Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle's budget increases numerous fees

[Skunk]

Seems Governor Boyle wants a little more money from the Wisconsin Sportsman. I get a real kick out of his proposed tax on elk hunting since we don't even have an elk hunting season yet.
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http://www.postcrescent.com/article/20090312/APC0101/90312156/1004&located=RSS

By SCOTT BAUER • Associated Press Writer • March 12, 2009

MADISON —

Bobcat hunters would pay more.

So would boat owners.

Ditto stock traders.

And pig slaughterers.

Under Gov. Jim Doyle’s $63 billion budget, a host of fees would go up over the next two years. And while the money raised would be small compared to other tax increases he proposed, the higher fees would target an array of people and activities.

Doyle even wants to increase the fee on something that can’t legally be done now.

He proposed raising the elk hunting application fee from $3 to $10. He asked for the same increase, along with a hike in the actual license fee, but was shot down by the Legislature two years ago.

Elk hunters shouldn’t be too worried. There is no elk season in Wisconsin because the herd hasn’t met the population goal.

The state Department of Natural Resources estimates the goal of having 200 elk in the state could happen next spring, which means the first hunting season could happen in December 2010.

The DNR estimates more than 20,000 hunters would apply, which would bring in $200,000 for the state.

While the elk-hunting lobby has yet to be heard from, Doyle has taken considerable criticism from the state’s business community for implementing so-called combined reporting. That imposes the state’s income tax on large multistate companies that now are able to avoid paying it by shifting profits to entities in other states.

That tax increase, which will bring in roughly $220 million over the next two-plus years, already passed the Legislature.

But there’s more in Doyle’s budget proposal that’s yet to be debated.

He also wants to increase a new income tax bracket for individuals making more than $225,000 a year and reduce the capital gains exclusion. Doyle’s also proposing a 75-cent per pack increase in cigarette taxes.

The cigarette tax combined with other sales and income tax increases would bring in more than $1 billion over the next two years, according to an analysis released Thursday by the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau.

Doyle does not propose raising general sales or income taxes. Most of the increases are designed to help the state tackle a projected $5.7 billion budget shortfall.

Republican lawmakers have zeroed in on the tax and fee increase proposals, saying they hurt Wisconsin families in order to help state government grow.

Doyle spokesman Lee Sensenbrenner said fees were increased to bring the cost of providing services in line with the amount charged.

“We realize that these are costs but we are basing them on the service people get for these fees,” he said. “When you see a fee increase, you’re getting a service that justifies that cost.”

The fee increases in Doyle’s budget pale in comparison to the other proposed tax increases, said Todd Berry, president of the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance.

“Taxes are mandatory, you have no way to avoid them except to leave the state,” Berry said. “Fees, in many cases, are discretionary in that if you don’t want to pay the fee you don’t have to use the service.”

For example, only bobcat hunters would be affected by Doyle’s proposal to increase the hunting and trapping application fee from $3 to $6.

Landlubbers wouldn’t have anything to worry about under Doyle’s proposal to raise boat registration fees, based on the size of the boat, between 15 percent and 32 percent.

And unless the cost gets passed along to meat-eaters, only slaughterers would have something to squeal about Doyle’s proposal to impose a 14-cent fee for each pig and cow slaughtered, 10 cents for calf and 1 cent per chicken.

But all of those with a beef over Doyle’s budget can show up at any of six public hearings planned by the Legislature’s budget committee between March 23 and April 3. After those, the committee will make changes to the plan before the Senate and Assembly vote on it.

Doyle and legislative leaders hope to have it passed before the new fiscal year starts July 1.

[JeffG]

Doyle and legislative leaders hope to have it passed before the new fiscal year starts July 1.

The Revenue sharing money they sucked up wasn't enough, and they turned a surplus into a HUGE deficit to fund more liberal schools....watch out...air tax will be next.
When is the last time your lottery credit for Indian gaming amounted to more that a night out???