What's happening in Wisconsin isn't about budget deficits or government spending or even public employee benefits. It's class war, wherein the big business, conservative Right tries to pit working class Americans against one another so that the super-rich can continue to pilfer our private and public coffers for their own boundless gain. Here are the facts you need to know -- and spread:
1. 60% of Wisconsin's largest corporations pay ZERO taxes
According to the Institute for Wisconsin's Future, in 2007 60% of corporations in Wisconsin with over $100 million in annual revenues paid zero taxes. None. Zip. Zilch.
2. Raising corporate taxes in Wisconsin to the national average would generate $1 BILLION in revenue
By comparison, Gov. Walker's union busting bill will "save" a measly $350 million (that is, if you consider lowering the income and security of a core group of tax-paying workers "saving" money...).
3. Cutting taxes on corporations and the rich created state budget crises.
States do not have a spending problem. They have a revenue problem. The recession caused all tax receipts to be lower, but government revenue was artificially suppressed long-before by tax cuts for the big business and the rich pushed through at both the federal and state levels. But with Wall Street tycoons still raking in big bonuses while the rest of us stagger and suffer, anger against big business might reach a boiling point... unless private sector workers can be pitted against public sector workers in a "blame government" charade to diffuse anger from the rightful target.
4. Gov. Walker and the attack on unions are paid for by anti-government Koch brothers
David and Charles Koch, scions of the second largest private corporation in the United States, know how to get a good deal for their dollar. Do you really think the brothers who fund the anti-government, pro-big business Tea Party really give a damn about Wisconsin's deficit? They are using Wisconsin in their larger play to destroy all unions, further strip all workers of benefits and decent wages, and increase power and profit for a very few, very large corporations like their own. The Koch brothers are among Gov. Walker's top political contributors.
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for 10 percent of the Wisconsin state
budget. In 2005, corporate income tax
accounted for only 5.8 percent of the
budget.
Two-thirds of all corporations in the state
paid no income tax in 2003 or 2004,
including 62 percent of those with over
$100 million in sales.
Wisconsin is one of just fi ve states with a
corporate tax disclosure laws.
Wisconsin is the only state where
citizens can obtain tax information on
specifi c corporations. But accessing
such information is onerous and can be
expensive.
2003 to 2011 Democrat Jim Doyle was Governor of Wisconsin. So according to the facts 2003 was the start of the No taxes for Corporations making over 100 million dollars.. Sally states that in 2007 Corporations did not pay a dime in taxes when it actually started back in 2003.. good job with the research Sally.
for 10 percent of the Wisconsin state
budget. In 2005, corporate income tax
accounted for only 5.8 percent of the
budget.
Two-thirds of all corporations in the state
paid no income tax in 2003 or 2004,
including 62 percent of those with over
$100 million in sales.
(Governor Jim Doyle was a Democratic Governor from 2003 to 2011, looks like he had a problem with corporations paying taxes too, just sayin)
also in Wisconsin:
Unfortunately, it is diffi cult to know exactly how corporations are contributing,
because the data are not publicly available. For policymakers to get tax policy
right, clear information on which corporations are paying, and how much they
are paying, is required. Wisconsin is one of only fi ve states in the nation that
has a corporate tax disclosure law on the books, and the only state allowing
the public to fi nd out how much specifi c corporations pay in income taxes each
year. Despite this distinction, Wisconsin’s disclosure law is limited in its ability
to shed light on corporate taxation. It is both too narrow in the information it
requires corporations to provide, and it places too heavy a burden on citizens
seeking that information
Let me give Sally (and the rest of you) a scenario: For some reason, maybe even do to your own mistake your income is reduced. All of a sudden you need a new water heater. Would you hirer a licensed union plumber for $1,200, or a licensed nonunion plumber for $600 to do the job? Me? whether my income was the same or not I'd have the job done for the lowest price thank you. Unionized labor = increased cost at decreased productivity. Who wants to buy for that? Not me...
http://www.politifact.com/wisconsin/statements/2011/mar/03/scott-walker/wisconsin-gov-scott-walker-says-wisconsin-broke/
"Let's pass real reform this spring and use the proceeds to double the property tax relief for middle-class New Jerseyans and seniors," Christie said. "Please, let's not pick the special interests over our overburdened taxpayers."
Are the public sector workers not overburdened state taxpayers as well? What, the entire public sector resides outside the state?
If the facts had ANYTHING TO DO with our national conversation we would have never even tried Reaganomics. Certainly after he spent 8 years proving it didn't work we would have changed directions. But here we are, 30 years later, still headed down the road he put us on. The only difference is today no one even pretends that another road is possible.
This is America. The facts don't have corporate sponsorship so they just don't matter.
By getting people riled up about these issues, largely through disinformation campaigns, this strategy distracts the people's attention entirely away from the larger picture. They rarely think about and certainly do not comprehend the restructuring of American society in a way that creates even more advantages than already exist for those who are already on top.
For years they have worked tirelessly to reduce the revenue flow to government at the federal and state levels, largely in ways that favored the GREEDY CLASS. Now they are using the impact of the financial crisis caused largely by their own policies to attack further any semblance of balance of power between bosses and workers in economic decision making.
The top one percent of the population already controls 40% of the nation's wealth whereas the bottom 60% of the population controls one percent of the wealth. WEALTH EQUALS POWER and that is what this fight is all about. Ordinary people are being made to act against their own self-interests and those of people situated most like them.
~Now combine that with the Koch Brothers' existing operations in Wisconsin: ( http://www.kochind.com/ )
# Flint Hills Resources, LLC, through its subsidiaries, is a leading refining and chemicals company. Its subsidiaries market products such as gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, ethanol, olefins, polymers and intermediate chemicals, as well as base oils and asphalt. A subsidiary distributes refined fuel through its strategically located pipelines and terminals in Junction City, Waupun, Madison and Milwaukee. Another subsidiary manufactures asphalt that is distributed to terminals in Green Bay and Stevens Point.
# Koch Pipeline Company, L.P. operates a pipeline system that crosses Wisconsin, part of the nearly 4,000 miles of pipelines owned or operated by the company.
# The C. Reiss Coal Company is a leading supplier of coal used to generate power. The company has locations in Green Bay, Manitowoc, Ashland and Sheboygan.
With an ownership of resources, distribution and generation of energy, the Koch Brothers will have a vertical monopoly that would make even Rockefeller blush!~
That is what the Koch bros paid for when they bought Walker.
Govt should get out of business of caring for individuals. That belongs to family - first and second degree relatives. When govt./ schools takes over "caring", it under-cuts family structure; which is what's happening over last three decades.
President Clinton's reform of Social Service and sunset payments to teen-mothers reduced incidence of teen-pregnancy; by reducing further teen-pregnancy in mothers; and saved other teens from that situation. When Clinton's reform became law, there were cries that payment-reduction-elimination forces teen-mothers to move-in with their parents - what a novel idea?!
Govt needs to help set systems for benefit of society; not individuals.
Three decades ago, govt helped poor by having completely free hospitals - city/ county. Moving away from that idea and to Medicaid for individuals and only private hospitals landed most states and federal govt in a deficit hole.
When will we learn from our mistakes? All we read from university professors is to dig even more; and expand the hole deeper. Our problem in healthcare is not lack of money. We already spend 17% of GDP on healthcare; while our western economic competitiors spend less than 11% of GDP.
Same about education, prisons, and other programs govt funds.
Defense needs to be cut; to be maximum of what Western Europe spends on defense.
We cannot overlook Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, which with interest on debt will consume 90% of the budget in a decade.
And just imagine what that 17% for health care would be if everyone actually had healthcare.
I like a quote from Gene McCarthy, another political figure from 1972.... "Politics is like being a football coach.... you have to be smart enough to understand the game, and dumb enough to think it matters!"