The Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce has supported Walker’s plan to cut public spending and hold the line on taxes.
Steve Baas, the director of governmental affairs for the MMAC, provided the following statement for this report:
“Not to minimize the challenges that a budget that must fill a $3.6 billion deficit hole will pose to state and local governments, but the term that best describes the potential post-budget normal is ‘opportunity.’
“Because this budget eliminates the deficit honestly, by reductions in spending and the creation of new cost-saving tools for government rather than by increased taxes or one-time fiscal gimmicks, there is opportunity for long-term fiscal sustainability, stability, and tax system predictability. That stability makes a positive impact on our state business climate and makes us more competitive for keeping and attracting new jobs.
“New capital gains tax exclusions for investments in Wisconsin companies create an opportunity for robust, market-driven, private sector financial support for entrepreneurial job creation and new business startups.
“The repeal of residency rules for MPS teachers creates the opportunity for an influx of new teaching talent and the retention of skilled veteran teachers within the city’s largest education provider.
“The region’s medical science, innovation, and research hub will see greater opportunities for growth due to the acceleration of the Zoo Interchange reconstruction and expansion.
“The dramatic expansion of education options, from charter to choice to virtual schools, will give Milwaukee the opportunity to become the most vibrant, innovative education marketplace in the nation.
“Finally, the elimination of income eligibility limits on the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program creates an opportunity for an urban renaissance in the City of Milwaukee, by creating an enormous incentive for families of all income levels to move into the city to take advantage of the unlimited educational options for their children offered in the city.”
