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That basic idea has been the driving force behind the Taxpayer Protection Amendment, a state constitutional amendment over 10 years in the making that will place a cap on government growth and spending.
This past week, the state Assembly passed the Taxpayer Protection Amendment. I voted in favor of this amendment. Once adopted by the people of the state in a referendum vote, the amendment will limit the growth of state government general-purpose spending to 90 percent of the growth in personal income.
Put simply, upon passage of the amendment, state government will never again be able to go up faster than our income. While there are many services government provides, the best service I believe we can provide is to bring taxes and spending in line with our ability to pay.
Keep in mind, this amendment does not require cuts in government spending. It will limit the growth in government to a level below our personal income.
In this debate people line up on two sides. You, the taxpayer on one side and on the other the professional tax spenders. We will hear from the tax spenders that limiting government spending will force cuts or elimination of some of the most important and essential programs our people rely upon.
Tax spenders will tell you government must provide every service, keep every position filled and pay for rising costs like health care and fuel costs. The question is not what we must cut, but what can we no longer afford.
Your housing, health care, fuel and food costs are going up, too. You have to live on what you earn and make. Why shouldn’t government have to make the same decisions you have to by living within our means?
When you hear about all of the programs that could be jeopardized or eliminated ask the tax spenders “what will you be spending my money on?”
You and I both know that government taxes billions of dollars. The tax spenders will tell you government income comes from the local property tax, or from the state or federal government. But all tax money comes out of one pocket. Yours!
If a government tax spender is going to cut education for our children, or programs for our elderly, disabled and poor, where is the money going? A cap on spending growth will force elected officials to truly make tough decisions. To prioritize government spending the way each of us must in our personal budgets.
The Taxpayer Protection Amendment will make government recognize that spending can not increase beyond your ability to pay.
You will hear from the tax spenders nonstop. You may even hear from some who say this amendment was an idea that came up last minute, or is being used as a political gimmick.
How many of you believe that controlling government spending is a new idea?
And how can a question put to a vote of the people that will fundamentally change government spending be a gimmick?
This amendment is, in fact, long overdue in Wisconsin!
This coming week, the state Senate will take up the Taxpayer Protection Amendment. If the Senate passes it, both the Assembly and Senate must pass it again after the next election before it can go to a vote of the people for inclusion in our Constitution.
You see, if we are going to force government to bring taxes in line with our ability to pay, it will not be the Legis-lature, the governor or other professional tax spenders who do it.
Only the people of Wisconsin, in a vote at an election can amend the Consti-tution.
Only you will have the opportunity to tell government it spends too much. Taxpayers will have the chance to stand up for themselves!
Mike Huebsch, R-West Salem, is majority leader of the Wisconsin State Assembly.
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