Un-Healthy Wisconsin Lowlights

In politics, it all comes down to how you frame something. For instance, one of my pet peeves is the supposed “warrantless” wiretapping program that the media so loves to attack Bush for, it implies that there is not only no court issued warrant involved but, that there is also no “warrant” or reason to tap the terrorist’s international calls.

This weasely language manipulation is also used to frame our debacle of a socialized healthcare program, “Healthy Wisconsin”, the Democrats passed through the Senate and are trying to get through the conference committee. When you look at the facts, “Healthy Wisconsin” is completely unhealthy for our state, it is more of a disease that a cure. I knew it was bad but, it’s downright horrible when you consider all of the information at one time. Today, the Wisconsin Club for Growth released a good collection of information on what the Democrat’s proposed budget, including “Healthy Wisconsin”, will do to Wisconsin. (Be sure to check out the Good Citizen Activism Tip below)

$18 Billion Tax Hike – The Senate Democrat budget contains a mandatory government-run health care program and the largest tax increase in Wisconsin history — $18 billion — in increased taxes on income, hospital visits, gas sales, real estate sales and much more.

We’re No. 1!! –The non-partisan Tax Foundation Reports that Wisconsin would have the highest taxes in America if the Senate Democrat’s budget is passed into law. We may not be No. 1 in football, baseball or basketball, but we could be No.1 in taxes.

Here is an excerpt from the Tax Foundation:

Wisconsin’s tax burden is 12.3 percent of state income in 2007– ranking it 7th highest in the nation. Wisconsin has ranked in the top ten of our tax burden study every year for the 37 years we have calculated them-from 1970 to 2007. 7th is the lowest rank for Wisconsin since 1980.

However, if the $15.2 billion tax increase were in effect for 2007, Wisconsin’s tax burden would increase to 19.3 percent and rank 1st- 5.2 percentage points higher than Vermont’s 14.1 percent tax burden that currently ranks highest nationally.

If we count the other tax increases passed by the Senate (approximately $1.6 billion more) Wisconsin’s tax burden will be 20.1 percent. To give you an idea of how big that is, the federal government will take 21.7 percent of the nation’s income in taxes in 2007.

If the Wisconsin Senate’s plan becomes law, Wisconsin taxpayers will face the highest state and local tax burden ever, and their tax burden-federal, state and local– will exceed 40 percent of their income.

Back to the Wisconsin Club for Growth release:

No Work Requirement — The Senate Democrats’ government-run health care plan has no work requirement and The Wall Street Journal predicts non-workers will be flooding Wisconsin for free health care. (The plan also has no citizenship requirement.)

Waiting Lists, Rationing – The unelected board of health care bureaucrats that will run the program will have the power to raise taxes and ration benefits to control costs. So pay up and get in line and you might just have that heart surgery after all.

Good Citizen Activism Tip: On my way out to Seattle, I called my state legislators to let them know I oppose Un-Healthy Wisconsin (I called Sens.Kohl and Feingold as well to let them know this Milwaukeean supports staying in Iraq until the job is done). I keep my legislators numbers (state and federal) in my phone in order to best utilize the time I spend stuck in traffic. If you care to do the same, your legislators contact information can be found here.

• The Graphic Effect of High Taxes and Spending, Move on out! - June 16th, 2010
• Live from the 2010 Wisconsin GOP Convention - May 22nd, 2010
• Republican Party of Wisconsin State Convention 2010 - May 21st, 2010
• Charts: Artificial American Recovery? - April 15th, 2010
• Liberal Professor to Teach FUELMilwaukee "Government 101" - April 14th, 2010