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The Vision: Jobs

Mark Neumann has a plan to create jobs in Wisconsin by cutting wasteful government spending, lowering taxes, eliminating regulations, and improving education. Mark's job plan for Wisconsin has five points:

1. Control Government Spending.
2. Significantly Reduce Taxes.
3. Create the Best Educated Workforce in the World.
4. Remove Burdensome Regulations.
5. Restore Trust in our State Government.

Control Spending

Mark Neumann has a proven plan that creates a 24% tax reduction over 8 years, eliminates debt, and ensures honest budgeting by capping spending growth at 1% less than the rate of inflation each year. The less money the government spends, the less money it needs from folks like you.

Let's look at an example. Assume this year Wisconsin collects $100 in taxes. The following year there are no changes to tax laws, Wisconsin's economy grows by 2%, and inflation rises by 3%. With these numbers, taxes paid to the government the following year would grow by 5%. Therefore, Wisconsin would collect $105 in taxes the following year. Mark's plan, which limits spending growth to 1% less than the rate of inflation, would limit spending the following year to $102 instead of spending the whole $105. This is a real reduction in government spending growth that amounts to a real reduction in the size of government.

Reduce Taxes Significantly

Once spending is under control, the Neumann administration will work to gradually reduce taxes in Wisconsin by 24% across the board over eight years. As Wisconsin's tax rates fall, Wisconsin will once again be able to attract high quality employers and good paying jobs. Click here to see Mark's plan to control spending to reduce taxes.

Significantly lower taxes in Wisconsin will lead to job creation. When individuals and companies are allowed to keep more of their own money, they will do one of two things:

1. They save the money. This provides the capital and credit needed for employers to grow and for new employers to get their businesses off the ground, or
2. They spend the money. This provides an economic boost to local economies — creating more jobs in Wisconsin.

This economic truth also works in reverse. When the government takes more of your money away from you, you have less money to save or spend. There is less credit and capital available for employers' expansion. There is just no way to know how many Wisconsin businesses never got off the ground because of high tax rates and a lack of capital.

It is easy to understand that lower taxes are better for business and individuals than high taxes. In order to bring more jobs to Wisconsin, we must lower the tax burden on individuals and employers.

It Can be Done

Many politicians will scoff at the idea of reducing Wisconsin's tax rates by 24% over 8 years. They have too much fun spending your money. The lower tax policies supported by the Neumann administration are very similar to the policies Mark actively sought while in Congress from 1995-1999. Those politicians initially scoffed at the plan as well.

"...some freshman nobody from nowheresville has just jumped off the turnip-truck..."
— Washington Times, April 21, 1995 Click here to read more quotes about Mark

But four years later this plan was implemented. The federal budget was balanced, debt was being repaid, and the largest tax reduction in American history was passed. Millions of jobs were created. Limiting spending growth and taxes works because it puts more money in taxpayers' hands and less in the government's hands. Reducing current tax rates is not enough to make Wisconsin globally competitive in the job market.

Education

Wisconsin must have the best educated children in the world to be globally competitive. A pool of highly educated workers is needed to attract great jobs and businesses to Wisconsin. Therefore, Wisconsin must encourage our public schools to become even better. We must also encourage better learning through choice and charter schools where the public schools are failing to educate our children. Click here for details on Mark's education plan.

Mark's background in education is unique. He earned a master's degree in supervision and instructional leadership. Mark has experience teaching in schools, the UW-system, and a private college. Additionally, he founded several choice and charter schools in Milwaukee and Arizona. These schools are teaching children at half the cost of Wisconsin's public schools. Mark's formal training in education and his teaching resume make him the ideal candidate to fix Wisconsin's education problems. Mark knows firsthand that it will take conservative reforms to our education system to improve our schools. That includes increased accountability, parental involvement, discipline in the classrooms, and expanding innovation. Wisconsin's economic future and job creation depend on an excellent education system.

Reduce Burdensome Regulations

Another key part of Mark's vision to keep, create, and attract jobs to Wisconsin is restoring common sense to costly rules and regulations. Many business owners rightly observe that regulatory costs alone can prevent businesses from getting off the ground. It is no surprise that companies move out of Wisconsin in search of states more friendly to employers. We must reduce the cost of doing business in Wisconsin if we want to attract jobs.

Economic Development Team

Mark will also work feverishly to protect Wisconsin's economy from so-called "cap and trade" policies. Putting our state at a global disadvantage during an economic downturn is another recipe for job losses. Mark opposes these kinds of regulations. Click here to see Mark's full position on energy and environmental regulations.

Restore Trust in Government

Mark understands that trust and faith in our government must be restored to move forward. Politicians at every level of government have failed to be responsible with your tax dollars. Employers will not come to Wisconsin or expand if state government cannot honestly manage its own budget or understand how to create economic opportunities. Companies will not move to Wisconsin if they continue to be threatened with arbitrary retroactive taxes whenever politicians feel like it.

The Neumann administration will start by enacting policies that return to honest budgeting in a reasonable time. For example, the Doyle Diversion of using road-improving gas tax money for other pork projects must become a relic of the past. Accounting gimmicks will not be tolerated.

Mark's Good Government proposal also includes term limits, proportional popular referendums, complete transparency in proposed legislation including a 5-day waiting period so no more secret votes, and a plan to limit the effect of special interests including a prohibition on fundraising during budget negotiations. Click here to see Mark's Strong Wisconsin Reform plan that restores trust in government and your elected leaders.

Tourism Industry

Tourism is a great example of an industry that is very important for the Wisconsin economy. There's great potential for growth in this industry—growth that will lead to more businesses and more jobs. A Neumann administration would have great respect for this and other industries.