Aug. 25, 2022 8:45p
(WGTD)---Gov. Evers visited Kenosha’s Shalom Center Thursday to tour the homeless shelter and food pantry, and promote his election-year tax cut plan amidst the state’s largest budget surplus in decades.
Evers ended the tour with a sit-down discussion with a couple of residents who are struggling, and representatives of several non-profit groups.
The cornerstone of Evers’ plan is to put money into the hands of people who need it the most, "What we're trying to do is give money back to the people of Wisconsin. And we're trying to do it in a way that's quite targeted," he said.
Evers’ plan would provide relief for low-income seniors by increasing the income limit for the Homestead Credit. He also wants to expand eligibility for the Veterans and Surviving Spouses Property Tax Credit, expand the newly-created Child and Dependent Care Credit and create a new caregiver tax credit for qualified expenses that are incurred by a family caregiver while caring for their loved one.
Althea Harris is a 59-year-old Kenosha resident who is on disability with several serious health problems. To make ends meet, she works 20 hours a week as a receptionist at the Shalom Center. Dabbing at her eyes, Harris told the governor she’s barely surviving. "It's just hard. It's heartbreaking because I worked for 30 years. Now it's like where do I go," she said.
Evers’ plan also includes a 10% income tax cut for single filers at or below $100,000 in annual adjusted gross income and married joint-filers at or below $150,000.
Republicans have called the plan a gimmick, and that any new spending should be taken up at budget time. Evers responds by saying why wait.
In speaking to reporters Thursday, Evers responded to often-repeated charges by Republicans that he didn't do enough to support law enforcement during the Jacob Blake riots two years ago. "Everything that we were asked to do (by local officials) we did," Evers said in a response that's been repeated as many times as the allegations have been made.
Evers' November opponent--Republican Tim Michels--toured Kenosha this week on the second anniversary of the violent demonstrations.
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