I really like Scott Walker. He is a personal friend. But he really pooched things on Friday.
I would have preferred that Walker had either approved the Kenosha casino or delayed his denial so that Bob Vander Plaats and other religious/political extremists couldn't use Walker's decision as a show of strength for Iowa 2016. It now paints Gov. Scott Walker - the man who stood up to and beat back powerful labor unions - as a man who is afraid to stand up to both Iowa zealots AND the corrupt Potawatomi Tribe.
While many members of Walker's Wisconsin base are disappointed or even upset at Walker's Kenosha casino decision AND its timing, there will be ABSOLUTE HELL to pay if Gov. Walker includes a "Jock Tax" in his state budget next week. This move only serves the interests of liberal downtown Milwaukee Democrats and the uber-liberal NY-based billionaire owners of the Milwaukee Bucks.
Any "Jock Tax" will immediately divert those tax monies away from their current use in the general fund. That diversion will require Walker to either cut spending or increase other taxes. Further, the concept of using state funds to subsidize NBA millionaires and billionaires is horrifying to most conservatives.
Acquiescing to the NBA's contractually mandated threat to move the Bucks if a new arena is not built further runs contrary to Scott Walker's image as a strong leader. I am astonished that Walker would kowtow to the NBA's blackmail and include it in his biennial budget.
Scott Walker is getting and listening to some really advice. And if this advice is coming because Walker is running for President in 2016, he better remember that he needs to do better in his day job as Governor of Wisconsin.
Do JR and Bobby know about this?
They wanna tax THAT now????????????.................
Bad idea.
A jock tax will result in reduced usage of jocks.
This will result in more injuries to athletes’ sensitive areas and ultimately to MORE deflated balls.
And combating deflated balls is the single most important issue facing this country right now...
Here’s a radical idea:
How about the Milwaukee Buck’s build their own arena and the government simply stay out of it all together?
Scott Walker's doing a big government thing here....not impressive. Why do politicians think just because they have money coming in that they have to spend it on something new?
When push comes to shove, they are all the same.
While I am opposed to any public funding of a new sports arena in Milwaukee or elsewhere in Wisconsin, this proposal seems to be a rational.
My understanding is that current revenues from NBA players will not change. Only the increased revenues will be applied to the new arena. With inflation this could be a significant contribution over the next 10 years.
The alternative if the arena is not built and the Bucks leave town, then there would be no increase in revenues and probably a substantial decrease.
Interesting concept. You want a new stadium? Get the athletes to help pay for it. I’d expand the tax to musical acts, as well.
I imagine, though, that the NAACP will declare it an unfair tax with African-Americans shouldering most of the burden.
I seem to be missing something here.
Just me, but turning down a casino proposal and going for a tax that will make NBA players pay for their own stadium is a good thing.
So why all the fuss?
Isn’t it about time those millionaires who play the game pay?
Instead of the common Joe on the street who already pay at the gate to watch those millionaire leftists play?
And since when did Free-republic become full of conservatives who think casinos are good anyway.
As I asked, “Am I missing something here?”
I generally am against tax hikes of any kind, but I think I make exception for the NBA players. Like it
I spoke before thinking...I thought this was a new extra tax just on the NBA players, I am for that. But I see it`s actually only diverting their current taxes.
Hey I am for taxing liberal Churches, NAACP etc
Team will become the Seattle Bucks faster than you can say “John Galt”.
It is a hypothecated tax http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypothecated_tax
There should be no public funding of sports arena’s, tell these billionaire owners to build their own crap
Hasn’t Walker already endorsed illegal immigration and bashed those who want conservatives to run against RINO leaders?
Walker doesn’t even show up on my Presidential list.
So I assume the player income tax went into the general fund? And now those revenues will go to the sports arena? So what gets cut in the mean time?
Can’t they buy jocks online from other states?
That is racist since there are so many black players. /sarcasm
Anybody who believes that a tax on NBA salaries is anything more than populist trickery has a deflated basketball. It just gives cover for wasting tax payer money on a stadium, while trying to buy a touch of goodwill from the union leadership and political donors who will get rich off the spending.
Let the team build their own stadium, like all businesses should. Keep the government out of it.
Walker's plan calls for:
1. The State of Wisconsin to issue a $220 million revenue bond.
2. The bond to require full and immediate repayment by the Bucks if they are sold before the retirement of the debt.
3. The establishment a Jock Tax "base" of the current tax revenue from NBA players at $6.5 million.
4. The state of Wisconsin to divert all "surplus" NBA Jock Tax monies in excess of $6.5 million annually to help retire the $220 million revenue bond.
5. The Jock Tax surplus diversion will continue until bond debt is retired.
I will acknowledge that Walker's plan is innovative. It also creates the illusion (but not the reality) that the NBA players are paying for the new arena.
But I'm still opposed to any state funding for a new downtown Milwaukee arena.
I don't like creating a false "surplus" (maybe if the $6.5 million base were indexed for inflation, I would have less of an issue).
I don't like subsidizing billionaires.
A new arena is not needed and will turn the Bradley Center into another unused arena facility.
A new arena will not result in any new economic development other than construction.
It will create economic losers among the local bar and restaurant owners currently near the Bradley Center.
It will make the Bucks and their affiliated bar & restaurant owners in the new arena economic winners.
Government should not be picking economic winners and losers.