Viewpoint

It’s time to put away progressive taxes, Wisconsin

By Mike Nichols

Let’s forget about economic pie-growing for a minute (just a minute) as our legislators start to debate tax reform in Madison.

Let’s, just for now, debate the issue on the left’s turf.

How much do we — whether rich or poor or solidly middle-class — give the government? And how much do we get?

I don’t mean how much do we get in “public goods” like fire protection or decent roads, though those are interesting questions. I mean how much each of us pays in taxes and how much we get back through federal, state and local government transfer programs.

In other words, just how progressive is our so-called “tax and transfer system”?

Visiting Fellow

Why a Limited Government Institute Supports Increased Government Spending

By Jeremiah Mosteller

Over the past year, the Badger Institute has explored how Wisconsin’s justice system is facing massive criminal case backlogs that are fueling severe delays in justice for victims and defendants alike. It now takes much longer than a year to resolve cases involving grave violent crimes such as armed robbery, sexual assault​ ​and murder​,​ and thousands of felony cases are taking two or more years to resolve.

We also discovered that there is a 10% turnover rate in District Attorney offices and an even higher 20% turnover in public defender roles each year. Every turnover in these necessary roles results in the need to file a continuance or schedule another hearing in every case — the biggest driver of how long it takes to resolve a criminal case.

Both concerning situations have been created by our failure to properly support the prosecutors and public defenders.

Free Exchange Podcast

Making Sense of Milwaukee’s Crime Stats

On the surface, Milwaukee’s latest year-over-year crime statistics show promise for the safety of the state’s largest city. Some city officials have even touted the aggregate numbers as cause for optimism.

But the numbers tell a different story when examined in context: Milwaukee is in trouble.

Researcher Sean Kennedy joins Patrick McIlheran to interpret the data and chart a path forward for Milwaukee to move from a culture of criminal coddling to one of certain justice.

Related Resource: Latest crime figures show a Milwaukee in trouble

Public Hearing: Joint Finance Committee

Photos: School Choice Wisconsin

The Wisconsin Legislature’s Joint Committee on Finance continued its tour of public hearings this week with stops in Eau Claire and Wisconsin Dells.

The hearings provide opportunity for Wisconsin residents to voice their priorities for the state’s next two-year budget.

Advocates for education freedom were among the voices heard — calling on the Committee to close the gap with respect to choice and charter student funding.

The final public budget hearing of the Joint Finance Committee will be held April 26 in Minocqua.

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What We’re Reading

• City Journal: The More Some States Spend . . . The Worse Things Seem To Get

• American Enterprise Institute: Welfare Dependence, Revisited

• WILL: Beyond the Budget: The Surge of Non-Agency Pork in Wisconsin

• The Free Press: Get Serious: About Purpose

• Daily Caller: No Internet? No Groceries: The Dangers Of A Cashless America

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