A little help here?

It’s us taxpayers who are marginalized.

A question for our platinum subscribers: which alder, school board member, county supervisor, or state legislator here in greater Madison WI campaigned for and serves as a friend of the taxpayer?

We can’t think of a single one, either. 

Most of our elected officials vow to represent “marginalized communities,” which, by the evidence, should include taxpayers but do not. Give our out-state Republican state legislators some credit. They cut a deal with the Democrat Gov. Tony Evers to return $1.8 billion of the state’s $2.4 billion surplus, some of it directly to taxpayers in the form of $600 rebate checks to joint filers, about $315 million for special ed, and $300 million to offset K-12 school taxes; translates to $25 million to the Madison school district where property tax payers are groaning under the weight of a $607 million school spending referendum.

The teachers union candidate for governor, State Sen. Kelda Roys (D-Madison) complains that returning money to the taxpayer is “the height of irresponsibility.” State Rep. Francesa Hong, a Madison Democrat/socialist, calls it “A payday loan.” No, young lady, we loaned it to you; now we want it back. 

In our NextDoor neighborhood feed, Mary in Arbor Hills wondered “why the state doesn’t release a larger portion of the billion dollar plus surplus to help with tax relief? …  Kinda bites when people are seeing 19% property tax increases.”

“My property taxes went up 26% last year,” says another neighbor named Scott. “How is that craziness sustainable?” (A Democrat buzz word.)

→ Two Senate Republicans and all 15 Democrats in 33-member Senate said to oppose the deal. No vote as of 7:43 p.m 05-13-26.

Meanwhile, Dane County wants to buy 165 acres of land along the Yahara River south of McFarland for $6.4 million to give away to the Ho-Chunk Nation. The same Dane County government facing a $15 million structural deficit.

Blaska’s Bottom Line: We call that reparations, poorly disguised. The state’s direct refunds are welcome but it’s a one-time bailout. State Sen. Steve Nass contends the State of Wisconsin is itself facing a $500+ million structural deficit. We say again, the problem is not insufficient funds but SPENDING!

Republican governor candidate Tom Tiffany notes points out that Tony Evers enabled school districts to jack up spending by $325 per pupil every year — for 400 years (!!!) Multiply that by the district’s 27,000 students, now multiply that by just 10 years.

What did you get?

besides another day older and deeper in debt?