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Jim “It’s Not A Tax” Doyle is at it again…

Budget has $1.7 billion in new fees, taxes

Madison – Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle’s proposed two-year budget includes $1.74 billion in higher taxes and fees, according to a report by the Legislative Fiscal Bureau made public today.

That is about what Republican legislators estimated after the governor gave the Legislature his spending plan on Feb. 13.

When Doyle presented his 2005-’07 budget two years ago, it included $304 million to be raised from tax and fee increases, according to the non-partisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau. That was the last budget he presented before his re-election last November.

The Fiscal Bureau report said the largest tax increases were $506 million from raising the tax on cigarettes from 77-cents to $2.02 per pack; $417 million from a new tax on hospitals to attract more federal Medicaid dollars; $272 million from a tax on oil company profits; and $142 million by doubling the real estate transfer fee paid when property is sold.

Doyle spokesman Matt Canter defended the budget, which the Legislature will begin reviewing next week.
“The governor’s budget provides tax relief for middle-class families in the areas of health care, child care and higher education,” Canter said.

The Fiscal Bureau summary said Doyle’s budget includes $48.5 million in tax cuts.

Two Republican leaders denounced the spending plan.

“The more we learn about the Democrat budget proposal, the worse the news gets for Wisconsin taxpayers,” said Republican Sen. Scott Fitzgerald of Juneau.

“When we should be working to get Wisconsin out of the top ten highest taxed states, this budget clearly moves Wisconsin in the wrong direction,” added Assembly Speaker Mike Huebsch (R-West Salem).

I was really tempted to put this under the Stupid Wisconsinites In The News category but I didn’t want to insult the stupid Wisconsinites out there.