The overhype of 2009 in Badgerland is the reputation of the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance as an objective source for tax analysis. While our national economic collapse due to the continuing failure of the conservative “free market” policies of George W. Bush was off concern to almost every Wisconsinite, WISTAX and its face, Todd Berry, came into 2009 with the laughable prediction the state budget deficit – which topped $6.6 billion – would fall somewhere between $650 million and $1 billion. Why was WISTAX suddenly a deficit Pollyanna? Is it because for the first time in 40 years, the Legislature was pondering an income tax raise to the wealthiest 1 percent, those earning over $225,000 a year? Or because the “Las Vegas” corporate loophole that cost taxpayers billion was first on the chopping block when the economy went south? Maybe we should ask Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, so consistently and overwhelmingly represented on the WISTAX board of directors over the years, and so opposed to those tax changes, why WMC thinks WISTAX changed its tune.

Hogwash. The most over-hyped story of 2009 was the "Ron Kind is the Dem Party's Future," which evolved into "Barb Lawton is a Breath of Fresh Air," and eventually settled into "Tom Barrett: Hero Mayor Will be the Savior of the Wisconsin Democrats."  After a year of seeing one "next big thing" after another flash and burn, Wisconsin Democrats have settled on pinning their hopes on the former big-spending congressman and current big-spending, big city mayor. After months of dithering, Barrett finally announced his intentions before a crowd of dozens in front of his home. The AFL-CIO has rushed to endorse him, even though he has developed no platform, or even described an overall vision for the future of the state. Other than asking the feds and the state for more money and holding a press conference about wanting to run MPS, what has Barrett done? President Obama has sent him a campaign manager, and he has some Facebook friends, but his campaign operation is much like his vision for his city and the whole state of Wisconsin. There is no there, there.

I will accept the premise the only person who has spent the last four years running for governor is Scott Walker. But if the plan is to brand him as the standard-bearer for Wisconsin’s right wing, he’s going to have some explaining to do. For instance, Walker says he’s going to roll back the tax increase on the top 1 percent ($287 million over the biennium), he’s going to reopen the “Las Vegas” corporate loophole ($215 million over the biennium) and reinstate the nation’s biggest capital tax gains break ($243 million over the biennium). What’s he planning on slashing to pay for that three-quarters of a billion in tax breaks for only the absolutely wealthiest Wisconsinites, and corporations who want to ditch their responsibility to taxpayers? And he might want to answer about that 84 percent hike in spending he voted unanimously for in the Legislature – a total of $20 billion in spending. The state press corps isn’t the Charlie Sykes show, and they’ll want answers. Mortgaging our future for tax breaks for the rich may be the Walker and WISTAX agendas, but it won’t work for working Wisconsinites. (Editor’s Note: Didn’t the word “dithering” jump the shark four seconds after Old Man Potter…er, Dick Cheney growled it out?)

(Editor's Note: Are you getting paid by the word this week, or did the HuffingtonPost hire a new, inexperienced talking points writer?) As for your laughable submission, it is not so much that you dislike WISTAX, it's that you hate the fact that this group points out what you'd prefer to ignore: That in the midst of the most troubled economic times in a few generations, policymakers in DC and Wisconsin are demanding citizens here keep less and less of the money they earn.  Par for the course for the left, I guess. Shoot the messenger. Since 1932, the Taxpayers' Alliance has been publishing reports and data about taxation and spending in Wisconsin. Its monthly newsletter, legislative updates and the annual SchoolFacts book are but a few of their efforts. My gosh, it is led by and staffed, in part, by people opposed to high taxes. Scandalous! Sorry, Scot, I'll have to let your ad hominem attacks on Cheney, Walker and Sykes fall under the weight of their own absurdity this week. It's hard to stick to the topic and keep up with your zingers.

You made my point and I offer you yuletide thanks for that. The Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance has been around since 1932 and looking at their long history, the research remarkably just happens to reinforce the conservative, regressive tax agenda. It’s gotten exponentially more aggressive since Todd Berry took the helms, coincidentally just before Republicans seized control of the state Legislature on an anti-tax message. So, Brian, you are absolutely correct on this: ``it is led by and staffed, in part, by people opposed to high taxes.''  But tax policy is not black and white and critical readers of WISTAX products will see typical patterns in the way WISTAX selectively uses data, creates bogus comparisons and reaches its pre-determined conclusions that ‘lo and behold, reinforce the failed conservative tax policies (that with Iraq) nearly bankrupted the U.S. of A

But, tax policy is black and white for you. You think 'rich' people don't pay enough. Frankly, I think we ALL pay too much. Back to Barrett, while he has a chance to live up to the hype in 2010, he certainly did not in 2009. For all the hullabaloo over the state of Mark Neumann's campaign, his efforts have run circles around what Tom the Taxer has done so far. Walker has laid the groundwork for years, it's true. From initial results, that work sure seems to be paying off for him. Barrett? He'll appeal to die-hard partisan Democrats, but moderate and independent voters have to be wooed. Obama's tinkering aside, we don't select our leaders here, we elect them. Why did Barrett make his announcement last month if he was just going to phone it in for the following 10 weeks? While the usual suspects will have lined up with donations so his first finance report won't be anemic, he has merely gone from a reluctant candidate to an underwhelming one. There is a 'passion gap' among supporters of the various candidates, and Barrett's team is the one fending off the yawns. I guess it's hard to get excited when you're running for Jim Doyle's third term and getting ready for Christmas vacation. On that note, have a good break. We return in the New Year!