I know what you’re thinking, another election? Nomination papers are due today in the race to succeed Dan Vrakas as the State Representative in the 33rd Assembly District. Among those expected to file on the Republican side Kent Woods, Scott Newcomer, Troy Fullerton and David Marlow. On the Democrat side, Patrick Byrne. If Byrne wins, take it as a sign of the apocalypse. This is a solidly Republican district.Kent Woods has come out swinging with tax-cutting proposals. As Owen at Boots and Sabers notes, Woods has proposed a four-year tax freeze, he claims to support TABOR, he wants to hurry the Social Security Income Tax Exemption to 2007, and provide a deduction for high-deductable health insurace accompanied by medical savings plan.
One, Woods is no friend of TABOR. As Chris Lufter in a Waukesha Taxpayers League press release points out,
“Lobbyist Kent Woods wants us to believe he supports a tax freeze and a strong Taxpayer Bill of Rights, when in fact his record is quite the opposite. Kent has spent the last seven years in Madison lobbying AGAINST the taxpayers. He even testified against a bill that would have established property tax limits on government (AB 58). Additionally, while Kent now claims to support ending the automatic gas tax, his lobbying organization has fought against SB156, which would have ended the automatic increases. In fact, his organization has unbelievably even opposed a property tax exemption for disabled veterans (AB242).”Two, Woods also proposes a “two year review period” for state mandates, with the state either agreeing to pay for the mandates or the mandate ceasing to exist. Woods ignores that shared revenue is part of that process. Also, every local politician complains about “state mandates” but they never want the particular program to go away – they just want someone else to pay for it. So at the end of the two-year period, does Woods seriously contemplate the legislature will suddenly “find” the money or cut the programs? Or is it more likely his proposal is an excuse to raise taxes down the road?
Voters may remember Scott Newcomer’s last run for public office when he ran for State Senate in the primary against Ted Kanavas on the other side of Waukesha County. Newcomer will have to overcome the “carpetbagger” label (his name doesn’t help), but his defenders point out he moved to the district before there was even a possibility of an election, and he has lived in Waukesha County his entire life (except during college). Newcomer is also for TABOR, and is strongly pro-life.
Troy Fullerton is the only candidate endorsed by the Waukesha Taxpayers League, and has been an active part of the group. Fullerton is normally considered to be a solid conservative, especially on taxes. He is also a pro-life candidate. However, Fullerton may have carried his zeal for lower taxes one step too far when he proposed the lowering of property taxes for senior citizens in defiance of the state constitution’s uniformity clause. That uniformity clause has been instrumental in blocking attempts at all sorts of mischief by the Democrats, and tampering with it will only lead to disaster.
In an “open letter“ to the voters, Fullerton writes,
“Not only do out-of-control property taxes hinder our young adults trying to buy their first home—often forcing them out of state after college—but they can make it virtually impossible for older residents to keep the homes they’ve lived in for decades, because seniors on a fixed income just cannot afford ever-increasing taxes and fees. When I get to Madison, I will push for legislation exempting Wisconsin citizens aged 65 and older from school taxes. This is our most vulnerable generation, and we must make Wisconsin a more friendly retirement state by making it more affordable for seniors to continue living here.”Fullerton should retract this campaign statement and argue instead that lower taxes for everyone will be of special benefit to seniors in Wisconsin. If he leaves the statement as is, he’s either pandering or blind to the consequences. Either way, it’s not what Waukesha needs in representation.
Primary election is December 13th, and the general election takes place on January 10th.
Update! 11:26pm The deadline has passed and these are the official candidates for the Republican nomination (barring any unforeseen drops or signature petition challenges): Troy Fullerton of Waukesha; David Marlow of Hartland; Scott Newcomer of Hartland; Jack Perry of Waukesha; and Kent Woods of Pewaukee.
Update! 11/16/05 11:32am I removed a line from the quote taken from a Waukesha Taxpayer League press release after receiving a corrected version of the press release that did not include the line. The line read, "-- even Governor Jim Doyle signed that one into law!" and it was the last line of the quoted section.
