Sales Tax Subterfuge: More Lies, Deceit, and Hypocrisy  

For several months now, members of our big-tax, big-spending, Ament-defending local leadership have pushed a proposal to triple the county sales tax.  They continue to trot out the same old tiresome lies about property tax relief and draconian cuts to services to justify extracting another $120 million from the pockets of county taxpayers.  They claim that county taxpayers should be happy to contribute to the many good causes the sales tax increase will support.

But, wait a minute, if these civic leaders truly believed in these causes, wouldn't/shouldn't they ALREADY be contributing to them.  The most recent study by the Chronicle of Philanthropy, the leading national publication on giving, reports that Milwaukee County residents easily exceed the national average for contributions to good causes.  Yet, a recent open records request by CRG reveals not one single person in Milwaukee County has made a voluntary tax contribution to support the "good causes" the increased sales tax would support.  Why is it that these so-called leaders fail to VOLUNTARILY support the very causes they wish to FORCE county taxpayers to support?  Why have they failed the ultimate tests of leadership - leadership by example and putting their money where their mouth is?!

Click Here to view the press release that challenges local leaders and every taxpayer to ask and answer five key questions about the proposed sales tax increase.  The answers may shock you at first, but, you will soon realize you knew the sordid truth from the beginning.

1. The big-tax crowd does not believe their own rhetoric.  They have ulterior motives for increasing taxes.
2. The sales tax increase is based on lies, deceit, and hypocrisy.
3. The sales tax referendum itself is dishonest and not worthy of support.
4. There is a better way to solve our fiscal problems.

Finally, CRG will make a prediction in the event the sales tax increase does make it to referendum

1. It will be defeated.  County resident know a scam when they see one.
2. The county board will introduce additional proposals to increase the sales tax by a lower amounts until they manage to pass an increase of some sort (this is a not much of a prediction because there have already been two other proposals).

For those who are interested, here are links to the documents used in the investigation that prompted this expose'.

Open Records Request to All Milwaukee County Municipalities

Responses from Milwaukee County Municipalities

Bayside
Brown Deer
Cudahy
Fox Point
Franklin
Hales Corners
Glendale
Greendale
Greenfield
Milwaukee
Oak Creek
River Hills
Saint Francis
Shorewood
South Milwaukee
Wauwatosa
West Allis
West Milwaukee
Whitefish Bay