Could special tax breaks for state businesses be on the way out with Republicans now in charge? State Representative Robin Vos notes Harley-Davidson took a pass on state tax breaks – and says more needs to be done to support all businesses in the state. “Harley-Davidson came out saying ‘we do not want state tax credits, because it has way too many strings and way too much red tape.’ We just have to look at what’s going to grow every single business in our state, not just the ones who get handpicked for special gifts from Madison.”
Vos, who will serve as co-chair of the legislature Joint Finance Committee, says Governor-elect Scott Walker has set an aggressive agenda for getting things turned around in Wisconsin. “We have a three billion dollar deficit, and that is just a huge problem to overcome. But I am confident we’re going to do it by cutting spending, reprioritize where we put the money that we take from taxpayers, and making sure that we do not take anymore, and we don’t raise taxes,” said Vos. “Reducing regulations, trying to eliminate red tape, take a real good look at what we’re spending our money on for economic development and make sure it goes right towards job creation and not creation of more government programs.”
Vos said voters last time gave the Democrats a chance to run everything, and now, with taxpayers saying let’s reverse course, there will be sharper focus. “Governor Walker is going to be appointing a group of private sector citizens to take a look at every single part of state government with a goal of finding $300 million in waste, fraud and abuse,” said Vos. “We’re going to find an awful lot of mismanagement that’s been done by Governor Doyle over the past 8 years. Voters handed the GOP majorities in both chambers of the legislature. Vos will co-chair the powerful budget panel with state Senator Alberta Darling of River Hills.
Tom Karkow, WRJN