TheHonorable Scott WalkerGovernorof the State of Wisconsin115East CapitolMadison,WI 53702
DearGovernor Walker:
On behalf of more than 7,500 membersof the National Taxpayers Union from the state of Wisconsin, I write to commendyou and the Legislature for producing a responsible state budget. In starkcontrast to those enacted under prior governments, this framework relies uponspending restraint along with serious reforms to collective bargaining andother policies to put the state on a sustainable fiscal path. Our membersappreciate the difficult work in crafting this plan.
Wisconsin faced a staggering budgetdeficit exceeding $3 billion, reflecting years of bloated expenditures andirresponsible decisions by Governors and legislators past. This budget tacklesthe deficit problem the right way, by trimming back outlays without raisingtaxes on hard-working citizens. According to the Tax Foundation, Wisconsin’sstate and local tax burden ranks 4th-highest nationally and its businesstax climate is a disappointing 40th. This blueprint recognizes thatwith unemployment still stubbornly high amid an uncertain economy, Wisconsinfamilies and businesses simply cannot afford even higher taxes.
In addition to reducing spending, thebudget makes significant progress in other areas long overdue for revision.Most notably, it changes collective bargaining processes for public employees.Though some have portrayed this as a draconian anti-union measure, in truth itstill grants public employees in Wisconsin greater collective bargaining rightsthan federal workers enjoy, or those in other successful states like Virginia.
Finally, this fiscal plan deservescommendation for several other important reforms. It freezes property taxes,counteracting a nationwide trend whereby property tax collections havecontinued to rise during most of the economic downturn despite falling homevalues. It transitions to weight-based taxation of some tobacco products, amore logical policy than a price-based levy. It trims unsustainable Medicaidexpenditures, helping to sensibly rein in a large and growing portion of thestate budget. It reduces the number of state positions by more than 1,000,stemming the seemingly endless tide of expansion in the government sector.
This budget is not perfect by anymeans, but it represents a significant move forward, out of the quagmireMadison had been in for years. We commend you and the Legislature for yourefforts in creating it and look forward to working with you on these importantissues in the future.
Sincerely,
Andrew Moylan Vice President of GovernmentAffairscc: State Legislature