Sullivan and Vukmir spar over taxes

Democratic Sen. Jim Sullivan and GOP state Rep. Leah Vukmir don’t agree on much.
Even on an issue they agree on, that the Department of Natural Resources secretary should be appointed by the agency’s board and not the governor, there is disagreement: Vukmir only supports the change if the board’s makeup is altered to ensure some members have a background as hunters and anglers.
Vukmir, elected to the Assembly in 2002, and Sullivan, elected to his Senate seat in 2006, are engaged in one of the most closely watched Senate races this fall, with the Nov. 2 outcome likely playing a key role in which party controls the chamber.
It is also expected to be one of the state’s most expensive and contentious races.
Critics have been knocking Sullivan for his vote to implement combined reporting on Wisconsin business taxes. However, he says opponents, including Vukmir, are actually pushing to explode the state deficit when they propose repealing the change.
“She’s saying in doing so that in order to continue to cut the same sweetheart deals and favors for those that don’t particularly need it, she’s going to go ahead and explode the deficit, which invariably ends up resulting in cuts in services and more taxes on the little guy,” Sullivan said.
Vukmir says the debate over the tax is all wrong. Rather than looking at how Wisconsin would have to make up the lost state revenue from repealing the tax, people should be looking at the lost revenue from more companies moving out of the state if combined reporting remains.
“The flip side is what happens when you put these onerous taxes on the job creators of our state is that you create the potential for these companies to leave the state,” she said.
Listen to the full interview with Sullivan:
http://www.wispolitics.com/1006/101007Sullivan.mp3.
Listen to the full interview with Vukmir:
http://www.wispolitics.com/1006/101008Vukmir.mp3.
– WisPolitics.com