12/08/06 Let Corporations Support Education

Let Corporations Support Education

Wisconsin State Journal
Friday, December 8, 2006

With two of three Wisconsin companies paying no state corporate income taxes, it's obvious how the excessive property tax burden can be lifted.

Every pro-business group in the state says that what attracts new business or keeps business in Wisconsin is our overall high-quality educational system that is financed heavily by property taxes. Property does not benefit from education, but education benefits businesses and people. The policy principle is to apply any tax to who benefits most.

The solution is to use no property taxes to support schools except for small amounts to pay for local services to the schools. Instead, use state corporate income taxes so that they pay their fair share of having an educated work force. If that's not enough income, make up the rest with an additional sales tax for education -- provided we could get real equalization of that revenue among all districts.

-- Dave Steffenson, Madison