Walker's Left Hand Takes What He Pretends to Give With Right

No one should be surprised -- it appears that Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker is deceiving again.  The Badger State's news media oligopoly, Lee Enterprises, Journal Communications, Gannett, and Clear Channel continue to prop Walker up with propaganda.

Walker proclaims he's going to cut taxes?  YOU BETTER HOLD ONTO YOUR WALLET!


Those paying attention know that if you listen to Scott Walker's rhetoric and what is repeated uncritically ad-nauseam throughout Wisconsin's corporate media echo-chamber, the smart money is on Walker doing EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE of what he proclaims and Lee Enterprises, Journal Communications, Gannett, and Clear Channel say.

So in his disingenuous State of the State address, Scott Walker proclaimed he was going to cut taxes.  The corporate media is telling us that Walker will not be "divisive".  Expect more divide and conquer.  Expect the taxes and fees you pay to go up.

Walker and his media assets tell us Wisconsin property taxes went DOWN -- not true.  However, the total net property tax levy increased by 0.2%, but this doesn't tell the whole story.

Scott Walker of course claims the decrease as his victory, but fails to mention that, under his job-loss economy, the average Wisconsin home fell 2.2% in value for property tax purposes. For the average homeowner that is a nearly $3,500 drop in value, for an $11 savings. 

Today, Associated Press, a solid pro-Walker mouthpiece and vital link across Wisconsin's media echo-chamber,  reports:

A report to Wisconsin state lawmakers will recommend increasing the gas tax and raising vehicle registration and driver's license fees, a newspaper reported Thursday.

The Transportation Finance and Policy Commission report that will be delivered next week will include those and other options for lawmakers to consider as they look to close the state's $2 billion transportation funding gap, the Oshkosh Northwestern reported. The changes would cost the average driver who travels 12,000 miles-per-year and gets about 20 miles-per-gallon about $120 more per year.

Sure, Walker has used the media to tell us that he's against this, but his mode of operations is to deflect responsibility by claiming his hands forced because an ongoing fiscal crisis that he ginned up in the first place.

The Transportation Finance and Policy Commission report goes on to recommend:

• Adopting a new mileage-based vehicle registration fee of 1.02 cents-per-mile up to 20,000 miles for cars and light trucks. The first 3,000 miles would be free, meaning the fee would top out at $204, compared to the $75 flat fee now.
• Increasing annual registration fees for commercial vehicles in proportion to passenger vehicle increases.
• Increasing the state motor fuel tax by 5 cents per gallon, the first increase since 2006.
• Raising the fee to renew a driver's license by $20 to $54.
• Eliminating the sales tax exemption on the trade-in value of vehicles.

The blog Political Environment has MORE.

Walker also wants to pay for his corporate welfare, which hasn't created jobs, by denying people unemployment insurance that they have earned.  And while Walker and his media assets are claiming that they are going to cut taxes, he leaves the working poor behind -- doesn't cut their taxes a dime.

Walker doesn't work for Wisconsinites -- he answers to multinational out-of-state corporate interests.  Walker has told these billionaires what his next "divide and conquer" strategies will be -- he has hidden them from the people to whom he has a sworn duty to serve.

Walker now works for the folks that contribute to his criminal defense fund and that is not Wisconsin workers.  Wisconsin's media echo-chamber continues to provide cover.

Most Badger State residents can expect to pay more in taxes of all sorts, higher user fees, and new user fees -- that is how Scott Walker flies.