Grandma Didn't Need Her House Anyway

Remember how Scott Walker said that he balanced the budget without raising taxes?  Well, he didn't and he did.

We already know that the budget isn't balanced, by Walker's own admission.

And we already know that he raised taxes, especially among the poorest of the poor.

Now we know he is really sticking it to Grandma:

Last year, however, Gov. Scott Walker and the Legislature reversed that decision, freezing the credit at its current level. That move was projected to save the state $14 million over the next two years.

As a result, a senior living on Social Security will now see their tax credit drop by $209, or 28 percent, over the next five years, according to an analysis by the Wisconsin Budget Project, an initiative of the Wisconsin Council on Children and Families. The full report is available here.

Other seniors will lose the tax credit altogether, the group warns, because their Social Security income will increase while the level for the Homestead Credit eligibility stays frozen. That could push many recipients out of the program entirely.

"This is money that will come out of seniors' pockets," said Budget Project research analyst Tamarine Cornelius in a statement. "The effect will be relatively small at first but will continue to snowball."

The Budget Project estimates the Homestead Credit by 2016 will cover only 16 percent of a Wisconsin senior's property taxes. That's down from 25 percent in 2011.
Twenty years ago, the Homestead Credit would have covered nearly 60 percent of that same person's property tax bill, the report says.

Nothing says "I love seniors!" like raising their taxes and cutting their SeniorCare.

I think that kind of cements the notion that Walker's not going to Florida to lure the retirees back after all. Or maybe this is just the way he intended to get them to "invest" their money in Wisconsin businesses, since that's who Walker is giving Grandma's medicine money to.

It also shows how dumb Walker really is. In the face of an inevitable recall, he will now have to face a very powerful voting bloc of pissed off seniors. All of his jetting around the country, kissing up to the big time donors won't help save his worthless political hide.

Money doesn't vote.

But Grandma does.