A penny saved is a penny earned

And here I thought Rep. Mark Green was just proposing a "back to school tax holiday" -- an old, recycled idea, by the way -- to get some cheap headlines.

But there's another motive, JS Daywatch reports:

His proposal would exempt from the 5% sales tax school supplies that cost $50 or less, clothing and shoes under $100, and computers under $1,500. Green said this morning he spent about $18 on school supplies for his children.

So he would have saved 90 cents.

And it would "only" cost the state $5-million to $10-million, he says. [Update: Actually, it's a Journal Sentinel reporter who editorialized by saying "only," and it is not in quotes in the story.]

Such a deal.

Maybe we could better use that $5- to $10-million to offset the $350-million Green wants to cut from public schools if he becomes governor.

UPDATE: Carrie Lynch says Green ignores the big issues.

AFTERTHOUGHT: Do you think we could have a holiday from using our tax dollars to pay fired rogue cops?