Last night in the Assembly: The good, the bad, and the ugly
While acknowledging that the overwhelming defeat of the so-called Taxpayer Protection Amendment for state and local government is good news for Wisconsin and its great schools, WEAC President Stan Johnson expressed dismay over an ugly process that led to the narrow vote in favor of a TPA-like proposal for state government. Johnson said the Assembly should not have passed a measure that has never been discussed at a public hearing and whose details are likely unclear even to those who voted for it.
The “latest tax gimmick,” in Johnson’s words, passed 50-48 at approximately 4:30 a.m., and would place a formula in the Wisconsin Constitution limiting state revenue growth to 90% of the three-year average percentage change in personal income.
Johnson issued the following statement:
“The reckless proposal the Assembly passed last night was negotiated behind closed doors in the dead of night.
“The backers of this amendment would prefer tampering with the state Constitution to making tough decisions and having real discussions about public policy and public resources in the light of day. What they have passed is designed to avoid public scrutiny, and the way they passed it was also designed to avoid public scrutiny.
“The true impact this latest tax gimmick could have on our schools and our communities is not completely known – because it has not been reviewed by any nonpartisan analysts or experts – but it is reasonable to assume that it would not do anything to rectify the consequences of the education caps and would likely make them worse. It is also logical to assume that it would put greater burdens on local taxpayers and lead to more pressure to cut support for local schools and local services.
“What we know for certain is that this is bad government.”
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