Welcome to the Wisconsin Way! You are joining thousands of citizens across Wisconsin in a continuing, collaborative search for solutions to control property taxes while maintaining our superior public services and quality of life.
The first and second phase of the Wisconsin Way was a remarkable success. More than 6,000 residents from every walk of life and demographic participated in 28 public forums and nearly 100 presentations discussing the current state of affairs in Wisconsin, what lies ahead and what can be done to address our issues. Participants shared their concerns and ideas, outlining what they believe Wisconsin must do to move forward.
Research Phase
The research phase is now underway. Leaders of the Wisconsin Way effort are currently working with a nonpartisan team of budget experts, policy advisers, economic development leaders, academics and financial industry members to turn the public’s priorities into a workable 'blueprint for change' for the state.
The Wisconsin Way Blueprint for Change will cap more than two years of survey research, public town hall forums, expert advisory panels and an exhaustive review of previous work by high-level commissions and policy groups. When releasing the blueprint this fall, leaders of the Wisconsin Way effort are seeking additional comments and feedback as they prepare to work with members of the Legislature on possible implementation strategies.
As the Wisconsin Way prepares to release its blueprint for change, you are invited to review our Web site, which has expanded information including years of studies and reports on the challenges our state faces and current news on the state of affairs in Wisconsin. This site continues to provide background about the unique effort to help improve and reshape public policy from the ground up. You can access substantive research material to help you better understand Wisconsin’s economy and infrastructure. You can watch and read transcripts of previous public forums and check out the more than 50 media stories written about the Wisconsin Way.
Like the organizers and funders of the Wisconsin Way project — including the Wisconsin Counties Association, Wisconsin Education Association Council, Wisconsin REALTORS® Association, Wisconsin Transportation Builders Association, Wood Communications Group and the League of Wisconsin Municipalities — forum participants, along with hundreds of state associations and their memberships, say they are driven to join in out of concern over troubling economic and demographic trends threatening the future of our state.
Wisconsin is Facing Significant Challenges
For example, Wisconsin’s work force now lags behind the U.S. average and that of 26 other states with just 27 percent of our citizens holding a bachelor’s degree. Economic forecasts point to the greatest number of jobs being created in relatively low-skill, low-wage industries, and together these trends spell trouble for Wisconsin’s revenue base in the years to come.
In the 1990s, for example, there was a narrow gap of less than $1,850 between the per capita income of Minnesota and Wisconsin residents. Due to the slower pace of high tech, high wage job growth in Wisconsin however, today our state’s income lags nearly $4,000 behind Minnesota.
Trends like these have a major impact on government’s ability to raise the revenues needed to pay for public services. Today, if our per capita income had remained competitive with Minnesota’s, Wisconsin’s tax base would be nearly $13 billion per year larger than it is now. An aging population, growing need for major infrastructure expenditures and increasing costs of basic necessities for families also factor into the challenges facing our state.
A Grassroots Movement
Wisconsin Way participants say they recognize that these trends signal a need for change in the way local governments fund public services, and believe we must reduce our reliance on property taxes to pay for education, services and other programs. Participants in the first two rounds of public forums praised the inclusive and collaborative nature of the effort and expressed hope that the project will help advance constructive solutions.
Extensive media coverage of the Wisconsin Way effort has contributed to the strong public interest in the project and augmented efforts by local organizers to ensure broad-based turnout. Since the project was launched, more than 100 stories have appeared in daily newspapers, on radio and television broadcasts, in magazines, on Web sites and via syndicated news services. Wisconsin Way organizers have been interviewed on radio talk shows, public access cable programs and television news broadcasts; they also have gained the support of leading newspaper editorial writers across the state.
The involvement of Wisconsin Way organization members has been critical in achieving this high public profile, and with the exciting second phase of the project revving up, new challenges lie ahead. With increasing public support and engagement, however, Wisconsin Way is better positioned than ever before to confront these challenges and continue to move forward.
