Illustration by Michael DiMilo
Featuring the Fabulous Dadbots: Mark M., Dave S., Mark O., Dennis C., John K., Michael D., and Geoff Carter
Bots,
In his final big act as governor, Tony Evers has struck a deal with Republicans to spend down Wisconsin’s $2.5B surplus.
These appear to the main elements:
* $300 refund to individuals, $600 to couples (but not fully refundable. Only to the amount of your tax liability.)
* No tax on tips or OT.
* $300M to Special Ed.
* Another $300M to General K-12 Ed, but no increase in revenue limits (so this will be property tax relief only).
I wonder about the tax refund. The Wisconsin geezer credit pretty much eliminated my WI tax liability, so I don’t expect that I will be eligible. Similarly, very LOW income seniors (such as those earning only SocSec) —who owe no state tax—will also be ineligible. (That makes liberal State Sen Chris Larson mad.)
In the JS article that I read, the Democrats are screaming “betrayal”. Evers is defending the deal as a compromise.
The Dems’ main objection seems to be that the tax cuts & refunds throw an electoral bone to state Republicans. Also, I have.a feeling that it’s painful to make any kind of deal, even to recognize the legitimacy, of that reptile, Robin Vos.
Really, of the 4 main pillars of the deal, only the Special Ed spending is a typical Democrat priority. It has been an Evers’ goal since forever. The rest of these actions are typical GOP tax cuttin’ fever dream. So it looks to me like Evers is trading a lot of starters to get one player— Special Ed (he’s a replacement level first baseman).
The no tax on tips & OT is kind of a scam—the federal change has not been as far reaching as people expected. When you are paid time-and-a-half for OT, only the “half” is tax exempt. Plus, ALL overtime pay is still subject to full SocSec and FICA deduction. And you can bet your bottom dollar that the Wisconsin Dept of Revenue is going to be a hell of a lot more demanding, with regard to documentation, than the feds. (And ultimately, this will result in additional reporting requirements for business!). And much of the same is true for tips.
I recall in Evers’ first term, when the Repubs passed a budget with a substantial tax cut, fully expecting Evers to veto it. He did not. In fact, he took credit for it. Man, were they fuming.
Democrats in general should chill out and take Evers’ approach. Just because some Republican or CEO somewhere is having a good time does NOT have to spoil it all for the Dems. Take the deal and take credit.
I noticed that somehow the two sides, in an unrelated deal, managed to ink a compromise and fund PFAS remediation. Somehow the two sides agreed on language to protect “innocent” landowners. I suspect some guilty corporations are getting off Scot free, but that might be the price we need to pay to unlock the $150M in cleanup funds.
It definitely appears that, on their way out (Vos is also stepping down), that these two adversaries are seeking common ground. Isn’t this what voters claim to want?
-MM
Good reporting. Just heard Tony interviewed on Wisco Today. Kept talking about the $600M for education (they didn’t break it down). He deflected the ‘giving in’ to Rs question but acknowledged not all Dems are pleased. At the end of day, (and it is), our local educator in chief stuck to his campaign promises re funding education—he was proud of that, mentioned the standing O he recently got (not sure where).
I have a friend whose wife is a teacher in Verona and got to know Tony when he was super of that district. They place him on a pedestal.
In terms of what local governance, in this current ICE age and trans paralysis, can effect, I suppose education and low income housing are about it—and the latter requires much more than a pen stroke.
–DS
Argh. As of this morning (Thursday 5/14), the State Senate has rejected the deal. All 15 Democrats and 3 Republicans voted against it. Chris Larson (my state senator) is crowing about it on social media.
–MM
As an outsider (MN), this budget bill being raised to high political drama seems a bit overblown. One time $300 and $600 refunds. What’s so offensive about this to your Democrats? Especially if they got some education funding out of it? With the ongoing affordability crisis continuing until the mid-terms, the Republicans will pummel Dems on the campaign trail over this.
Having (15) Dem Senators break with the Governor on this shows how little leverage a lame-duck leader has over his flock (of ducks).
Mark, did I read a pun correctly? “getting off Scot free”? As in Scotchgard, the 3M product that was my introduction to the topic of PFAS. Well done sir!
MarkO
Before MM answers the pun question. MO: Trust you are joking…that is a huge stretch. But… I took it as a Scott Walker pun…probably equally if not more elastic… maybe it was 3M’s AFFF (the fire retardant: aqueous film forming foam) and one of municipal water well “correlateables” (high PFAS in wells near AFFF mfg sites).. But maybe there wuz no pun. Mark?
–DS
I will let AI weigh in.
- The Medieval Context: In medieval England, a scot was a municipal tax, levy, or club fee that residents were required to pay to fund shared costs or local improvements (like drainage and embankments). [1, 2]
- The “Free”: If someone managed to avoid paying this local tax or tavern tab, they were officially declared “scot-free”
No intended reference to either Scott Walker, Scotchguard, Scottie Scheffler, or Scooter Gennet.
Note that conservative Republican candidate for WI gov, Tom Tiffany, also opposed the deal. Not enough corporate giveaways? Unclear. Maybe this is like Trump inveighing against the bipartisan immigration deal during the 2024 prez campaign. He wanted the ISSUE, not a solution. Not sure how Tiffany plans to spin this. He just came out against tax cuts AND rebates.
Democrats may be thinking as follows. We’re going to ride an anti-Trump wave in November, right into the governor’s mansion. And with the fairer maps from 2 years ago, we’re going to take the State Senate and Assembly. At that point they can use the full surplus to fund mandatory gender reassignment surgeries, or something. Who knows? I’m starting to think these Dem politicians aren’t arguing in good faith.
One of their arguments is that the deal was made by 3 “old men” who are leaving office, and who will have no accountability for the results.My response is that some of the best legislation we’ve seen is full lame duck. 🦆 I trust Evers, going out the door, a hell of a lot further than some of the Milwaukee area assembly office holders or senators, including Chris Larson.
–MM
FWIW: 3M began reformulating Scotchgard in the early oughts to remove PFAS chemicals. Current versions are PFAS free. Here’s where I go into cane-shaking mode, “get the jack-booted gummint thugs off my Scotchgard!”. And gasoline just ain’t been the same since they banned the lead either.
As soon as I typed this it occurred to me that some MAGA goons are probably working on these rollbacks.
MarkO
Paint ain’t shit either, ’specially on cars. Maybe the Dems will bring back lead!
–DS
Yes, good reporting Mark. I don’t generally follow state politics closely and was unaware of all the drama. I agree that a small one time $300 and $600 refund is not too big of a deal. At the same time, the dems could take credit for it and ride it to the rails come election time. Do the dems have an alternative plan to disburse and use the surplus? Perhaps a raise for our reps or a taxpayer paid trip to Cancun.
Evers has done a credible job as governor following the Scott Walker regime. He’s no rock star at center stage (I think of his performance during the roll call at the last democratic convention. Spit it out, man). At the same time, he got elected twice and stopped the takeover of Wisconsin politics by Michels and a republican legislative majority. That combo might have been the end of fair elections in Wisconsin.
In fact, I think the Dem vote on this compromise bill can be called a legitimate asshole move they will regret come election time. Compromises are just that– no one is entirely happy, but everyone gets something out of the deal. The Dems could have said, “look, the Republican legislative majority got nothing done in all those years and if it weren’t for us you wouldn’t have this big beautiful Sconnie bill”. Or something like that.
Elections are about winning and at this point in our democratic experiment, it’s really about winning. There’s definite Trump fatigue nationally and at the state level. Perhaps the dems blew an opportunity to elect a governor and make inroads to shifting the balance at the legislative level.
Or maybe they couldn’t stomach compromising with Robin Vos, a true king and sole survivor of obstructionism.
Mark, I want my scotch guard (I can hear Sting and Mark Knoeffler singing in the background like it’s the 80s again). I do love their slogan – when life happens, we’re ready!
–JK
John,
You’re on the money. It IS about winning. In my view, this means NO to Mandela Barnes and NO to Francesca Hong. Dems need a candidate like Biden in 2020– acceptable to the middle. But hopefully not 190 million years old.
And to pull another adage out of my butt, this appears to be a case of Democrats letting the perfect be the enemy of the pretty good.
This isn’t the first strategic error by the local donkeys. Cast your mind back to the Walker recall. (1) The recall itself was premature. Dems let the big protests sway their frontal cortex. (2). And if you’re gonna do a recall, don’t run Barrett for the second time. Jeebus. As Casey Stengel said, “Doesn’t anybody know how to play this game?”
–MM
Yeah, yeah. I can hear the Republican attack ads already. “Democrats refuse to give you back your hard-earned money,” “With record high gas prices, the Dems refuse to give taxpayers a break,” etc, etc. (And that works to imply Dems are to blame for high gas prices). Like MO says, it seems like the Dems are stirring up some needless high drama with this surplus issue that will come back to bite them in the ass. Chris Larson’s man-splaining of the Dem’s rationale doesn’t help much either. I get what he’s saying about using the surplus more wisely, but his arguments have too many words for the typical Wisconsin voter.
Anyway, I heard Chris Larson’s wife received a $2000 bonus from her employer. She told their two kids (age 9 and 11) that maybe they could go on a little vacation to the Wisconsin Dells water parks that summer. The kids were thrilled, jumping for joy. But dad Chris quickly put the kibosh on that idea. “Children, we need to consider your future. As I’ve explained to you, state funding for higher education continues to decrease. We should really put that money in a college fund for you. I tell you what, rather than going to those toxic chlorine corporate sess-pools, how about we spend that time together exploring socially-conscious investment funds? And maybe mommy will even brew some of that child-friendly herbal tea for you.” Chris seemed baffled as the kids burst into tears and ran to their rooms.
Ahh man, Chris Larson. I like the guy. I actually spoke to him a couple times back when he was a county supervisor. He struck me as smart, sincere, and fairly savvy politically. If he threw his hat in the ring in the governor’s race, he might even get my vote. But sometimes he digs his heels in on political molehills that then become mountains. Larson is MM’s State Senator. He should keep an eye on the guy, remind him that Wisconsin is a purple state.
DC
Hey bots,
Yeah, this is not the smartest move by the Democrats, who are suffering a credibility crisis in the first place. I think part of their problem is that they—especially the career politicos like Larson—are trying to juggle the leftward shift of the Dem party with the status quo interests (lobbies) of the party. In yesterday’s Sunday Journal Sentinel (yes, I still go out to the front porch in my underwear to get it—nice visual, eh?), there was an article about some recent Marquette Law School polls showing a significant democratic shift to the far left. If I’m Larson, I’m wondering whether Evers’ bill will go far enough to feed the new hard-core left—and I’m not sorry to see the rise of Democratic Socialists. Zohar is getting results.
Anyway, Chris Larson has recently been buddying up to Northwoods loose cannon Kirk Bangstad of the Minocqua Brewing Company. He’s been doing zooms with the guy and contributing columns to his Substack, but Bangstad’s the guy who’s offering free beer the day Agent Orange passes away—but he’s not out in left field all the time. He also invited the Watertown High School Band to perform the piece honoring an LGBTQ+ activist banned by their school board. Bangstad is donating the box office, guaranteeing a $1000 minimum. After Kirk Bangstad’s comments about the last assassination attempt, Larson has distancing himself from the dude.
The Republicans will oppose this until they can make it look like their own idea.
GC
You may have nailed this. Geoff.
One of the laments of Democratic intraparty politics is their allegiance to “the groups”. Every goddam action has to be signed off on by a bunch of far left interest groups staffed by twentysomethings.
This cropped Biden. He let the border get completely out of control out of fear of pussinf off the pro-immigration groups. Kamala Harris got caught on tape endorsing gender reassignment surgery for imprisoned aliens, in response to a question at an ACLU confab.
The Dems need candidates and office holders inspired by the ghost of Bill Clinton—to unabashedly steer to the middle.
–MM
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