Wisconsin Way

Last night a meeting of Wisconsin Way was held in Eau Claire.

(From their website)

The Wisconsin Way is a unique partnership of statewide organizations with the goal of finding a new and better way to fund public services. Our members come from different backgrounds, but we all want the same thing—lower property taxes without lowering our quality of life.

The statewide effort is led by the Wisconsin Counties Association (WCA); the Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC); the Wisconsin REALTORS® Association (WRA); the Wisconsin Transportation Builders Association; and Wood Communications Group (WCG). These partners have joined together in an unprecedented statewide effort dedicated to achieving significant and permanent reductions in the amount of property taxes Wisconsin property owners pay each year, while at the same time protecting the services that make Wisconsin a special place to live. This is a goal that needs to be reached, and can be reached.

Since the initial round of meetings held around the state last fall, the sponsoring organizations have been busy organizing the thoughts of citizens who attended their public forums. Round two is intended to narrow the scope of the project and attempt to determine which changes in tax policy the public may stomach.

Time was spent brainstorming ideas on tax policy and economic develop issues. A wide variety of ideas were tossed out. Every idea is still on the table.

The biggest problem was the lack of time for the participants to think about what was being proposed as possible solutions. (An example of this would be consideration of a "Human TIF". Don't ask me, I still don't understand how it would work!)

Idea after idea after idea were fired in rapid succession. There weren't any handouts to take home to study. Their website does not have a listing of ideas offered. This morning I can probably remember only 1/10 of what was discussed.

I truly hope the meeting met the expectations of the sponsors, because as a citizen participant I was very disappointed. A classic "information overload".

Round three in Eau Claire is scheduled for September 11 when the sponsors are expected to unveil their proposals for changing the tax structure and other public policy issues.