Celebrating 35 years of advancing freedom in Wisconsin

Viewpoint: Chance to Enact Flat Tax Just Got a Whole Lot Bigger

By Mike Nichols

Much to his credit, WTMJ’s Charles Benson broke a big – if potentially fleeting – story at the start of the Republican gubernatorial debate earlier this week.

Wisconsin, according to the Department of Revenue, could have an enormous $5.4 billion surplus at the beginning of the next budget cycle in July 2023.

Benson was right to frame his questions to the candidates with the new info. A surplus that size, after all, makes a low, transformative flat tax – something the Badger Institute and the Tax Foundation propose in the paper we jointly released earlier this month – more than feasible.

Read the full Viewpoint.

LAST DAY TO REGISTER:

Talking Taxes with Grover Norquist

Grover Norquist, one of Washington D.C.'s most influential voices for free markets and limited government, will keynote a Badger Institute luncheon on August 3 in Milwaukee. 

Norquist is founder & president of Americans for Tax Reform, a group that works to limit the size and cost of government and opposes higher taxes at all levels. An advocate for lower, simpler taxes, Norquist will discuss what’s going on with the push to raise taxes in Washington, the drawbacks of higher taxes at the federal, state and local level, and the need for reform in Wisconsin. There will also be a question-and-answer opportunity on policy issues facing the country. 

It's the last day to register; click here to reserve your seat

On the Air

Americans for Tax Reform founder Grover Norquist appeared on the Jay Weber show to discuss opportunities for tax reform in Wisconsin and to promote his upcoming Badger Institute Luncheon on August 3. 

Listen to Norquist; his comments begin around the three-minute mark. 

A municipal spending quandary

By Mark Lisheron

On the same day last week, Eau Claire city officials asked taxpayers to support a property tax increase while approving spending another $537,701 to operate a cooling and warming center for the homeless.

Like counties and cities all over Wisconsin, Eau Claire is awash in cash. The homeless cooling center, open at a cost of $2,000 a day, is being paid for from the $13.5 million the city got from the federal Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) program.

SLFRF is a $350 billion part of the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act, passed by Congress in March of 2021. Wisconsin’s share of that program is $2.53 billion, according to data compiled by the U.S. Treasury Department.

Like many communities, Eau Claire has had trouble figuring out ways to spend that federal largesse. While this might seem to the public to be a disconnect, local officials are in the unusual position of trying to spend large sums like crazy at the same time threatening to slash city services unless voters allow them to jack up property taxes.

Read more.

Badger Institute Annual Dinner: Oct. 11

Ed Feulner, co-founder and longtime president of the Heritage Foundation, one of the world's most influential think tanks, has been announced as the keynote speaker at the Badger Institute’s October 11 Annual Dinner. Feulner will discuss the role of the Heritage Foundation in positively impacting the ambitious Reagan agenda, as well as those of subsequent administrations. 

Registration opens in August; sponsorships are available (email Vice President Angela Smith). Please save the date of October 11 to celebrate the Institute's 35 year legacy of advancing freedom in Wisconsin! More event details.

Free Exchange Podcast: Wisconsin Falls Behind

As other states embrace significant tax reform, Wisconsin becomes increasingly less competitive. The Badger State’s GDP is anemic compared to some of our neighbors due in part to our tax levels and structure. Tax Foundation Senior Policy Analyst Katherine Loughead joins Badger Institute President Mike Nichols to discuss her new report “Tax Reform Options to Improve Wisconsin’s Competitiveness.” She offers recommendations that would make the Badger State a magnet for residents, businesses and investment.

Listen to the podcast

Wisconsin Troubling Tax Facts

Wisconsin Troubling Tax Fact #2: Wisconsin's top marginal rate is higher than the top marginal rates in all but eight states and D.C.

(Watch next week’s Top Picks for more Troubling Tax Facts)

Learn more here.

Weekly Survey: Would a flat tax be transformative for Wisconsin?

Last Week's Results

What We're Reading

• Fordham Institute: In a time of crisis, Catholic schools offered a choice, not an echo
• City Journal: How the Media Polarized Us
• The Cap Times: Universal school choice would help all Wisconsin families
• American Experiment: A teacher speaks out: Union meeting prioritizes political activism
• The Center Square: Report: Wisconsin’s Economy Recovering Unevenly
• The Heritage Foundation: Is the Labor Market Really As Good as the Administration Says?
• AEI: How Colleges Use SAT-Optional Applications to Covertly Impose Affirmative Action

Invest in the Badger Institute

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The Badger Institute is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization funded solely by the generosity of foundations, companies and individuals.