OMG! you want us to pay for pensions=fascist pig

[McDreidel09]

Whoops. Sorry AA. I probably should never read posts under the influence of cold drugs.

[blas87]

You aren't alone in wishing they'd higher alcohol taxes. I think it'd only be fair, since they hopped on the bandwagon of taxing everything that's "bad" for you (smoking and tanning are now taxed heavily, but surprisingly, alcohol has stayed the same). If I can barely afford to smoke, then my boozehound buddies shouldn't get away with drinking at a cheaper rate, since we have such a huge problem with underage drinking and DUIs around here.

I still don't have a lot of sympathy for public workers. They have always and will always have it better than the private sector. This isn't a "nuclear" meltdown.

[BlaqueKatt]

You aren't alone in wishing they'd higher alcohol taxes

last time the beer tax in WI was raised was 1967-it was proposed to raise it $1 per 6 pack-there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth..."we'll go out of business" cried the breweries "no one will pay an extra dollar for a six pack" and so it wasn't raised, and they raised the price of the smoking and gas taxes(like they do every year) again

I still don't have a lot of sympathy for public workers. They have always and will always have it better than the private sector. This isn't a "nuclear" meltdown.

It is the oldest trick in politics it's a smokescreen. While everyone is upset about the unions He's backdooring the other issues. He will concede to the unions and pass the rest* unnoticed and unchallenged. And everyone will call it a victory, when he had zero plans to actually take away anything from them in the first place.

*cutting all funding for NPR, WPT/WPR, drastic reductions for medicaid/badgercare(free healthcare for the poor, mainly single moms and their kids) and domestic violence services. Sadly the few people I know that have actually read the entire bill are totally clueless about how government works.

The bill lists the above for "more appropriations" and they believe that increases funding, when in reality "appropriations" is government speak for "stuff we aren't allotting anything in the budget for"(the bank and car manufacturer bailout was funded by appropriations, as are the two wars the US is fighting=extra monies above and beyond the actual budget, needs to be approved by the legislature as a bill or part of a bill). And he knows all he has to do is attach the appropriations for those programs to something that is guaranteed to not pass.

[blas87]

Oh boy, now Obama has chimed in with his opinion. Like we asked for it, or something. Butt out, asshole. Once again with this "taking away our rights!!!!" bullshit.

[BlaqueKatt]

sadly living so close to the capitol building(3 blocks actually, I can see it from my front balcony) I can hear the protesters.....apparently the largest group since the Vietnam war protests, I find that fact terribly sad*....and hey, what do you know, no National Guard being called out.


*I guess unless money is involved we're an apathetic state?

[blas87]

I guess a bunch of teachers called in today and a bunch of students skipped out of class to support their teachers.

What a good example. But hey, I can honestly say if I were still in high school, I'd take the opportunity to skip out and take some "me" time at home. But I was a bad kid like that.

[Greenday]

You aren't alone in wishing they'd higher alcohol taxes. I think it'd only be fair, since they hopped on the bandwagon of taxing everything that's "bad" for you (smoking and tanning are now taxed heavily, but surprisingly, alcohol has stayed the same). If I can barely afford to smoke, then my boozehound buddies shouldn't get away with drinking at a cheaper rate, since we have such a huge problem with underage drinking and DUIs around here.

How much are you paying per cigarette vs. how much am I paying per beer at the bar? I can't take smokers seriously complaining about cigarette taxes when they are paying $7 for 20 cigarettes. That's nearly $0.33 per cigarette. I'm paying $3-5 per beer.

[KnitShoni]

How much are you paying per cigarette vs. how much am I paying per beer at the bar? I can't take smokers seriously complaining about cigarette taxes when they are paying $7 for 20 cigarettes. That's nearly $0.33 per cigarette. I'm paying $3-5 per beer.

You've never bought cigarettes at a bar, have you?

[Greenday]

You've never bought cigarettes at a bar, have you?

No, I've never bought cigarettes period. Never will. Sold them though. I don't even know if most bars sell them anymore because of the laws banning smoking in bars.

[Andara Bledin]

I can't take smokers seriously complaining about cigarette taxes when they are paying $7 for 20 cigarettes. That's nearly $0.33 per cigarette. I'm paying $3-5 per beer.

Let's see, comparing apples to apples:

Average tax on a $7 pack of cigarettes is about $2.00, or about 28%.
Average tax on a barrel of beer is less than $0.30.

It's not the smokers who I can't take seriously.

^-.-^

[Greenday]

I wish they'd show the rate of consumption for alcohol. Because I know one of the big reason for rising taxes on cigarettes is to "influence people to quit". And based on that page on cigarettes, it certainly seems to be working.

[Andara Bledin]

What does that even matter?

Except, perhaps, that we should up the tax on alcohol drastically in an attempt to do the same on what is a much more dangerous vice.

^-.-^

[Racket_Man]

Ya know the ONE thing that really gets me is that:

The very people who are protesting VOTED the Gov and the majority of both houses of the legislator (both REPUBLICAN) into office last Nov. cause YOU wanted change. WELL you got it.

Sorry folks you get what you pay for. the Republicans have been salivating to get back into power and do things THEIR way (whatever way this is) for years now. you voted them in NOW DEAL WITH IT for the next 2 and 4 years.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Not sure I agree with that. Government employees are normally a Democrat constituency.

And the day when this state ups the alcohol taxes significantly is the day this state turns into Egypt.

[blas87]

The majority of Wisconsin (well, the biggest areas) are very heavily liberal, so they weren't the ones who voted for him. They wanted Doyle's butt-buddy, Tom Barrett, to keep coddling people and giving hand-outs to whiners.