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Hike sales tax before Walker's elected guv, says Diliberti
Send to friendBy Steve Schultze
Milwaukee County Treasurer Dan Diliberti said Tuesday the last, best chance of gaining state authority to raise the local sales for transit is now.
Why? Diliberti said County Executive Scott Walker has "a very good chance" of being elected governor in 2010 and Walker would never approve a sales tax increase.
"It's just saying the truth," Diliberti said, about his handicapping of the governor's race. Walker is running as a Republican and so is former U.S. Rep. Mark Neumann.
Democrats lost their only announced candidate this week when Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton said she won't run. Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett is mulling a race for governor as a Democrat.
Diliberti, a Democrat, expects Barrett to run and Walker to beat him. Walker has run three county-wide races for county executive and would cut into Barrett's vote tally in historically fertile ground for Democratic voters, Diliberti said.
The sales tax for transit is needed because Milwaukee County can't afford to pay for bus service with property taxes any longer, he said.
