Green and Jessica

Jessica picked up on a factoid which Rep. Green is using in his campaign appearances:

He said that Wisconsin has the highest number of households with both parents working of any state in the nation. ANY STATE IN THE NATION. Maybe that's been reported before, and I just missed it. But I didn't know that, and it struck me: That really brings the high tax issue home.

There's little question that the situation for families in Wisconsin is grim--and if that family has more than the 2.3 children (whatever) of the statistical average, it's VERY grim, in terms of net-cash-flow after taxes.

While Green lays a good deal of the blame on taxes, it's the SPENDING which causes the taxes. And it's the TAXES and REGULATIONS which cause a good deal of the indirect costs of living here: those nice manufacturers and merchants who sell 'stuff' to you have an incredible cost structure imposed on them by local, State, and Federal agencies and the Wisconsin "spend-it-now" Legislature and Governor.

YOU pay for the regs, and YOU pay for their taxes, too.

There is an alternative, of course. One can purchase or rent housing more cheaply, drive cars which require a couple rolls of duct-tape and several miles of mechanic's wire/year, forget the health-insurance...

Options which never were required in Wisconsin during the 1950's, or even the 1960's.