As Wisconsin Leads the Nation in Job Loss, Scott Walker Raises Taxes on Low-Income Families

By Melissa Baldauff

Despite his promise to oppose any and all tax or fee increases, Scott Walker's budget raised taxes on working families to the tune of nearly $70 million, giving Wisconsin the dubious distinction of being one of the only states to raise taxes on their neediest families, according to a study from the nonprofit Center on Budget and Policy Priorities that was reported in the Appleton Post Crescent:

As Wisconsinites await W-2 forms and related tax documents, hundreds of thousands of low-income families are bracing for a state budget change that will mean less money in their wallets next year.

Last summer, the state Legislature reduced the amount of money low- income families can receive in tax credits by $56.2 million.

That places Wisconsin among only a handful of states that will effectively raise taxes on their poorest residents in 2012, according to a recent study by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a nonprofit think tank.

The study specifically discusses Walker's $56.2 million cut to the Earned Income Tax Credit, which lowers tax liability for lower-income working families as an incentive to work their way out of poverty rather than collect welfare. Walker's budget also imposed a nearly $14 million tax increase on seniors and working families by reducing the Homestead Tax Credit, affecting 247,000 homeowners and renters.

Scott Walker has led a full assault on the working people of Wisconsin to reward his super-rich campaign donors with $2.8 billion in handouts and corporate tax credits. Wisconsin used to be a leader in pioneering programs that help expand economic opportunity for low-income families, but now we are one of the only states in the country to raise taxes on the poor. With Scott Walker leading the nation in job loss, Wisconsin workers and families simply can't afford to have Scott Walker as governor any longer.

Help us recall Scott Walker by downloading a petition that you can circulate amongst your friends and family so we can elect a new governor who will stands up for Wisconsin's working, middle-class families.