Celebrating 35 years of advancing freedom in Wisconsin

Viewpoint

Why Wisconsin’s talking about flatter, fairer taxes

Everyone wins when the company that employs you stays in Wisconsin. The fact is that states compete on many things, not least the temperance of their tax climates.

By Patrick McIlheran

The news that Republican gubernatorial candidate Tim Michels is open to a single-rate income tax of “around 5%,” as he told a crowd in Baraboo, is refreshing news for anyone earning a living in Wisconsin.

And not unexpected: The possibility of epochal tax reform has been getting a lot of attention, in Wisconsin and elsewhere.

Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat, even proposed his own tax cut in August, albeit limited. Still, to repurpose an old catchphrase: When politicians compete, taxpayers win.

Wisconsin’s tax revenue is running far ahead of projections and is expected to remain high for years. Meanwhile, about a dozen states this year alone have cut their income tax rates, six of them within 200 miles of Wisconsin. Last year, 13 states cut their rates, and while Wisconsin was one of those, by next year our top tax rate will be higher than every state except Minnesota and seven others on the east and west coasts.

The Badger Institute and the Tax Foundation laid all this out in a report last July in which author Katherine Loughead ran the numbers and detailed the options. Short version: Wisconsin has a chance not just to cut taxes but to reform them in a way that’s beneficial for everyone.

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Mandate for Madison: New Report

Minimum Markup: The Price is Not Right

Why would a citizenry want its government to require, by law, higher prices?

At any time, it’s a good question but, as veteran journalist Ken Wysocky points out, at a time of raging inflation, it takes on a new urgency.

And why would a government, such as Wisconsin’s state government, go on requiring, by law, higher prices even though there is a broad bipartisan consensus that it should stop? And shelves of research showing it to be pernicious?

The Badger Institute has been asking this question for a long time, and Wysocky here reviews the findings — because our state is still requiring, by law, higher prices.

Read the full report

We look forward to seeing you Tuesday!

On October 11 the Badger Institute will celebrate 35 years of advancing freedom in Wisconsin at our Annual Dinner. The evening will feature keynote speaker Ed Feulner, co-founder and longtime president of The Heritage Foundation, one of the world's most influential think tanks.

Feulner will share remarks on vision and leadership, drawing on his experience at the helm of Heritage as the Foundation crafted many of President Reagan’s influential policies as well as those of subsequent executive administrations. He will also speak about the Institute's Mandate for Madison, our roadmap for Wisconsin citizens and leaders toward a freer and more prosperous future.

Registration is now closed. Thanks to all who made plans to attend.

One Reason the National Debt is $31,000,000,000,000

Source: Federal Budget in Pictures

Even While Americans Are Paying Record Taxes

Source: CNSNews

Badger in the News

• The Vicki McKenna Show: Contributor Jeremiah Mosteller discusses Wisconsin’s delayed justice problem (segment begins around 22:05)

• Empower Wisconsin: The consequences of banning police

• Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: A New Prescription

At a Glance

Free Exchange Podcast

Wisconsin’s transportation funding system running on fumes

Transportation projects in Wisconsin are primarily funded by per-gallon fuel taxes that are declining as fuel economy improves and more drivers opt for electric and hybrid vehicles. Transportation funding gurus Robert W. Poole Jr. and Benita Cotton-Orr, both Badger Institute visiting fellows, join us to discuss how Badger State roads should be funded in the future.

Listen to the podcast

Weekly Survey: Should lawmakers end the minimum markup, which artificially inflates the cost of gas?

Last Week’s Results

What We’re Reading

• Angela Rachidi: Brett Favre, Welfare Fraud, and the TANF Block Grant

• Chris Edwards: The largest tax-cutting wave in more than four decades

• Cato Institute: The Myth of American Income Inequality

• Angela Rachidi: Conservative Policies Have Driven Child Poverty Declines

Invest in the Badger Institute

The Institute never has, and never will, accept government funding. We gratefully welcome your online donation or email Angela Smith, Vice President of Development.

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