State Repubs get bitch-slapped onTABOR and I was there to see it

[sybylla]

http://www.wisinfo.com/newsherald/mnhlocal/282593792736068.shtml
TABOR causes a stir
By Matt Ollwerther
Marshfield News-Herald

LOYAL - Most of those who attended a meeting to explain a proposed Taxpayer Bill of Rights on Thursday night in Loyal were against the plan, many vociferously.

The meeting at the Loyal American Legion Hall, hosted by the Clark County Board and the Neillsville School District, included key TABOR supporters State Sen. Dave Zien, R-Wheaton, State Rep. Scott Suder, R-Abbotsford, and State Sen. Ron Brown, R-Eau Claire.

About 250 people attended the session, and when Zien asked elected officials there to stand, more than half the crowd stood.

Suder said it's clear increasing taxes are on the forefront of voters' minds. "It is ... the No. 1 issue throughout the state of Wisconsin," he said. "Taxpayers are crying out, and we're hearing them." Gov. Jim Doyle has vetoed previous attempts by the Legislature to freeze property taxes, Brown said. By adding a TABOR to the state's Constitution via a referendum question on the ballot, the governor would be circumvented, he said.
<snip>

Okay, this article doesn't do it justice but what can you expect from some punk kid who just graduated from journalism school a year ago. At least he aced his crowd estimation class. It was more like 300 to 350. We packed that place.

It started out the typical puke ra ra session with Sen. Ron Brown explaining to us dummies about how we are so over taxed and how survey after survey says over 70% of the people in Wisconsin want a tax freeze. Then we got more lies and misrepresntations about how much tax Wisconsinites pay. Then Sen. Dave Zein got up and talked about bridges (I think something happened to him in Vietnam). Then Rep. Suder got up and said, and I'm paraphrasing, "Um, yeah, what he said," essentially repeating a couple of Sen. Brown's talking points. Then Suder introduced his boyfriend, Sen. Jeff Woods who is the ultimate creator of TABOR and knows it all to tell us what Scott thinks.

Okay, that all took about an hour. Then, finally, we get some clarity. A representative of the School Superintendents Association stood up and talked about what TABOR would do to schools. A representative of the Wisconsin Counties Association got up and talked about how this would freeze a system of inequity in funding for counties and a representative of the Wisconsin Towns Association got up and talked about how Townships would die a relatively quick death under TABOR because they need flexibility to meet the irregular demands of road maintainence and other services they provide. They did all this in the half hour that was allotted to them.

Then the fun part started. Slowly, town officials, school board members, and plain ole county residents stood up and questioned the panel on TABOR. It became evident rather quickly that few there were in support of it and if they were, none rose to speak of it. My favorite was Frank Reith, an older man, rather large, wearing a red shirt and stripey bib overalls who went into quite a spiel about how the tax burden in this state has shifted from businesses in the '70's to homeowners now and finished with "I think this TABOR thing sucks." And the crowd went wild, clapping and cheering. From then on, it was an all out assault on the pukes.

They were criticized for handing out bogus information by one guy who stood up and cited confliciting data from reputable sources - after they wouldn't even answer his question on where they got their information from. They were accused of passing the buck by trying to balance the state's budget on the backs of the counties and local municipalities. They were accused of trying to strangle our public schools out of existence. And a representative of the Governor's office stood up and chewed them out for trying to blame the current budget problems and the fact that they don't get anything done in Madison on the Governor. Someone on the panel told Senator Brown to shut him up. I was toward the back of the room but someone I knew sitting up front heard it quite clearly.

It was the best forum they've had in this county in 10 years. And the most enjoyable political event I've been too in a long time in this here red county.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I think the tide is turning and there is blood in the water. Do we wait for the sharks or do we drown them first?

[CO Liberal]

1. The People of Colorado Voted for TABOR in 1992

It's been an albatross around the state's neck ever since.

[sybylla]

2. Most of the Dems here know all about the problems in Colorado

These idiots stood up and said this amendment doesn't look much like Colorado's TABOR amendment. I was actually surprised that no one seemed to be buying it. They shouldn't. It has the same think-tank source and is supported by the same pac or 527 or whatever they are.

My gut says this will go no where. But we've all seen the lack of shame the pukes have when someone's shoving money in their pockets. I could never say with any certainty that it will die a sudden death.

[Nothing Without Hope]

3. Good news. Maybe it's true that you can't fool all the people all the time

Let's hear it for citizens who go to meetings, think through things for themselves, and speak truth to power!

Thanks for this.

[rodeodance]

4. "and there is blood in the water" ---thanks, good story

".....Ladies and Gentlemen, I think the tide is turning and there is blood in the water. Do we wait for the sharks or do we drown them first?"

[ewagner]

5. My vote?

Drown the sons of bitches..........don't leave anything to chance...

Thanks for the great post Sybylla

[sybylla]

6. You shoulda been there, ewag

It was definitely worth the drive.