Dems having some fun with tax numbers;Republican sniping seems off-target

Wisconsin Democrats are on a roll with media coverage of property taxes in the past week or so.

The Dems and Gov. Jim Doyle find themselves in the unusual position of getting some positive ink on the tax issue, while Republicans try without much success to snipe at Doyle's budget vetoes and the property tax freeze it produced.

The fact is that most people in Wisconsin will find that their property taxes either went down or increased a lot loss than they have in recent years. There are exceptions, of course. Everybody won't be happy. No state law will ever impact every local taxing body identically. But for Wisconsinites who have become used to seeing their property taxes climb at a pretty good clip every year, the current bills are a pleasant surprise.

Rep. Mark Green looked a little silly criticizing Doyle's approach after the Dems revealed that Green's own taxes had gone down $300.

Speaker John Gard's property taxes in Peshtigo went up $3, from $2,068 to $2,071. That certainly gives some of his rhetoric a hollow ring.

The Wisconsin Alliance of Cities offered this summary:

Even Arithmetic Becomes Partisan in Madison

When Gov. Jim Doyle issued a study concluding that property taxes in Wisconsin are increasing just eight-tenths of one percent thanks to his budget bill, one of his Republican oipponents, Scott Walker of Wauwatosa, accused him of perpetrating an "outright lie." Another opponent, U.S. Rep. Mark Green, said he was waiting for an independent agency to review the numbers.

Assembly Speaker John Gard said under a GOP plan, property taxes would have gone up even less than the $23 statewide average calculated by Doyle's budget office. State Budget Director Dave Schmiedicke said that wasn't true.

Republicans can be expected to believe the GOP math, and Democrats the governor's math. Republicans can be expected to point to local levy increases in high-growth areas, where new construction allowed levy limit leeway. Democrats can be expected to tout the bottom-line impact on individual property tax payers, because Doyle increased school aids $404 million more than Republicans had sought, driving down the bottom line. And they can be expected to pick individual property owners that embarrass Republicans the most.

For example, the Democratic Party of Wisconsin told Walker to look across the aisle in his campaign office, where campaign manager Bruce Pfaff's property taxes went down $145. And Green should be boasting of a property tax reduction that exceeded $300, party chair Joe Wineke said. Among the media, Milwaukee talk show host Mark Belling's property taxes went down $448, the Democrats reported.

Other property tax reductions being quietly enjoyed — but not exactly touted — by Republican luminaries are available in a Democratic Party news release here.

The moral of the story that there is no "average home" — certainly not owned by the likes of Green or Walker — anywhere in the state. And if there is one, the circumstances of the community in which it is located have as much to do with its property tax levels as anything else. Is it located in a rich community or a poor one? Is it located in a rich school district or a poor one? Have voters approved a referendum to build a big new school or two? Is new growth lowering property taxes or raising them?

Wisconsin State Journal columnist Melanie Conklin had a little fun with the issue, too:

Taking issue with taxes

Last month Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker, a Republican candidate for governor, challenged Gov. Jim Doyle to show him an “average property tax bill anywhere in the state that is not going up for next year.”

Almost a month later, on Thursday, Wisconsin Democratic Party chair Joe Wineke sent Walker a reply.

“I’m happy to report to you that an analysis released this week by the State Budget Office shows that Wisconsin residents across the state will see dramatic property tax relief under Gov. Doyle’s property tax freeze,” writes Wineke. “If you refuse to believe the facts of this report, I suggest you look across your campaign office at your campaign manager Bruce Pfaff, whose property taxes went down $145.27 this year.”

In fact, Democrats this week released a flurry of examples – all of them Republicans who have complained about Doyle’s budget and his version of a tax freeze. Walker’s GOP opponent, U.S. Rep. Mark Green, saw his bill drop $309. Joint Finance co-chair Dean Kaufert’s tax bill went down $173. Senate President Alan Lasse’s bill is down $160. You get the drift.

Shockingly, the Republicans are not sending Doyle fruit baskets to express their gratitude.

“If you look at Joe Wineke’s tax bill it has gone up over the past three years,” replies Rick Wiley, executive director of the Republican Party of Wisconsin. (It went up $139 for 2005, according to the Dane County Web site.) “I think because of the loopholes in Doyle’s freeze, others have bills that are going up – way up. Of course, it’s a good thing we’re seeing some bills come down.”

Was that an inadvertent kudos to the governor? “It was a compliment to the Republican legislature,” laughs Wiley.

Nor is Pfaff popping champagne to celebrate his savings. “It’s easy to cherry-pick,” says Pfaff. “We’re not talking about me or Jim Doyle, we’re talking about the average taxpayer.” He adds that his boss’ bill wasn’t mentioned by the Democratic Party. “Scott’s bill went up $165. Somehow that wasn’t in the letter.”

Madison's WISC-TV, Channel 3, also has checked in with a story, Politicians Pony Up Their Property Tax Bills

Since anyone who comments on this is at risk of having his/her property taxes checked, I'll save the Republicans the trouble. Our Milwaukee property tax bill increased 1% on our home, while property taxes on our cottage in Waupaca County, one of the most conservative areas in the state, went up 2.4%. We are quite satisfied with that.