Vrakas: Let's Move The Deck Chairs Over HERE!!

Dan Vrakas is showing disturbing signs of a "Gummint Mentality."

Counties should be allowed to tap into rising revenue from the state's sales tax and keep some of the money for themselves, Waukesha County Executive Dan Vrakas said Wednesday.

Vrakas said he might seek state legislation that would permit counties to capture a share of revenue collected locally, using it to offset the cost of unfunded state mandates on county government.

"That's only right - it's only fair," he said...

Revenue from the state sales tax has increased steadily from $2.5 billion to $4 billion annually in the past 10 years, according to the state Revenue Department.

[Doyle spokesman] Matt Canter noted that the state's shared-revenue program already allocates to counties and other local governments an amount equal to 40% of the state's sales tax collections. Asking the state to give up future sales tax revenue, Canter said, could risk forcing cuts in shared-revenue distributions.

Dan, let's go back to Econ 101: COUNTIES SPEND TOO MUCH. If you think that the State has burdened counties with "unfunded mandates," then work to eliminate the mandates.

Vrakas' proposal merely ensures that County Gummits have a stake in continuing and/or increasing the State Sales Tax. That's the last thing that Wisconsin taxpayers need.