Badger Institute, Author at RightWisconsin

The Hop’s influence is a flop

by Badger Institute | May 2, 2019 | Features

Claims that the streetcar swayed major development decisions in downtown Milwaukee are off track By Ken Wysocky for the Badger Institute At a press conference last fall, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett announced that in the three years since city officials approved the $128 million streetcar project, a.k.a. The Hop, assessments of properties within a quarter-mile of its 2.5-mile route have jumped nearly 28 percent, to about $3.95 billion. That compared with a 13.4 percent increase citywide. During the press conference, held at a Hop station at the corner of North Broadway and East Wells Street, Barrett said the streetcar was the...

Victor Berger: Virulent bigot

by Badger Institute | May 1, 2019 | Features

Berger and the rest of the Milwaukee socialists could readily afford to ignore African Americans at little cost to their electoral success.

Potential loss of blue-collar jobs at Foxconn is not the reason to scrap the deal

by Badger Institute | Mar 13, 2019 | Features

A good place to start would be to think about how to make the state a more appealing place altogether — especially for the entrepreneurial folk who are likely to begin or grow new businesses.

Prison time without a crime

by Badger Institute | Mar 12, 2019 | Features

As Wisconsin lawmakers consider ways to reduce the state’s growing prison population while maintaining public safety, they should consider reforms to its extended supervision laws.

Allowing dental therapists would increase access to oral health care

by Badger Institute | Mar 8, 2019 | Features

Studies directly comparing care provided by dentists and dental therapists found that therapists performed at least as well as dentists.

Wisconsin should reform standard deduction despite Gov. Ever’s veto of tax reform bill

by Badger Institute | Feb 25, 2019 | Features

Should Wisconsin policymakers reconsider a similar proposal to offer individual income tax relief through the standard deduction, structural reforms should also be considered, such as eliminating the marriage penalty and perhaps conforming to the federal deduction

The road to driverless transit

by Badger Institute | May 23, 2018 | Features

Just as much of the world moves toward a 21st century, millennial-enticing mode of transportation that is sure to give cities a highly sought-after cultural cache, Milwaukee is building … a streetcar.

Tax incremental financing: Valuable tool or crony capitalism?

by Badger Institute | May 10, 2018 | Features

As the rules governing TIFs relaxed, the funding mechanism has become overused, if not downright abused, critics say.

Time to burn: So few fires to fight

by Badger Institute | Apr 30, 2018 | Features

Firefighters almost never fight fires nowadays, turning fire departments into emergency medical services agencies. Is there a better way?

It’s time to look at Wisconsin tax reform

by Badger Institute | Nov 10, 2017 | Features

There is a ways to go before the House bill or anything like it becomes law. Still, the smart money says that change is a coming and Wisconsin better be ready.