A Proposal

The legislature in Wisconsin is tax-happy. Fortunately, the latest tax increase proposal (yes Fred, it is an increase) is DOA even Democrats are not going for it.

Anyway an idea struck me. Our legislators like to tax us all the time. Why not return the favor? Why not ask them to place a tax on the proposal of legislation? A simple flat fee every time someone sponsors a bill into the senate or the assembly or the house of representatives. Lets say a $1,000.00 fee for sponsoring or co-sponsoring a bill.

I would add the following restrictions to paying the bill tax.

1. The fee must not come from the public treasury! That is, a sponsor can not ask the taxpayers to pay it. I would allow the sponsor to write a check on his/her own checking account, accept visa/mastercard/American express/discover, or cash. Payments out of a sponsor's campaign funds are also allowable as long as the sponsor does not participate in any sort of public campaign financing scheme.


2. All sponsorship fees must be paid prior to the bill's introduction.


3. The source of the fee must be fully disclosed

Now, we will not be able to setup a legislators anonymous program with this tax or any such thing but I hope it would make make the costs more real to our legislators.