Big business property tax cut game should skewer Walker, GOP do-nothing Legislature

I am predicting that this issue is going to bite Republicans deservedly hard this election year.

Because while Walker wants gimmicky one-time sales tax holidays and child credits as election-year tricks, the GOP is enabling its big business supporters and donors to get their property tax assessments cut permanently - - so yours' will go up to cover local governments' revenue shortfalls - - by failing to close the so-called "dark store" loophole:

...a tax loophole that lets big-box retailers reduce their property taxes at the expense of homeowners and small businesses...

You will be hearing more about tax favoritism in WISCONSIN- - in fact, you can make some noise about it - -  so get ahead of the curve, call our legislators and spread the word about how major manufacturers get breaks, too;

Data from the Wisconsin Department of Revenue show that 136 companies obtained reduced assessments for more than 200 manufacturing facilities around the state between 2012 and 2016.

At least 84 companies appealed their assessed value to the department in 2017. Many of those cases are pending.

Among the largest losers:

► Manufacturers in Milwaukee County reduced their assessed values by more than $18 million, the most of any county.

► Outagamie County had the second-biggest reduction, losing $14.5 million in assessed value.

► Brown County lost more than $11 million...Oneida County lost nearly $4.5 million and Marathon County lost more than $2.5 million in taxable property.