Wisconsin’s governor used the line-item veto to rewrite a budget year into the far future, and critics say the move locks in generations of higher taxes while he now complains about national policy.
They say the definition of chutzpah is a man who murders his parents, then asks the court for leniency because he’s an orphan. That old joke fits the mood here: a politician who helps write massive tax increases and then acts surprised when costs rise.
The power at issue is the line-item veto, a tool Wisconsin governors have to strike or alter specific language in bills. In the recent biennial budget, Gov. Tony Evers used that power to change the years “2024-2025” to “2024-2425,” a tweak critics say effectively cements centuries of property tax increases on homeowners.
Now Evers is complaining about increased costs under the Trump administration.
The absolute audacity of this man. The move reads like a headline-grabbing stunt that hides real policy consequences, and it’s no wonder opponents are calling it hypocritical and cynical.
That’s (D)ifferent, of course. Democrats often frame themselves as defenders of the middle class while enacting budgets and line items that expand spending and raise bills for ordinary people.
https://x.com/GovEvers/status/2094518296724766932?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
He lied. Color us shocked. Wisconsin already ranks among states with high effective property tax rates, and residents see those bills at the local level every year.
If only! Evers seemed perfectly content with federal spending and the resulting inflation when the administration in power matched his party. That selective outrage looks political, not principled.
WE-Energies is the state’s largest utility provider, and rate increases flowed through without much gubernatorial pushback. Voters who get sizable utility bills will remember which leaders welcomed those hikes and which ones raised alarms only after the politics changed.
Yes, he did. And David Crowley would keep raising our taxes. Milwaukee County already carries among the highest local property and sales tax burdens, and Crowley’s record — backed publicly by Evers — shows the same appetite for expansion that drives those numbers higher.
This pattern isn’t unique to Wisconsin: campaign promises about affordability too often end with higher taxes and heavier government footprints. When elected officials endorse bigger budgets and then blame rivals for the fallout, it’s voters who pay the tab at tax time and in utility notices.
Accountability comes down to choices at the ballot box, and these decisions have long-term consequences for families balancing housing, transportation, and energy costs. The debate over budget tools and political responsibility will be a key issue as Wisconsin voters weigh their options this fall.
