The vast majority of respondents to an informal reader survey said lawmakers should pass a $1.8 billion plan that lawmakers are fiercely debating and set to vote on in the state Capitol on May 13.
Of the 172 readers who responded to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s unscientific survey within the first 20 hours it was open, more than three-quarters supported the bill – 131 said lawmakers should pass it into law, and 41 said they should not.
Asked which part of the plan appealed to them the most, 79 said it was the plan to lower property taxes by directing hundreds of millions of dollars to schools. Next came the boost in special education reimbursement for school districts, with 57 votes.
Another 30 said they were most interested in the direct rebate checks that would send up to $300 to individuals and $600 to married couples. Six readers selected making tips and overtime pay exempt from state income taxes.
The state Assembly was debating into the afternoon on the bill negotiated by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and Republican legislative leaders. Its future is uncertain in the state Senate, where Republican candidate for governor Tom Tiffany has made calls sharing his opposition to the deal.
Democratic lawmakers and candidates for governor have joined Tiffany in blasting the deal, with some calling it inadequate and not solving long-term problems. Evers said the position from Tiffany and Democrats is “odd.”
“I just think it’s kind of an odd position for people to say, ‘We’re not going to do this now, we’ll do this maybe in a year and a half we’ll get this done,’ when we could do it right now,” he told reporters in Oak Creek. “That is not something that you can run for reelection on and win.”
What readers think of the $1.8 billion taxes, schools bill
Here are a few of the responses readers who support the bill sent in:
➤”Wisconsinites need help now. Our kids and schools need help now. Waiting for an election to happen to do something that can be done now is not only bad politics but also not doing the right thing for those who call Wisconsin home,” – Taylor, 25, New Richmond.
➤”I’m sick of the fighting. It sounds like it will be used for some good things,” – Amy, 66, Sheboygan.
➤”Rarely is [there] agreement between our parties in Wisconsin; given the rare agreement, pass the bill. Improved schools and tax relief to offset the high cost of gas makes sensible use of the surplus,” – Brian, 67, Sherwood.
➤”50 percent for special education is a really big deal for our schools,” – Cara, 29, Portage.
➤”It is not a fix of our state’s burdensome property taxes but is a step towards a solution and is a timely action that recognizes the economic pressure we are now under,” – Dan, 65, Jacksonport.
➤”There is no guarantee that after the November elections either party will be willing to compromise in such a way as to help schools, and help taxpayers with immediate relief. Do it now,” – Jeff, 70, Milwaukee.
➤”It’s a step in the right direction and a pragmatic compromise in divided government,” – Michael, 44, Janesville.
➤”Wisconsin schools are grossly underfunded. It’s exciting to see some kind of agreement among the parties. We should run with it while we can,” – Kelly, 56, West Allis.
Here’s a sampling of responses from readers who oppose the bill:
➤”Zero oversight, bad for [Wisconsin] long term, doesn’t fix anything – just a $300 Band-Aid,” – Rebecca, 36, Milwaukee.
➤”This is a temporary fix only. We need a full-on revamp of school funding to catch up with years of failure to fund schools. The ‘rebate checks’ are an election year scam,” – Paul, 70, Hudson.
➤”As much as I love the idea of providing education funding, everything else about this bill is gimmicks and short-term points scoring that doesn’t address long-term issues facing our state … It’s short-sighted political games that will help a few people next week, but doesn’t do anything to invest in the future,” – John, 43, Milwaukee.
➤”Cut tax rates long term instead of one-time rebate. Adding more spending over the long term with worsening educational outcomes. Decrease school administration and increase teacher pay,” – Steve, 68, Oconomowoc.
➤”They should vote no because $300 is not useful to me as an individual, does nothing for the state and school funding without a plan is not good policy. They should pool the tax checks together to fix our roads, not just freeways … It’s one year of funding, and that’s not sustainable. There needs to be a permanent funding plan,” – Lisa, 54, Milwaukee.
➤”As a married couple, $600 does very little to help our long-term financial issues,” – Meredith, 32, Jackson.
Hope Karnopp can be reached at HKarnopp@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Vast majority support $1.8B state spending plan in our reader survey
Reporting by Hope Karnopp, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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