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Burke Agrees With Walker On Low-Bracket Tax Cuts But Favors Paying Down Debt

Democrat Has Announced Gubernatorial Bid

By
Mary Burke
Candidate for governor Mary Burke.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mary Burke said that while it’s irresponsible for Gov. Scott Walker to propose cutting taxes while ignoring Wisconsin’s growing debt, she favors part of Walker’s plan.

Walker proposed his tax cut package after a new revenue estimate projected a nearly billion-dollar surplus. Burke called it a rosy projection.

“We’re just six months into a two-year budget cycle, and I don’t know too many Wisconsin families who would rush out to spend money they may not even have, particularly when they’ve racked up a bunch of debt,” she said.

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Walker’s plan is estimated to grow the state’s structural deficit by about $100 million, which Burke calls financially irresponsible. She said if she were governor, she’d use about half of the surplus to pay down debt and bolster the state’s rainy day fund.

But, when it comes to the income tax cut proposed by Walker in his State of the State address, Burke is on the same page.

“I certainly am in favor of the reduction in the income tax for that lower bracket,” she said.

Likewise, Burke said she’d also cut property taxes, but unlike Walker, she said she’d target it at homeowners and not also include businesses.

That could be difficult in Wisconsin, where the constitution’s “uniformity clause” requires all property to be taxed at the same rate.