Letters -- July 11, 2002

By Journal Times readers

Friday, July 19, 2002 12:09 AM CDT

"Contrary to the hue and cry, our state economy is not suffering because of 9/11 but because the collective Wisconsin taxes are driving out businesses, keeping new businesses from coming here and driving out the retired to states with more reasonable levels of taxation." -- John Haumersen

Stop the spending

What is it, Gov. McCallum and State Legislators, that you do not understand about the economy, taxes and spending? Your previous willful abrogation of the GAAP (meaning Generally Accepted Accounting Practices) resulted in accounting and fiscal practices that would land any Wisconsin businessman in jail and amounts to committing fraud and subterfuge in order to spend revenues that you don't have and can't get. Waiting until the last day or so of the fiscal year to pay bill, spend revenues so that they will not appear on the ledgers until the new fiscal year is one, contrary to good order and discipline and an obvious means of deluding the public into believing that you are complying with the Wisconsin Constitutional prohibition against budget deficits.

You with the able assistance of cities, towns, counties and schools taxed us into the unenviable position of 48th out of 51 taxing states for the average family and 50th out of 51 for the elderly. (Data from Bloomberg 'Personal Finance')

This year you intend to solve the problem by spending the remainder of the tobacco settlement money you obtained by claiming that it was needed to pay medical expenses insured by smokers and to help advertise against smoking. I presume that those expenses still hang over the heads of the taxpayers. Who will pay them as they become due and how? Not only is that bad, immoral and unethical management, it will result according to auditors in a new and greater $4-plus billion deficit in the next biannual budget. How are we going to bail out of that one?

Contrary to the hue and cry, our state economy is not suffering because of 9/11 but because the collective Wisconsin taxes are driving out businesses, keeping new businesses from coming here and driving out the retired to states with more reasonable levels taxation. To borrow from a well known political sign, "It's not the economy stupid, it's the spending."

Just to put a cap on it the $1.2 billion shortfall between expected revenues and spending represents about 2.6 percent of the total budget. I personally have never seen a government budget that was not at least 5 percent inflated. A nice across the board cut of spending would solve the problem and as a bonus quickly identify those department heads, state and local who should be kept on as good managers and those who should look for another career.

John Haumersen

8811 Foley Road, Racine

Cleanup was good

We brought out of town company to North Beach on July 5th and we were pleasantly surprised. In spite of the heavy fireworks attendance the previous evening, the beach was well groomed and exceptionally clean.

After a relaxing stroll and some quality laziness, we enjoyed refreshments at the vibrantly tropical concession stand. Thank you to all those responsible.

Claire Wagner

4124 Lexington Ave., Racine

Just bad manners

Recently I came back to Racine for the Fourth of July. While waiting in a long line at the men's room at North Beach just before the fireworks began, adult men were sending their young sons into the shower room to urinate and a lady came running through -- cut the whole line, and ran into a stall.

My oldest son was there also, and said we should tell the cop (by the time you do, it will be too late). You see more and more of this around everywhere, (ball games, auto racing, county fairs, etc.) I know the ladies' line was much longer, but ...

And to tell your young boys to urinate in the shower?

What's wrong with this picture?

William Henry

former Racine resident

Elcho, Wis.

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