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Dear Editor:
How dumb do they think we are? Republicans in our state have just shut down the possibility of an increase in the gas tax that would have been earmarked to fix roads: the very roads that are getting attention nationwide for being in such bad shape, the very roads that Senator
Marklein campaigned on, saying he was going to fix them. But the Republicans, and the Joint Finance Committee (the so-called non-partisan -12 Republicans, 4 Democrats) have said no to the gas tax increase that Gov. Evers requested as part of his budget proposal. Sen. Marklein is on this committee. Instead of a gas tax hike, the Republicans will have an increase in car registration, license renewals, title fees, and raise the "fee" on hybrids. BUT...instead of calling the increases a tax, they are calling them a "FEE"...when in fact, they are a new tax. But they think their constituents are dumb, easily fooled, and gullible. Do they (and Marklein) not know that we do know that fee = tax. It is time to call our senators or representatives and let them know that we are not, in fact, dumb, easily fooled, or gullible.
So when your Senator says, "I will work for you. ...and ..no new taxes...and contact me if you have a problem"..remember that the Republicans assume we are dumb...let's show them how wrong they are. We know a fee = a tax...no matter what you call it. Raising the costs of owning a car in WI will not add a huge amount into the state's coffers. The JFC members missed a chance to make a huge difference by raising the gas tax - which would tax ALL the people using our roads...not just Wisconsinites. What would cost us an average of $40/year is far less than the cost of repairing a car damaged on our roads.
An Addendum: I received Sen. Marklein's weekly email saying how wonderful the Joint Finance Committee is doing in not raising our taxes. And how they are giving so much money to fix our roads. The old adage...numbers don't lie, they say whatever you want them to say...in this case, so true.
Barbara Voyce
Lone Rock