Monday, August 08, 2011

Milk-Carton Tom On a Skewer

My, my.  Seems like the City of Milwaukee has a problem.

Mayor Tom Barrett says he wants to follow the law [Act 10] - pushed through by his political rival, Gov. Scott Walker - and boost most city employees' pension contributions to 5.5% of their pay, starting in 2012.

Funny.  I don't see a "Recall Barrett" push by the usual suspects.

Anyhoo....

...City Attorney Grant Langley says the law doesn't apply to Milwaukee.

Thus, the City's Comptroller, Wally Morics, will NOT withhold those contributions from payroll.  It's at least an $8 million/year question.

That opinion is based on the "home rule" provisions of State law which may (or may not) have been overridden by Act 10.

We have always been a backer of 'subsidiarity'--the philosophical concept which states that the lowest level of government should resolve problems or issues which rest in that government's domain.  So to our mind, Langley's right, and if the City of Milwaukee wants to raise its prop-tax to 100% of assessed valuation, so be it.  It's not the State's business. 

So Go For It, Grant!

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