Gov. Evers “read my lips” moment?

It seemed we were heading in the same direction, just taking different routes to get there. So it seemed. Both Governor Tony Evers and the Republican-controlled Legislature have been clear that they plan to cut taxes as they prepare a new state budget. Evers had directed the cuts toward the middle class, with the average taxpayer to see a ten percent cut. Republicans have proposed a flat tax, or other ways to reduce taxes on the wealthy. Either way, it seemed, we would be seeing taxes get cut. But Wisconsin’s Legislative Fiscal Bureau has weighed in on the Governor’s budget proposal, and says while it would reduce taxes on the middle class, the state’s overall tax burden would go up by some $108 million. The Bureau estimates that the proposed $1.5 billion in tax cuts in the Governor’s budget would be overshadowed by proposed tax increases elsewhere, primarily on manufacturers and investors. Now is not the time to raise taxes. Wisconsin is already one of the most taxed states in the nation, and is sitting on a record budget surplus of some $7 billion. That should be more than enough money to make investments in things like roads, increasing state aids to municipalities, and cut taxes. If we can’t balance the budget while sitting on a record surplus without raising taxes, then it appears someone is doing the math wrong.