Gov. Tony Evers on Thursday said he thinks his budget will come “close” to his campaign pledge to raise no new taxes, despite the fact that it would raise taxes by more than $1 billion over two years.
“I think we’ll be pretty close,” Evers said during an interview on WTMJ radio, adding that there might be some “small” increases.
Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, tweeted after the interview: “Is this a joke?”
Evers’ message on taxes shifted throughout his campaign for governor as he faced attacks from Republicans who argued he would implement massive increases if elected.
He told reporters in September that his goal was “to keep taxes reasonable in the state of Wisconsin,” but days before the election, he told the Washington Post he was “planning to raise no new taxes.” He repeated the claim on Nov. 4.
“I’m planning on raising no taxes,” he told WISN-TV.
I hope the Republicans help Evers keep his pledge.
Evers should get a drug test before his next paycheck.
Local libs here are not celebrating Evers big tax grab, what is up with that?
Would you like to drug-test all the legislators, Kevin? What about alcohol habits? Breathalyzer before all votes?
jjf,
Excellent idea. I love it!
Breathalyzer tests would sure be interesting when applied to WI assembly and senate leadership. I’m all for it.
From past experience the AG too
In lefty-speak, “raising no new taxes” is not the same thing as not seeking to raise existing taxes. Since the legislature probably won’t create any new tax streams for him to raise, technically, Evers’ tortured use of word salad is likely correct. After all, this is the party whose perjurer extraordinaire of DNA stained blue dress fame created new language standards with “what the definition of is is”. Evers is just being a good soldier.
Nord,
So you are excited about the tax increases?
Taxes are the price I pay for civilization.
Long over due, gas tax increases will certainly be welcomed by town and county government. The same can be said for rural school districts and the UW system. Make Wisconsin Smart Again !!
Well, then, LeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeRoy, send $5-$10K extra to Tokin’Tony! That way you can be even more civilized!!!
As to Mo’Money for UW: no good reason for that at all. Closing 4-5 campuses would be a far better way to increase funding for the remaining schools. Perhaps if you study “demographics” some day you’ll find that paying for empty buildings is not a very “Smart Again” move.
As to your county road problem: raise taxes!! I’m sure your constituents will be pleased with your decision.
Nord,
And you deny being liberal?
Wow.
I agree with Dad, send in your voluntary “higher tax” donation. Put your money where your mouth is.
dud:
Looks like we will continue to disagree with each other on the value of education. Goodness sakes, we sure wouldn’t want smart folks living in WI !
If only raising taxes were that simple. Why don’t you figure out what the term “levy limits” means, then get back to me.
k:
I’m a true blue, patriotic realist.
And explain to dud about levy limits, surely you are aware of them, right?
I have been donating to the UW for years.. You?
Nord,
You send money to UW? Really? Why?
I support education, but I send money to values oriented, Christ centered education.
Sending money to UW to waste on the feminist/transgender provost, making $150,000 a year to settle disputes between men pretending to be women who like to be in the girls shower…that’s what you send money to? Funding the circus is your big contribution?
k:
That is certainly your choice. But I prefer to donate to worthy organizations not influenced by religious intolerance, prejudice and authoritarianism. And it looks like you can bring your intolerant gender biases into any conversation with batting an eye.
Nord,
Intolerance? Have you ever seen how open Christians are treated on UW campus?
It’s worse than those wearing a MAGA hat on campus.
UW is rife with awful intolerance.
k:
And you are free to believe whatever you want, however mistaken and misguided those beliefs may be. Isn’t America great !!
Making America Smart Again. Join in the movement !!
Nord,
Little secret: joining the liberal side on almost anything is the “Keep America stupid” side.
A little secret from a little fella. And from a guy that thinks the earth is 6000 years old. Irony at its’ finest.
Nord,
Are you shaming me for my Christian Faith again?
Tolerance, I keep encouraging you toward it.
Nope, like I have always said, you can believe in anything you want. It is when you try to turn fiction into fact, or push your “absolute truth” onto folks without permission.
Nord,
That’s a no to you having tolerance?
LeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeRoy, there’s no limit on “fees.” Go for it. By the time you lose in court, you’ll have paved your entire County.
As to “smart Wisconsin,” LeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeRoy…..well, a “smart” Wisconsinite can read the demographics tables. Maybe you should go back to high-school and try that again.
k:
Nope, it is a call for honesty and truthfulness. It would do wonders for your credibility.
dud:
Do run your comments through your brain before pushing the “post comment” button?
Sure I do. I know that because you never, ever, respond to facts when they are not in your favor.
You prolly didn’t notice that at least one Wisconsin University is dropping a large bunch of courses and a couple of entire curricula; you can expect to see more of that in the next few years.
You MAY be aware that college degrees are no longer worth the debt-service (with a few exceptions) for the little darlings and they are actually aware of this. See:
The NYT article is dated 2014, but I pasted REAL SLOW for you so you’d see the bold/italic part better.
Wisconsin birth stats support the NYT’s thesis. While births rose from ’03-’07, they have dropped every year since. (2015 is last reported year.)
We also know that men are staying away from college in droves, as they prefer to make real money in the trades OR simply not go to college at all.
Finally, employers are learning that a college degree no longer means “an educated person.” Composition, grammar, mathematics, and reading-for-meaning don’t necessarily accompany a sheepskin.
All in all: building more college buildings is not justifiable; in reality, closing 4-5 campuses is the better strategic move for Wisconsin taxpayers.
(But since you’re addicted to the taxpayer tit, YMMV.)
dud:
Why argue with facts? I’m still waiting for you to provide some…..
Apparently there’s no limit on ‘e’s, either.
Keep looking, Dad29. Eventually you’ll find Walker’s stacking of the Regents and Ray Cross, and the way they cut the marketing budgets to help enrollments fall.
All I can say, I that I owned a home in Wisconsin in the mid 2000’s and it was valued at about $60,000 in Wood County. It’s property tax was over twice the amount of a $250,000 house in Mohave County in Arizona and the Demographics are close to being the same.