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Thursday, February 8, 2018

Scott Walker groundbreaking reelection campaign spending tactic is a doozy; give away the store. And even crazier, Wisconsin taxpayers will be on the hook, actually paying companies to stay in our state with their own hard earned wages. Gross mismanagement, comic genius, or breathtaking desperation?

Gov. Scott Walker said Wednesday he'd be open to offering other paper companies Foxconn-style tax credits just days after he floated the suggestion for consumer products giant Kimberly-Clark. "We'd be willing to match for keeping these jobs at Kimberly-Clark and for that matter other major paper companies in the state if you're talking about significant opportunities to keep and grow jobs in the state."Walker was asked whether the state would run the risk of other companies seeking similar tax breaks. "You do, but for us, what we try to do is say these are catalytic things," Walker said.

Walker's Reelection Year Bribe-New and Improved: This is so shamelessly a voter bribe that it has to be illegal, especially after the proposed yearly $100 tax rebate for every child was limited to just the midterm election, with the added bonus of sales tax holiday. Seriously?

The proposal would cost an estimated $172 million over the current
biennium, drawing down about 45 percent of an expected $385 million
budget surplus.

The weird Republican idea that surplus revenues are just excess cash, and should be given back instead of being used for rebuilding our states infrastructure, roads, education funding, mass transit, renewable energy investments...etc. is not just bizarre, but leaves that bill to our kids and their kids:

"As I promised, when we have a surplus, we will give it back to you. It’s your money," Walker said in a statement announcing the deal.

Like Assembly Minority Leader Gordon Hintz said:

(It's) "an election year bribe. The
governor might as well save money on postage and just hand these checks
out at polling places in November. For seven years,
Governor Walker has handed out favors to his donors and corporations to
stay in power. Now, he’s trying to do the same with voters, but they’re
not going to fall for it."

Walker Won't Budge, Won't Build Roads: After Trump stuck-it to the states by forcing them to pay for most his massive national infrastructure plan, Wisconsin Republicans and Walker are headed for a stalemate:

The state Senate's top Republican says Wisconsin needs to add toll roads if it wants to qualify for a possible influx of federal transportation funds. "I think it forces our hand," Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald said. Trump's plan would offer states a chance at increased federal funding for infrastructure projects as long as states put up most of the funding themselves. That could be difficult in Wisconsin, where Republicans who run state government have been unable to reach an agreement to raise the gas tax or vehicle registration fees. Fitzgerald said, "A nickel, a dime on a gas tax? That is not going to fill the pot that's going to be able to match those federal dollars at this point." The state was on the cusp of adding its first ever toll roads last year before the idea was rejected by Walker. The budget that Fitzgerald said would have resulted in Wisconsin being chosen by the federal government to add toll roads. Walker vetoed the study. "We cut the deal already. The deal was in the budget. I mean it was there."Asked about Fitzgerald's comments, Walker said Wednesday he was not opposed to tolling, but he stressed that he was not ready to support it. "We're not even going to think about it unless we can reduce taxes somewhere else in an equal or greater margin," Walker said.