CouleeConservatives.com

Is Land Purchase a State Spending Priority for You?

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported this week that the State of Wisconsin approved spending $18.5 million for the purchase of 24,922 acres through the State Stewardship Fund.

Wisconsin’s general fund balance is at $25 million.  While this might seem like a lot of money, it’s not.  Our state is mandated to maintain an ongoing balance of $65 million.  A general fund balance is much like a checking account balance.  In other words, this would mean that the state of Wisconsin’s checking account is dipping precariously low - low enough that we should wonder if we may be hit with some overdraft charges.

New Tax Increase on Senior Citizens Starts July 1

Anyone with a family member currently residing in a nursing home, please take note – a tax on nursing home beds increases again in July, to $170 per month.  If you are a private – pay resident you should expect to pay an additional $2,040 a year.

Protecting senior citizens has always been a priority of mine, which is why I have repeatedly fought against this tax, and a major reason why I voted against 2009 Wisconsin Act 28 (State Budget bill) that included this nursing home bed tax increase.

The nursing home bed assessment (tax) was created in 1991 as a way to support medical assistance (MA) nursing home rate increases.  All nursing home facilities are required to pay the Department of Health Services (DHS) a monthly assessment per licensed bed.

My wife and I were talking about our traditional July vacation Up North and I informed her that while I may be taking a vacation from work with her and the family I cannot, in good conscience, take a vacation from my country.  What do I mean by that?  I'll have my cell phone and laptop with me in our vacation cabin near the lake in St. Germain, Wisconsin so I can continue to work hard to help Dan Kapanke go to Congress to begin the process of strengthening our country and correcting the wrongs that have occurred under the watch of our current congressman.

You've seen the ads in print and online, heard them on the radio, and viewed them on TV.
 
"WALK FOR THE CURE!"
 
Everything from AIDS to diabetes and cancer to muscular distrophy. If there's a disease that needs a cure, there's usually a benefit walk to raise money toward battling the disease.
 
That's what I thought of when I volunteered to walk for Team Kapanke in today's June Dairy Days Parade.
 
I volunteered to walk with Team Kapanke because I believe the time to root out sycophants peddling big-government taxation and entitlement spending has long past. I believe America is a great nation, but she is being hindered by the liberals through reckless tax and spend tactics, statist (read: socialist) philosophy, and a general disregard for how history has shaped America.
 

Unnecessary Fee Increase Creates More Uncertainty for Main Street Businesses

Agency officials could not have picked a more devastating time to increase the cost of weights and measures fees for businesses across the state.  A proposal tucked inside last year's budget bill included a fee increase by the Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection (DATCP) and authorized the Department to determine the increase through the administrative rule process.

The administrative rule process is now underway and DATCP has approved a 300 percent increase on weights and measures fees from $100 to $420 that will target the pocketbook of grocery stores, co-ops and manufacturers in my district and throughout the state.  Businesses simply do not have unlimited resources to absorb this drastic increase from the state and ultimately the consumer will pay for it.