Wisconsin’s Walker Signs Bill Requiring 2/3 Majority for Tax Increases

[rhombus]

Madison – Today, Governor Scott Walker signed Special Session Assembly Bill 5 which requires a 2/3s vote to pass tax rate increases on the income, sales or franchise taxes.

“I went to work today, met with my cabinet, and signed legislation that will help government operate within its means,” Governor Scott Walker said. “Wisconsinites can’t turn to raising taxes to balance their own family budgets when times get tough. This bill will ensure that we don’t kick the can down the road for a quick budget fix only to slap a long-term tax hike on the backs of Wisconsin taxpayers. I thank Senator Leah Vukmir and Representative Tyler August for their leadership on this issue.”

http://wispolitics.com/index.iml?Article=227740">Link

Walker seems bent on destroying Wisconsin like the GOP did in California.

http://news.firedoglake.com/2011/02/22/wisconsins-walker-signs-bill-requiring-23-majority-for-tax-increases/">H/T- Firedoglake

[MichiganVote]

1. "Wisconsonites" or state legislators Govner'?

[Tx4obama]

2. If the anti-union bill passes....

then public employees that make $50,000 per year will see a reduction of $5,000 per year in their paychecks.
No one will have any money to pay taxes!

[bluestateguy]

3. Missing Jim Doyle now?

Hell, you might be missing Tommy Thompson.

[EC]

11. Actually, I miss having Barrett

as Governor, he was great on Cenk's show.

[Freethinker65]

4. What about property taxes?

What about all of those "fees" like registrations and permits?

[hack89]

12. Property taxes are local taxes

the state rightfully left those decisions to local governments.

[damntexdem]

5. But in California, they did it effectively: by constitutional amendment.

This is laughable, because a legislature can repeal a statute.

[DrToast]

7. Just what I was thinking

Seems more symbolic than anything because anytime future group and overturn it.

[rhombus]

8. Not easy to repeal

You need Dems in control of both chambers plus a Dem Gov to repeal.

[DrToast]

14. Or: What you'd need to raise taxes.

So, this law means nothing, basically.

[ShadowLiberal]

6. I guess Walker likes highly dysfunctional governments always short tens of billions of dollars

I guess Walker likes state governments like California that are always having lots of budget problems, and always short tens of billions of dollars each year, and often have to pass yearly budget multiple times a year because their yearly budget becomes clearly unrealistic and short billions of dollars months later.

[ejpoeta]

15. of course he does because he can keep claiming it is because government is bad.

see, we pay all these taxes and what do we get for it. it's like not putting gas in the car and then blaming the tires when you run out of gas.

[Gr8Dem]

9. Anything in that bill requiring 2/3 majority to pass tax breaks?

No? I didn't think so. So you can cause budget shortfalls with just a simple majority in favor of additional tax breaks, but it takes 2/3s to raise them back. Why don't Democrats point out this kind of hypocrisy, or better yet, pass laws that say you cannot pass tax breaks that will unbalance a budget without a 2/3s majority?

[EC]

10. I knew this was coming

the repubs have tried this for years.

[maxsolomon]

13. Deliberately crippling government.

In WA State, this has been passed by "Citizen" Initiative. It cripples government's ability to respond to crisis, just as intended.