End Indexing of Gas Tax; Begin Extortion by Other Means

Never, ever, EVER worry about whether the RoadBuilders will have enough to eat.

Never, ever, EVER worry that the Bond-Merchants will have enough to eat.

Worry, NOW, whether YOU will have enough to eat!

When the Legislature ended taxation-without-representation in the form of an automatic fuel-tax increase, the hydra-headed beast of RoadBuilding simply found another source of funds.

Fees. And bonding.

Drivers would pay $53 for their titles when they buy a car next year, up from the current $28.50. That would be in addition to a $20 increase in the vehicle registration fee, now $55.

Huebsch and Doyle didn't mention that car-title increase, did they?

Commercial trucking companies would see a 30% increase in vehicle registration fees - twice as much as what lawmakers had earlier proposed. The heaviest trucks would pay $2,560 a year, up from $1,969.50.

...raising the price of groceries, if they were hauled here, and diapers when they're hauled from Wisconsin to other States...but not to worry. Wisconsin residents have PLENTY of spare cash.

The budget includes two dozen highway earmarks and requires the Department of Transportation to expand Highway 23 in Fond du Lac County starting in 2009 even though the agency has said the widening isn't needed until 2020 or later.

The 19-mile project from Fond du Lac to Plymouth has been marked by legislative intervention from the start. Lawmakers in 1999 passed a law requiring the expansion after bypassing the DOT and a commission that reviews large road projects.

This is a pet project of a major Dem contributor/developer.

No reason that State taxpayers shouldn't widen that road. There's not much traffic on it now--so it won't be a bother when roadbuilders are making it wider. /snark

The DOT would be required to give grants to two dozen communities. Among the awards: $950,000 for Kenosha streets; $100,000 for a pedestrian path and bridge at the Milwaukee Urban Ecology Center; and $800,000 for a West Allis bike trail.

The Mars Cheese Castle, which is in the district of Assembly Democratic Leader Jim Kreuser of Kenosha, would be allowed to relocate its massive sign on I-94 regardless of any local and state restrictions. Kreuser said the provision was included because the state is requiring the shop to move the sign as part of a highway widening project.

The budget also prohibits the DOT from adding traffic lanes on I-94 adjacent to Wood National Cemetery in Milwaukee. It also bars building a truck weigh station in Rockland, which is in Huebsch's district

But the State "only" adds an $890 MILLION deficit at the end of the biennium.

Not to mention $2 BILLION in additional State Credit-Card debt.

StevEgg's take:

...it is an all-but-complete win for Doyle and the ‘Rats. While it is true that total spending is significantly less than what was originally proposed by both Doyle and the JFC, almost all of that is a result of taking less from the taxpayers of the entire country. The spending of Wisconsin taxpayer dollars is only $25,413,300 less than what came out of the Joint Finance Committee and $40,046,000 less than what Doyle wanted in the first place. To contrast, that spending is $399,210,200 more than what the Assembly wanted.

My calculator shows that Doyle got 90.9% of the difference. That, combined with both the present and future tax increases to pay for the excesses of Doyle’s spending in this and previous budgets, gives the ‘Rats a knockout win

Remember, Wisconsin DoR is happy to take your money at the point of a gun.