firms, less investment capital for in-state ventures, and less money given to local charities.

Arthur Laffer, president of Laffer Associates and Stephen Moore, senior economics writer for The Wall Street Journal editorial board confirmed that high taxing and spending have had a negative impact on Wisconsin’s ability to compete and cause many people to relocate elsewhere.

Laffer and Moore write in the Wall Street Journal, “Five of the states near the bottom of our competitiveness ratings -- Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey and Wisconsin -- have enacted major tax increases.” Laffer and Moore say the record movement of citizens across America has little to do with the weather. They say the states with the most dynamic and desirable economies are generally the states with the lowest tax, spending and regulatory burdens. These states win the battle for the prized commodity of human capital. The big losers are high taxing and spending states in the Midwest and Northeast.

New evidence suggests the disturbing pattern continues.

The Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University released a study during September 2008 examining migration trends in New Jersey. The authors compared New Jersey to states that tend to attract low‐income individuals, while seeing a relative outflow (or much smaller inflow) of wealthy individuals. The study said Wisconsin is a good example, being one of the five states in the country with the most negative correlation between income and net migration. The list includes Wisconsin, Arizona, Delaware, North Dakota and Arkansas.

The study says the following about Wisconsin:

“At low income levels, there is strong net in-migration into Wisconsin; however, at higher income levels, in‐migration is small or negative. Hence, one can say that Wisconsin is more attractive to low‐income individuals than high‐income earners.”

Authors concluded that in New Jersey, “poor people leave, but rich people do not.” In Wisconsin, “on average, poor people move in, but rich people do not.”

Why is Wisconsin so enticing to so many poor? University of Wisconsin-Madison economics professor provided an answer in his presentation to a Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis conference on the Midwest economy during June 2008. Kennan displayed graphs showing Wisconsin dishes out the highest welfare benefits in the Midwest. You thought we ended welfare as we know it? Time limits have been placed on benefits and there are more stringent work provisions. But the size of benefits remains generous.

Factor in other benefits like child care, BadgerCare, the earned income tax credit, and low income housing, and the incentives for low-income residents to flock to Wisconsin are quite evident. The term, “welfare magnet” may have disappeared for some time in Wisconsin, but this new data seems to suggest there could be an entirely new welfare migration taking place.

This migration is clearly putting a strain on our finances. Just how much it is costing in taxes is unclear but my guess is that it is substantial and needs further study.

Meanwhile, our wealthiest leave Wisconsin, taking with them their tax revenues, spending, savings, investments, and charitable contributions. To stop people from voting with their feet in Wisconsin, we must stop the hemorrhaging of taxing and spending.

This Thanksgiving reflect upon the holiday's true meaning

Mary Lazich — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 23:10:00 GMT

Amidst the various newspaper sale ads, television offerings, and never-ending assortment of trimmings on the table, please remember the true, and yes, religious significance of Thanksgiving. As we reflect on our own blessings after a year about war, terrorism, natural disasters, and negative campaigning, those blessings certainly seem very clear. Pause and appreciate what we have: family, friends, individual liberties and freedom, and for those truly fortunate, rewarding employment and fine health. The most joyous season we are about to enter should be a reminder to all not to take any of what we enjoy each and every day for granted.

While we take into account what we truly are thankful for, we should take time to also hope that those not as blessed may find whatever it takes to make their lives better and happier. Far too many in our country and abroad have suffered great hardships this past year. They should not be forgotten. They need to be remembered in our thoughts and prayers.

Watch TV. Enjoy all the sports. Eat and eat some more. But carve out some time to gather as a family, ponder your many blessings, and give thanks, for that is the true meaning of this wonderful holiday.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Jim Doyle’s $5.4 billion forecast or, is there more to the story?

Mary Lazich — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 14:11:00 GMT

Last week, Governor Doyle made a grim announcement that resulted in this headline on the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s website:

State deficit forecast rises to $5.4 billion by mid-2011

Stop the presses!

Todd Berry, president of the nonpartisan, non-profit Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance believes the governor’s math is off, way off.

On one of its blogs, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports, “(Berry) says Gov. Jim Doyle's new estimate of a $5.4-bllion budget deficit between now and mid-2011 is ‘unreal’ and based on ‘double counting.’ In an interview, Berry said the $5.4-billion number assumes that state agencies will get an additional $2.8 billion in spending they requested for the next two years -- a ‘fictitious’ assumption.

And, Berry said, Doyle's scenario also assumes that the so-called ‘structural balance’ -- the long-term imbalance between spending commitments and tax collections - remains at $800 million per year for each of the next two years. That's about $1.6 billion of Doyle's $5.4-billion deficit. Berry said.”

Berry then spoke to the Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce, as reported by the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram that quoted Berry saying, "A little bit of fear is not necessarily a bad thing if you're trying to run the show. (The $5.4 billion figure) presumes spending requests will be OK'd next year. And it's difficult to predict revenue." The newspaper also reported, “Berry said a more accurate number would be ‘in the neighborhood’ of $2 billion, figuring there will be some spending cuts and tax increases.”

So what is the governor up to? I have to wonder if the governor isn’t purposely sounding like Chicken Little, painting the dire picture of the worst budget crisis in Wisconsin history, whipping state residents into a collective depression of epic proportions.

Why the bearer of such bad news? Think about it. The governor overstates the budget debacle by a country mile, allowing him to offer dramatic, headline-grabbing spending cuts as solutions. If a Republican posed such measures, the press would label them, “draconian.” Editorial boards will rave, though, about Doyle, calling the governor and his moves, “courageous.” Undoubtedly, the governor and legislative Democrats will also salivate at the opportunity to seek new revenues, i.e., raise taxes.

At the end of the day, when the dust clears and the true budget deficit is actually much smaller, the governor and Democrat lawmakers will claim victory and come off as fiscal conservative heroes. For Governor Doyle, creating the illusion that he’s fiscally conservative is critical because he’s up for possible re-election in two years. If the Democrat-controlled Legislature hammers home a heavily liberal agenda as expected, the governor needs something to separate himself and run on in 2010. Riding on a white horse as a fiscal conservative could be his ticket.

I trust Todd Berry and the outstanding work done by the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance. Undoubtedly, the state’s fiscal matters are in need of repair, but it seems not to the extent the governor, who has drawn up a script that crowns him the hero who saves the day, would have us believe.

The Democrats’ response to a record state budget deficit: raise taxes

Mary Lazich — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 00:01:27 GMT

Governor Doyle has announced the state budget deficit is the highest in Wisconsin history: $5.4 billion. Now the question is how the governor and the Democrat-controlled Legislature will propose the state get out of this fiscal mess. Their early response is not very promising.

Democrats, as reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, are stunned by the enormity of the deficit. If they had paid attention during the past several years when caution was urged about taxing and spending beyond our means, they wouldn’t be suffering sticker shock. Tax and spenders ignored the warnings and kept using the state’s credit card over and over again. The bill is now due and it’s a whopper.

Some legislative Democrats have been quoted saying the state needs to find new ways to increase revenues. That translated, of course, means tax hikes.

Governor Doyle had instructed his department heads before the latest deficit news to make modest cuts in their agencies. They reacted that they couldn’t come up with the cuts. Now the governor has made another request, asking for even deeper cuts. What will their response be this time if their earlier reaction was that certain cuts were impossible?

The governor has suggested he may resurrect two measures he tried unsuccessfully to include in the last state budget: a hospital tax and a tax on oil companies. The state Assembly, at that time controlled by Republicans, was able to block the inclusion of the taxes in the budget. Democrats control both houses of the Legislature.

A hospital tax will merely drive up health care costs. The tax will ultimately be passed on to patients. In essence, it is a tax on the sick that will make health care more expensive and less accessible in Wisconsin.

The last state budget proposed by Governor Doyle included what he called an “assessment on oil companies.” That is just another way of calling the plan what it really is: It’s a tax, but a tax that won’t be paid by oil companies. Those paying the freight will be motorists who will see the tax passed onto the price paid at the pump.

The non-partisan Wisconsin Policy Research Institute (WPRI) reported during 2007 that the Governor’s tax would have amounted to a five-cent increase in our state’s gas tax, already one of the highest gas taxes in the country, and it would have been paid directly by consumers. In its report entitled, The Truth Behind Wisconsin's Oil Company Tax: Why You'll Pay More at the Pump, the WPRI wrote:

“The oil company gross receipts tax and its no-pass-through provision as proposed by Governor Doyle is the latest in a series of questionable fiscal maneuvers. But no one should be fooled; the proposal is a gas tax increase of five cents per gallon. The legislative consideration of the Governor's transportation budget must be based on this premise. Any thought of acquiescing to the Governor's proposed tax must be considered an endorsement of a five-cent per gallon increase in the tax on gasoline.”

The WPRI correctly came to the conclusion that oil companies will do less business in Wisconsin and do more business in states that don’t have the tax Wisconsin would have. The result could be a damaging reduction in oil supplies to Wisconsin leading to fuel shortages, not to mention higher prices.

Here's the complete WPRI study.

The Governor’s attempts to bar oil companies from passing on the increased cost to consumers by creating criminal penalties including jail time for oil company executives if their company passed the tax on would surely be fought in court. There’s not a guarantee the Governor’s punitive efforts against oil companies would meet Constitutional muster. The non-partisan Wisconsin Legislative Council has warned that a proposed tax on oil companies is probably unconstitutional.

The public understands how problematic such a proposal would be and has rejected the idea.

I have said it many times in the past and will continue to say it. The current budget crisis calls for dramatic decisions that will be difficult, but necessary. Wisconsin must refrain from raising taxes to try to correct this major problem. Raising taxes will only make a drastic situation even worse.

Congratulations St. James in Mukwonago!

Mary Lazich — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 12:57:25 GMT

I congratulate Marsha Grutzmacher and her students at St. James School in Mukwonago for winning the Midwest Regional Land category in the Lexus Eco Challenge. This marks the first time a Wisconsin school has won in any division.

Mrs. Grutzmacher and her students entered the second annual Lexus Eco Challenge, a national contest that encourages middle and high school students to develop and implement environmental programs that have a positive impact on their communities. The Lexus Eco Challenge was established to teach young people about the environment and to inspire them to create a better world.

St. James in Mukwonago has been invited to participate in the Final Challenge and a chance to win a grand prize of $50,000 in grants and scholarships. Should the school accept the Final Challenge, I wish St. James the best of luck in the competition during February and March of 2009.

Again, congratulations to Marsha Grutzmacher and all of her St. James students on winning the Midwest Regional Land Category in the Lexus Eco Challenge. I am very proud to have this award winning group in my Senate district.

Eat a Butterburger, help a soldier today

Mary Lazich — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 17:04:39 GMT

Culver’s New Berlin in association with Soldier to Movies, Inc is holding a special fundraiser today, November 24 for Operation: Take a Soldier to the Movies.

From 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. today, 10 percent of sales at the New Berlin Culver’s with a special voucher will go towards OPERATION: Take a Soldier to the Movies. Vouchers have been available at various New Berlin businesses. If you have a voucher, please consider redeeming it at the Culver’s today at 14855 W. National Avenue in New Berlin.

I encourage patronizing a great Wisconsin-based business today for a great cause.

UPDATE: This could be a very tough winter

Mary Lazich — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 13:06:56 GMT

A few weeks ago I blogged about the impact of rising road salt prices on Wisconsin.

A Wisconsin transportation official says salt will be used as a last resort this winter. Wisconsin is one of the states hit hardest by the high cost of salt. Here’s an update from stateline.org.

Save our USO

Mary Lazich — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 01:57:00 GMT

Think of the USO and images of the legendary Bob Hope entertaining our troops overseas during the holidays quickly come to mind.

Photos: bobhope.com

The USO is a private, nonprofit organization that supports our troops by providing morale, welfare and recreation-type services, as the USO puts it, “extending a touch of home to the military.” Military members and their families visit worldwide USO centers more than 5.3 million times every year.

During the past 34 years, Wisconsin has operated its only USO office at the Milwaukee County War Memorial Center in downtown Milwaukee. Like the more than 130 centers worldwide, the Milwaukee USO has been offering much-needed recreation programs and boosting morale for our brave military. Sadly, the Milwaukee USO is now in danger of closing.

Elizabeth Geary, Affiliate Liaison of the USO World Headquarters, informed the Milwaukee USO that it failed to meet established Standards of Excellence (SOE) for each USO facility by a November 2008 review date. New criteria established by the national organization require USO affiliates to provide a center for troops and their families, and to increase their fundraising and community outreach efforts. A small office maintained at the War Memorial is the only space the Milwaukee USO has. Additional space is unavailable at the War Memorial, so the USO would have to move to stay open.

The Milwaukee USO Board has rescinded a vote taken during October 2008 to dissolve its charter and is now requesting additional time for the Milwaukee USO office to meet and adhere to SOE’s.

One of my constituents brought this issue to my attention, concerned that the Milwaukee USO office is being forced to close. My constituent met her husband at a USO dance 42 years ago, and is now worried that future Wisconsin military personnel and their families will be unable to benefit from the many valuable programs and services provided by the USO.

Closing this important facility would be devastating to the brave men and women we entrust with our national security who greatly deserve our undying support. The timing couldn’t be worse. About 3,400 members of the Wisconsin Army National Guard will be deployed to Iraq with the 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team by next spring.

I have written a letter, co-signed by many of my legislative colleagues in Madison, to members of the Wisconsin Congressional Delegation, requesting that the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate take the necessary action to ensure that the Milwaukee USO office, the only USO office in the state of Wisconsin, remains open to serve our military, their families, and veterans. We strongly urge our Congressional delegation to assist the Milwaukee USO in meeting and adhering to national SOE’s to prevent its closing and secure its operation that will continue to benefit Wisconsin military members and their families.

If you would like to write a letter of support or make a contribution to the Milwaukee USO that operates completely on donations, letters and donations may be sent to USO of Wisconsin Inc., Milwaukee County War Memorial Center, 750 N. Lincoln Memorial Drive, Suite 303, Milwaukee, WI 53202-4018.

Illegal alien gang members arrested in DOJ operation

Mary Lazich — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 20:31:00 GMT

Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen has issued the following news release outlining details of a special DOJ operation that culminated in the arrest of 11 illegal alien gang members:

J.B. VAN HOLLEN
ATTOREY GENERAL

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release
November 20, 2008
For More Information Contact:
Bill Cosh 608/266-1221

11 ILLEGAL ALIEN GANG MEMBERS ARRESTED IN DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE & ICE-LED OPERATION TARGETING GANG MEMBERS KENOSHA

Attorneyney General J.B. Van Hollen announced today the successful arrest of eleven illegal alien gang members from Mexico in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

These arrests were made Wednesday, November 19, 2008 as part of the ongoing national U.S. Immigration and Customs (ICE) initiative called “Operation Community Shield,” in which ICE partners with other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to address the significant public safety threat posed by transnational street gangs.

Under Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen’s leadership, the Wisconsin Department of Justice has become an active partner and participant in these cooperative enforcement operations concentrating on illegal alien gang members.

“The identification and arrest of illegal aliens who organize and are members of criminal street gangs must be a top priority of all law enforcement. The success of this operation speaks for itself,” said Van Hollen. “Street gangs wreck havoc on communities. We are proud to partner with ICE and local law enforcement to make Wisconsin streets safer.”

The multi-agency operation involving the Wisconsin Department of Justice, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office, the Kenosha Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) targeted members and associates of the Surenos street gang.

One of those arrested is 40-year-old Francisco Cortes-Ruiz, a self-admitted member of the Surenos-13 gang. While serving time in California’s maximum security Pelican Bay State Prison for drug trafficking in 1991, Cortes-Ruiz was convicted of assaulting another prisoner with a weapon and sentenced to an additional three years in prison. He was deported to Mexico in 1996 as an aggravated felon upon his release from prison, and later illegally re-entered the United States. The U.S. Attorney’s Office has accepted his case for re-entering the U.S. after being deported as an aggravated felon, a felony punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison.

“Illegal immigration isn’t just a problem at the borders,” said Van Hollen. “It is a public safety problem. When illegal immigrants engage in criminal activity in Wisconsin it is no longer just a federal issue, it becomes a state problem.”

Two of the other arrests, Jose Garcia-Ayala, 29, and Francisco Cordero-Rodriguez, 26, were turned over to the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office to face outstanding criminal charges. ICE placed detainers on them to ensure they will be returned to ICE for deportation after they complete their criminal proceedings.

The remaining eight illegal alien gang members arrested face administrative immigration charges, and are currently in ICE custody pending their deportation.

Muskego Water Bugs savor success in China

Mary Lazich — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 01:22:05 GMT

I congratulate the Muskego Water Bugs for their successful trip to China this fall where the multi-talented group participated in the 2008 Sino-American Water Ski Competition. The Water Bugs represented the United States against two of the very best professional Chinese water ski show teams.

The Muskego Water Bugs left for China on September 26 and returned on October 6. The Muskego water skiers believed the most important element of their trip was the chance to build U.S./China relations through the avenue of entertainment.

Family oriented, the Muskego Water Bugs feature parents and children performing on the shores of beautiful Little Muskego Lake at Idle Isle. This was definitely their most successful season, as the group celebrated its 50^th anniversary, culminating in their trip to China.

The Water Bugs performed four times in two days. At the first site of competition, Dongguan, the group came just a few points shy of victory, but captured the best male skier, Terry Roslawski, and the most original act awards. The second site of the competition took place outside Shanghai in a city called Wuxi, and this time the Water Bugs won the team award along with the best male skier, Jeremy Armstrong.

You can read more about the Muskego Water Bugs and their trip to China and see video here.

Again, congratulations to the Muskego Water Bugs for their successful journey to China. Thank you for sharing your gifted talents with the world and for bringing immense pride and joy to our great state!

BREAKING NEWS: State budget in massive deficit

Mary Lazich — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 20:33:00 GMT

Governor Doyle will announce this afternoon that the state budget deficit is worse than expected. The deficit is $5.4 billion. More details later.

UPDATE from Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

UPDATE: Help send movies to our soldiers

Mary Lazich — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 19:41:37 GMT

Two weeks ago, I blogged about a great program run out of New Berlin that helps send movie kits to our soldiers. OPERATION Take a Soldier to the Movies needs your help.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel ran a nice feature article about the program in Sunday’s edition. You can read the article here.

Hunters will be asked for deer heads

Mary Lazich — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 15:08:39 GMT

State wildlife biologists will be in 17 northern counties collecting deer heads during this year’s deer hunt. Officials are hoping to collect as many as 500 to test Wisconsin deer for chronic wasting disease.

Here’s how the program will work. Biologists will ask successful hunters for a tissue sample or possibly the entire deer head to be tested. The DNR is specifically looking for samples from Polk, Barron, Washburn, Douglas, Bayfield, Ashland, Iron, Rusk, Taylor, Sawyer, Price, Lincoln, Langlade, Oneida, Vilas, Forest, and Florence counties.

Here is more information from the Department of Natural Resources.

The New Economy: Wisconsin needs to catch up

Mary Lazich — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 21:41:00 GMT

Whenever a new economic report surfaces about Wisconsin, the news usually isn’t very good, whether it be about taxes, our business climate, per-capita income, or Tax Freedom Day. I have blogged extensively about these reports and the latest also shows some critical shortcomings.

The “2008 State New Economy Index” has been released by the nonpartisan groups, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation.

According to stateline.org, “The groups used 29 indicators to rank each state on how well its economy is structured to compete regionally, as well as globally. States at the top of the list tend to have a high concentration of workers in ‘knowledge jobs’ that require at least a two-year college degree, are at the forefront of the information technology and Internet revolutions and have institutions and residents that embrace the digital economy.”

When it comes to the New Economy, Wisconsin ranks number 33 among the states. The report defines the New Economy as, “a global, entrepreneurial, and knowledge-based economy in which the keys to success lie in the extent to which knowledge, technology, and innovation are embedded in products and services.”

More specifically, the New Ecomony is:

Knowledge-dependent. Knowledge workers have become the largest occupational category.

Global. More goods and services are being traded and exported.

Entrepreneurial. Most, if not all of the job growth in America is derived from companies that are less than five years old.

Rooted in information technologies. IT’s are every where, the most important technology engineering our economy, a key component in almost every sector.

Driven by innovation. Competition is heavily based on the ability to create and adopt new products and business models. As the report states, “Innovative capacity (derived through universities, Research & Development investments, scientists and engineers, and entrepreneurial drive) is increasingly what drives competitive success in the New Economy.”

The Midwest has failed to catch on to the New Economy with the exception of some our neighbors: Illinois (rank number 16), Michigan (rank number 17), and Minnesota (rank number 14).

Why is the “2008 State New Economy Index” important? The report says, “How closely do high scores correlate with economic growth? States that score higher appear to create jobs at a slightly faster rate than lower-ranking states. Higher New Economy scores were positively correlated with higher growth in state per-capita incomes between 2002 and 2006….states that embrace the New Economy can expect to sustain greater per-capita income growth for the foreseeable future.”

Solutions? We must keep our best and brightest here in Wisconsin and we must dramatically improve our business climate.

Here is the complete “2008 State New Economy Index.”

And so it begins

Mary Lazich — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 20:20:39 GMT

Reports indicate the state is headed for a disastrous $5 billion state budget deficit. The worst way to get out of a hole is to keep digging, i.e., increasing taxes and fees. And yet, it seems Wisconsin will continue its fiscally irresponsible practice of increasing taxes and fees at a time when they are least affordable.

Case in point: The Wisconsin Division of Emergency Management wants to increase the fees for businesses that are required to file emergency planning notifications or that store hazardous chemicals by a whopping 35 percent. Wisconsin hasn’t increased the fees since they were first implemented in 1990 and now is not a good time to start.

More than 7,000 facilities in Wisconsin would be affected by the fee increases. Currently, the emergency planning notification fee is $800 per facility and would increase to $1,080 under the proposed rule. The inventory form fee would increase across all levels of reporting requirements, ranging from $205 to $1540. The emergency planning notification fee is a one-time fee. The inventory form fee is an annual fee.

The additional fees are expected to increase revenues by $471,000; however, there is a larger issue to consider. If this is any indication how the state, in general, is going to address its fiscal crisis, as compared to other states that are cutting rather than increasing taxing and spending, Wisconsin’s economic problems will only become more severe.

All-important deer hunt begins Saturday

Mary Lazich — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 19:04:01 GMT

One of Wisconsin’s great traditions, the annual deer hunt season that opens this Saturday is critical this year because a huge reduction in the deer herd is needed. Wisconsin has too many deer, but thinning the herd will be easier said than done.

Sadly, the number of hunters is on the decline. And the deer hunt starts later this year meaning the deer have finished mating and are less active, a prospect hunters would rather not think about. The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has also announced there are herd control rules that hunters don’t like.

Here are more details from the Associated Press.

The economic impact of this yearly rite of passage is an incredible $1.5 billion according to the DNR. The state of Wisconsin owes every hunter a huge thank you!

Welcome home, Mark Gundrum!

Mary Lazich — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 00:33:00 GMT

WTMJ-TV

I am thrillled that my friend and Assemblyman, state Representative Mark Gundrum has arrived tonight at Mitchell International on a Midwest Airlines flight, having completed his tour of duty in Iraq and will now be able to spend the holidays with his wonderful family. Welcome home, Mark, and God bless you for your service to America!

Here are my previous blogs on Mark's deployment to Iraq:

January 2, 2008

March 28, 2008

July 2, 2008

Governor Doyle + Democrat controlled State Senate + Democrat controlled Assembly – QEO = big property tax increases

Mary Lazich — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 19:52:00 GMT

Now that Democrats control the governor’s mansion and both houses of the state Legislature, it is a pretty safe bet that there will be a serious effort to repeal the Qualified Economic Offer (QEO) when the Legislature reconvenes in January 2009. In the past, Governor Doyle has said the QEO (opposed by the state teacher’s union that strongly backs Governor Doyle) “isn’t working.” The governor needs a history lesson.

The QEO was instituted by the Legislature in 1993 after angry taxpayers statewide demanded action be taken to stop the tidal wave of huge property tax increases. Since its inception, the QEO has helped keep property taxes from being even higher than they already are.

Under the QEO, the compensation package for teachers including salaries and benefits is to be limited to a 3.8 percent increase. Prior to the implementation of the QEO, settlement packages with teachers were much larger, forcing a tremendous burden on taxpayers.

According to data from the Wisconsin Association of School Boards (WASB) that used figures from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, the average total teacher salary and benefit package increase in the years before the QEO was 8 percent during 1984-85, 8.4 percent during 1985-86, 7.7 percent during 1986-87, 7.4 percent during 1987-88, 7.1 percent during 1988-89, 7.3 percent during 1989-90, 7.4 percent during 1990-91 and 6.9 percent during both 1991-92 and 1992-93.

Enough was enough. Taxpayers protested. The Legislature heard and listened, and the QEO was adopted.

In reality, most school districts do not stay within the QEO, agreeing to settlements that surpass the 3.8 percent limit. The WASB reports that the average total package of salaries and benefits was 4.29 percent during 2006-07, 4.25 percent during 2005-06, and 4.31 percent during 2004-05. The percentages are higher than the rate of inflation, and more than likely are greater than increases provided in the private sector.

Watch for state Democrats from the top on down to prioritize the repeal of the QEO at a time when property taxpayers are already overburdened. The nonpartisan Tax Foundation in Washington D.C. writes, “Wisconsin Property Taxes: Among the Nation's Highest: Wisconsin is one of the 37 states that collect property taxes at both the state and local levels. As in most states, local governments collect far more. Wisconsin's localities collected $7,324,843,000 in property taxes in fiscal year 2004, which is the latest year the Census Bureau published state-by-state property tax collections. At the state level, Wisconsin collected $104,158,000 in property taxes during FY 2004, making its combined state/local property taxes $7,429,001,000. That brings its per capita collection to $1,350, which ranks 11th highest nationally.” Here is the full report

The governor and Democrats in the Legislature will be bound and determined to increase your taxes even higher, and that is exactly what will happen with elimination of the QEO.

The QEO must stay intact. Without the QEO, spending and taxes will rise substantially, more people will leave their homes, more people will leave the state, and more jobs will be lost. We cannot afford to lose the QEO.