The Capital Times just published an article stating that gas prices are once again about to head over $3.00 a gallon.
The article blames the typical culprits – summer travel, China, OPEC, etc… but fails to mention one major contributor…Madison politicians.
Wisconsinites currently pay one of the highest gas taxes in the nation – just over 51 cents per gallon. The revenues from this tax are intended to pay for road maintenance and construction, however, for the past six years Governor Doyle has raided much of these funds to spend on other things, primarily for the benefit of special interest contributors such as the state teacher’s union WEAC.
The current budget, which Rep. Garthwaite is scheduled to vote on this Wednesday, will increase the taxes we pay on gas to more than $.60 a gallon making Wisconsin the highest taxing state on gas other than California and New York which apply a general sales tax to gasoline in addition to the excise tax that Wisconsin applies. To make matters worse, the Democrat written budget proposal raids hundreds of millions of gas tax revenues for general spending and for pork projects for their districts. The media has been astute to point out some of these pork projects. Please see the following articles:
State Journal Article on Democrat Budget Pork
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Article on Democrat Budget Pork
Janesville Gazette Article on Democrat Budget Pork
If this budget passes Wednesday, it will be the 4th Democrat budget in a row to raid gas tax revenues for use on projects entirely unrelated to road building. It will also apply the new gas tax in such a way that farmers in Southwest Wisconsin are penalized for being members of a petroleum product supplying cooperative.
In case the link changes; here is a list of just some of the pork thrown in the budget by the Democrat controlled legislature. Some of this pork is paid for by a raid on the funds that the increased gas tax will supply. This list was posted on May 29th, 2009 on the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s website.
• $44.5 million, mostly in bonds, for a University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire education building; represented by Sen. Kathleen Vinehout (D-Alma) and Rep. Jeff Smith (D-Eau Claire).
• $13 million for the Wisconsin Rapids armory; represented by Sen. Julie Lassa (D-Stevens Point), who is on the committee, and Rep. Marlin Schneider (D-Wisconsin Rapids).
• $28 million in bonds for a School of Nursing facility at the UW-Madison; Sen. Judy Robson (D-Beloit), a nurse who sits on the committee, has long backed her profession in the Legislature.
• $6.6 million for a Yahara River project in Dane County; the county is represented mostly by Democrats, including the committee's co-chairmen, Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Madison) and Sen. Mark Miller (D-Monona).
• $5 million for the Bradley Center Sports and Entertainment Corp. in downtown Milwaukee; represented by Sen. Spencer Coggs (D-Milwaukee) and Rep. Leon Young (D-Milwaukee).
• $4 million for planning a joint museum for the State Historical Society and Department of Veterans Affairs; an area served by Pocan, Miller and other Dane County legislators would benefit.
• Up to $1.25 million for Manitowoc Road in Bellevue; represented by Sen. Alan Lasee (R-De Pere) and Rep. Ted Zigmunt (D-Francis Creek).
• $800,000 for the AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin; the center has locations throughout the state.
• Up to $500,000 for Washington Street in Racine; Democrats Sen. John Lehman, a committee member, and Rep. Robert Turner represent the area.
• $500,000 for an environmental center in a park that borders Madison and Monona; the two cities are represented by the committee's co-chairmen.
• $500,000 for the Oshkosh Opera House; Republican Sen. Randy Hopper and Rep. Gordon Hintz, a Democrat, represent Oshkosh.
• $500,000 for Eco Park in La Crosse; represented by Sen. Dan Kapanke (R-La Crosse) and committee member Rep. Jennifer Shilling (D-La Crosse).
• Up to $430,000 for Highway X in Chippewa County; represented by Sen. Pat Kreitlow (D-Chippewa Falls) and Rep. Kristen Dexter (D-Eau Claire).
• Up to $400,000 for State St. in Racine; represented by Lehman and Turner.
• $300,000 for the AIDS Network in Madison; represented by Pocan and Senate President Fred Risser (D-Madison).
• $250,000 for a bridge on S. Reid Road in Rock County; Robson and Rep. Chuck Benedict (D-Beloit).
• $250,000 for the Madison Children's Museum; represented by Pocan and Risser.
• $125,000 to remodel an Eau Claire library; represented by Kreitlow and Dexter.
• $100,000 for Huron Road in Bellevue; represented by Lasee and Zigmunt.
• $100,000 for the Stone Barn historic site in Oconto County; represented by Sen. Dave Hansen (D-Green Bay), who sits on the committee, and Rep. John Nygren (R-Marinette).
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