WisPolitics Budget Blog

In new radio ads airing today, Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce blasts Democratic budget proposals, and congratulates Assembly Republicans for blocking tax increases.

The ads will air for the next four weeks in Milwaukee, Green Bay, Kenosha, La Crosse and Wausau. The ads are paid for by WMC's Issues Mobilization Council.

"Hold on, this just in," says one of the narrators, rustling papers in faux newscaster style. "Senate Democrats want to bring back all the tax hikes, including a gross receipts tax that will drive up gas prices."

"I thought the Assembly got rid of that when they voted down the $18 billion tax increase passed in the Senate?" asks the other narrator.

"They did. But some Senators want to keep the tax hikes in the state budget, including the gross receipts tax on oil companies. They're negotiating it at the State Capitol right now," she responds.

The ad gives the phone number to the legislative hotline and urges listeners to contact their legislators.

Listen to the ad here.

A second ad specific to the La Crosse market lauds Assembly Speaker Mike Huebsch, R-West Salem, for "leading the fight to stop the largest tax increase in state history."

Listen to the La Crosse ad here.

Labels: WMC

Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce has begun a new radio ad criticizing Gov. Jim Doyle's budget, saying it would raise taxes on gasoline, hospitals, home sales and garbage.

The spot opens with a list of things to love about Wisconsin.

"But our taxes ... It's hard to love our taxes," the narrator says.

The spot says Doyle has proposed $1.7 billion in tax hikes in his budget, which the spot says would also allow property taxes to go up by $1.2 billion.

"Call 800-362-9472. Tell your legislator: Stop the tax hikes in SB 40. Aren't taxes are high enough already?" the narrator says.

The ad is running statewide for at least the next two weeks, said WMC spokesman Jim Pugh.

Listen to the ad here.

See the release here.

Labels: Ads, Taxes, WMC

Wisconsin Manufactuers & Commerce vice president of government relations Jim Buchen has a list of suggestions for the 2007-09 budget.

Among them is to decrease benefits to public employees, protect segregated funds, and pass a bill introduced by Sen. Ted Kanavas, R-Brookfield, and Rep. Robin Vos, R-Racine, to reduce all of Wisconsin's individual income tax brackets by one percent of the rate.

Buchen also says WMC is in opposition to Gov. Jim Doyle's proposal to raise the property tax cap to 4 percent, to assess a 2.5 percent franchise fee on oil companies, and to place a 1 percent assessment on hospitals in an attempt to capture more federal money. WMC is also opposing the governor's plan for Wisconsin to join the multi-state Streamlined Sales Tax Agreement, saying
"adopting SSTA as drafted effectively raises business taxes by an amount estimated to be in the tens of millions of dollars."

Click here to read Buchen's testimony.

Labels: Kanavas, SSTA, Vos, WMC