Seventy three weeks, that's how long a Wisconsin resident currently can collect unemployment checks.
Seventy three weeks to collect tax dollars from the state.
Extending unemployment and in effect increasing taxes on employers should be the last thing on our mind, right?
Wrong, not according to the Republicans in Madison.
The Republican controlled assembly has already passed a 13 week extension that would make it eighty six weeks of unemployment checks.
The Republican controlled senate is set to pass the extension Monday says Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau.
While the money to pay for this extension is coming from the federal government it is still paid by all of us individual tax payers.
As a business owner I already pay taxes high enough to make it difficult to keep hiring employees. If we continue to extend unemployment benefits then unemployment taxes will have to continue to be increased.
As taxes continue to increase on business owners they have only a few options: Stop hiring, cut pay, fire employees, or increase prices.
All of which hurt us Wisconsinites.
Due to a surge in unemployment claims in 2009 and 2010, Wisconsin owes the federal government $1.3 billion plus interest to cover unemployment payments.
1.3 Billion borrowed from the federal government. Let that sink in for a moment.
Despite receiving $134 million in federal stimulus funds, Wisconsin’s Unemployment Reserve Fund ended 2009 with a deficit of nearly one billion dollars.
Since then, Wisconsin has borrowed from the federal government in order to continue paying out unemployment benefits.
So whats the plan to fix this issue by the Republicans in Madison?
Extend unemployment benefits for an additional 13 weeks. Hows that for fiscal conservatism?
Scott Fitzgerald and his phoney "fiscal conservative" pals need to be told enough is enough, we need people back to work, not jacking up unemployment taxes on employers.
Will you call Senator Scott Fitzgerald right now (608-266-5660) and tell him extending unemployment an additional 13 weeks will only hurt Wisconsinites. Tell him that if he is supposedly a fiscal conservative to stand up and start acting like one!
After you call Scott Fitzgerald contact your Senator (click here to get their contact information) and tell them the same thing, standup and be a fiscal conservative. Do not extend unemployment benefits to 86+ weeks.
They are going to try and tell you that the money to pay for this is coming from the federal government and not to worry about it. Tell them right back federal taxes come out of my pockets just like state taxes.
Tell them that guess what, if you have not noticed the federal government is bankrupt as well.
We need people back to work but extending unemployment and jacking up taxes will not make that happen.
In Liberty;
Todd Welch
Interim-State Coordinator
Wisconsin Campaign for Liberty
P.S. Call Senator Scott Fitzgerald right now and tell him we see through his phony fiscal conservatism. Tell him to start acting like a real conservative and stop the 13 week extension of unemployment checks.
P.S.S After calling Scott Fitzgerald, contact your Senator (click here to get their contact information) and tell them the same thing.
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