Dangerous proximity to crime

by Mike Nichols

Dale West is trying to do a good thing, exactly the sort of thing Milwaukee’s leaders – including members of the school board – ought to support in any way they can.

West opened an office for his Proximity Malt six years ago in a dicey Walkers Point neighborhood, back when nearby Bradley Tech High School had cops – school resource officers – roaming the hallways. The owner and CEO, who describes himself as chief bottle washer, doesn’t have to be in the heart of a city where somebody shot the office door not long ago and where kids steal cars at an astounding rate just for fun.

There were 10,479 car thefts in Milwaukee in 2021 – including a particularly brazen one Dec. 7 in the alley behind Proximity. One of West’s sales guys had parked a rental car there so he and a co-worker could load up and deliver bags of malt to customers who brew the stuff that made Milwaukee famous.

They were only 10 or fifteen yards away from the car at the top of a ramp, but the thief was unfazed.

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States with competitive tax structures are attracting residents and businesses from high-tax neighbors. Can Wisconsin get in on the act? The Tax Foundation’s Katherine Loughead and Scott Manley of Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce join Badger Institute President Mike Nichols to discuss the challenges posed by Wisconsin’s tax structure as well as reforms – income tax elimination, flat tax adoption, bracket consolidation – that would benefit Wisconsin residents, grow the economy and attract more people to the state.

Listen to the podcast version of this episode of Free Exchange here.

Budget surplus an opportunity for meaningful tax reform



Wisconsin’s projected budget surplus grew to $3.8 billion, according to the Legislative Fiscal Bureau’s January review of the state's general fund. This is a dramatic increase over LFB estimates made just three months ago. 

The increase is due to higher-than-expected tax and departmental revenue as well as funds received through the federal American Rescue Plan Act.

“We will not be foolish with these tax dollars by spending them into the future,” said Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu (R- Oostburg). “Rather, we will focus on further tax relief in the next budget to continue our state on a positive trajectory and ensure the long-term health of the state budget and, more importantly, family budgets.”

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Wisconsin has been a leader in school choice, but recent school shutdowns, controversial curriculum and abysmal proficiency rates demonstrate that parents and children need more options. National School Choice Week produced this video to provide an overview of school choice in the Badger State.

Do you think a major tax overhaul is needed to make Wisconsin more competitive?

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