The state of Wisconsin is projected to have a $545 million deficit next year. So what has Scott Walker and his fellow teapublicans just proposed in a special legislative session he just called? He claims that there will be a $100 million surplus this year and wants to use it to cut property taxes. The effect on the average home owner? It would lower their property tax by $13 this year but taxes next year would go up so the net effect would be an increase of $11 more.
Walker told reporters "let's go big and bold" and have a dramatic impact on people when they pay their property taxes!
So how is spending more money this year going to save money next year with that large of a deficit projected?
Could the coming election for Governor of Wisconsin have something to do with it? Coincidentally, millionaire Democrat Mary Burke announced her run for governor of Wisconsin on Monday. Then a couple of days later, Walker calls for a special legislative session to cut property taxes.
Another problem with this proposal is the haste in which Walker and the teapublicans want to pass this. They want to get this done in a week which means that the public, Democrats and schools would have little time to evaluate this plan.
Furthermore, would this plan actually benefit schools that have been harmed by past cuts in education or would the state economy be better off keeping the money to help reduce the projected deficit? The real deciding factor so far seems to be how much this measure will help Walker get re-elected as governor of Wisconsin.