Tamarine Cornelius
- Director, Wisconsin Budget Project
Madison
Director of @WiBudgetProject at @KidsForwardWI.
Rhymes with tangerine.
Fiscal issues | data science | running | #thisismycrew
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Articles by Tamarine Cornelius
Wisconsin Budget: Ending State Income Tax Helps the 1%
Eliminating Wisconsin’s income tax would funnel enormous tax cuts into the pockets of the wealthy and powerful, potentially raise taxes on people with the lowest incomes, and make it nearly impossible for Wisconsin to make the kind of investments that make the state a good place to live, do business, and raise a family. It would also widen the already-large gaps in well-being among people of different races, a gap that continues to hamstring Wisconsin’s economy.
Unless Congress acts, this will be the last Tax Day parents benefit from expanded Child Tax Credit
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Tax Shift Would Hike Taxes for People with Low Incomes and Give a Big Tax Cut to the Top 1%
A group of conservative business lobbyists have proposed a radical change that would raise taxes on people with the lowest incomes to cover part of the cost of giving huge tax cuts to the wealthy and powerful. The plan would result in the largest tax cuts going to white households, with households of color receiving smaller tax cuts or having to pay more in taxes.
Op Ed: Proposal Cuts Taxes for 1%
Get a daily rundown of the top stories on Urban Milwaukee Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce. File photo by Riley Vetterkind / Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism. A group of big business lobbyists is pushing a radical change to Wisconsin’s tax structure — one that would give huge tax cuts to the wealthy and powerful while shifting the responsibility of paying taxes to people with lower incomes.
Change backed by business group would cut taxes for the top 1%
A group of big business lobbyists is pushing a radical change to Wisconsin’s tax structure — one that would give huge tax cuts to the wealthy and powerful while shifting the responsibility of paying taxes to people with lower incomes. The change would also require significant cuts to the critical services that Wisconsin businesses, schools, and communities need to thrive.
Wisconsin Budget: Charting The Racial Disparities In State’s Prisons
Get a daily rundown of the top stories on Urban Milwaukee Milwaukee Secure Detention Facility. Photo by Jeramey Jannene. Wisconsin’s use of incarceration to lock up a staggering share of its population of color inflicts serious harm on individuals and communities. New figures show that the racial disparities in Wisconsin’s incarceration rates far exceed disparities at the national level, which themselves are stark.
Wisconsin Budget: State’s $1 Billion Tax Cut Leaves Out 49% of Taxpayers
Get a daily rundown of the top stories on Urban Milwaukee Cash. (CC0 Creative Commons). Wisconsin lawmakers passed an enormous income tax cut in the 2021-23 state budget that further tilts our tax system in favor of the wealthy. The tax cut almost completely leaves out households with low incomes, and gives white households larger tax cuts than Black or Latinx households.
Wisconsin’s Billion-Dollar Tax Cut Leaves out a Huge Chunk of Households
Thursday, September 9, 2021 at 10:40 AM by Tamarine Cornelius Wisconsin lawmakers passed an enormous income tax cut in the 2012-23 state budget that further tilts our tax system in favor of the wealthy. The tax cut almost completely leaves out households with low incomes, and gives White households larger tax cuts than Black or Latinx households.
Wisconsin Lawmakers Directed Far More Resources to an Income Tax Cut than Other Critical Priorities
Monday, August 9, 2021 at 10:19 AM by Tamarine Cornelius The huge tax cut that Wisconsin lawmakers passed in the state budget far outstrips the minimal investments they made in critical priorities like education, health, and workforce development. The size of the tax cut will make it harder for schools, communities, and families with low incomes to get the resources they need to thrive.
Wisconsin Legislature Shows Budget Priorities by Voting Against Expanding Health Care, and For a Tax Cut for the Wealthy
Thursday, May 13, 2021 at 11:01 AM by Tamarine Cornelius Last week the budget committee of the Wisconsin legislature removed a provision from the state budget that would have provided health insurance to almost 100,000 Wisconsin residents with low incomes, while saving the state more than a billion dollars in tax revenue over the next two years.
Evers’ budget moves us toward a better, more equitable economy - Wisconsin Examiner
For our state’s economy to work for everyone, Wisconsin needs to invest in healthy communities, working families, and public infrastructure across the entire state. We also need a tax system that provides a level playing field for Wisconsin families and businesses, rather than a structure that gives an advantage to the well connected who rig the system for their own benefit. The budget that Gov.
Wisconsin Budget: Evers Targets Tax Cuts at Lower Incomes
Wisconsin Budget Governor’s budget reduces tax advantage for wealthier people. By Tamarine Cornelius, Wisconsin Budget Project - Apr 7th, 2021 05:27 pm //end headline wrapper ?> Get a daily rundown of the top stories on Urban Milwaukee Gov. Tony Evers. File photo by Emily Hamer / Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism.
In Governor’s Budget, Tax Cuts Go Mostly to People with Lowest Incomes
Monday, April 5, 2021 at 1:10 PM by Tamarine Cornelius Governor Evers’ proposed budget includes changes that would reshape Wisconsin’s tax code to give less of an advantage to wealthy and powerful interests, by reining in wasteful tax breaks for the rich and redirecting some of the benefits to the middle class and people with low incomes. State tax policies can be a powerful tool for expanding opportunity and enhancing racial equity.
Wisconsin Budget: State Families May Lose $31 Million in Tax Refunds
Wisconsin Budget Legislature needs to tweak tax code to get full benefit of federal COVID-19 package. By Tamarine Cornelius, Wisconsin Budget Project - Feb 8th, 2021 02:59 pm //end headline wrapper ?> Get a daily rundown of the top stories on Urban Milwaukee Wisconsin State Capitol. Photo by Dave Reid.
Wisconsin Working Families Will Miss Out on $31 Million in Tax Refunds if Lawmakers Don’t Act
Thursday, February 4, 2021 at 2:51 PM by Tamarine Cornelius Working families with low incomes could get an economic boost from a tax cut included in the federal COVID-19 package — but in order for them to get the full benefit, state lawmakers need to take action to tweak Wisconsin’s tax code. By not acting, the legislature will deny parents $31 million dollars to protect their families from the impacts of the pandemic.
GOP lawmakers seek authoritarian power grab under disguise of COVID-19 aid while pandemic ravages state
Wisconsin Assembly Republicans recently released a proposal that is theoretically a plan to fight COVID-19, but in reality is a thinly-veiled attempt to strip power from schools, local officials, and the Governor, and transfer that power to legislative leaders. The Wisconsin legislature last passed a bill in April, almost eight months ago, and they have not even met since the spring.
Wisconsin Budget: GOP Pandemic Proposal Is a Power Grab
Wisconsin Budget Republican legislators would take power from schools, local governments and governor. By Tamarine Cornelius, Wisconsin Budget Project - Dec 15th, 2020 01:57 pm //end headline wrapper ?> Get a daily rundown of the top stories on Urban Milwaukee Assembly Speaker Robin Vos. File photo by Coburn Dukehart / Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism.
Wisconsin COVID-19 Proposal is an Attempted Power Grab in Disguise
Monday, December 14, 2020 at 2:32 PM by Tamarine Cornelius Wisconsin Assembly Republicans have released a proposal that is theoretically a plan to fight COVID-19 but in reality is a thinly-veiled attempt to strip power from schools, local officials, and the Governor, and transfer that power to legislative leaders. The Wisconsin legislature last passed a bill in April, almost eight months ago, and they haven’t even met since the spring.
Foxconn was built to flop — Tone Madison
Even if the company misses out on subsidies, Wisconsinites will be paying the price for years to come. Illustration by Jeremy Nealis. Foxconn never had a coherent plan for how it would build a world-class LCD display manufacturing facility and bring thousands of jobs to Wisconsin, new documents show.
Wisconsin Budget: State’s Tax Loopholes a Boon to Wealthy
Wisconsin Budget Helps many dodge taxes, contributes to wealth gap. By Tamarine Cornelius, Wisconsin Budget Project - Oct 7th, 2020 12:27 pm //end headline wrapper ?> Get a daily rundown of the top stories on Urban Milwaukee The disclosure that President Trump pays next to nothing in income taxes has highlighted the fact that the federal tax system is stuffed full of loopholes only available to the ultra-wealthy.
Wisconsin’s Tax Code Includes Loopholes that Let the Wealthy Dodge Taxes, as Trump Did at the Federal Level
Tuesday, October 6, 2020 at 1:41 PM by Tamarine Cornelius The disclosure that President Trump pays next to nothing in income taxes has highlighted the fact that the federal tax system is stuffed full of loopholes that are only available to the ultra-wealthy. But you don’t have to look to the federal system to find a tax code tilted in favor of the rich and powerful.
Some Local Governments Want to Rethink How Police Services are Delivered. This Bill Would Make that Harder.
A Wisconsin Republican Senator has proposed legislation that would prohibit cities and other local governments from saving money by reducing the amount of money they spend on police staffing.
Black Women Have to Work 8 months into 2020 to be Paid the Same as White Men in 2019
Friday, August 14, 2020 at 2:07 PM by Tamarine Cornelius This week marked Black Women’s Equal Pay Day, which signifies how long a Black woman has to work into 2020 to bring her 2019-20 earnings to the same amount a White man made in 2019. Black Women’s Equal Pay Day is months later than National Equal Pay Day, which falls in April and is the date in 2020 when women overall matched the earnings of men in 2019.
Without Bipartisan Cooperation, Wisconsin Could Be One of the Hardest Hit States during the Next Covid-19 Surge
The Covid-19 pandemic has taken a huge toll across America, and public health experts say a much larger surge in infections and deaths is likely this fall if people don’t take the threat more seriously.
To Spur Wisconsin’s Economy, Ensure All Immigrants Are Included in COVID Relief Proposals
Thursday, July 30, 2020 at 2:32 PM by Tamarine Cornelius The Republican plan for the next round of COVID relief does not go far enough to meet the needs of Wisconsin families, and ignores the hardship of people who are struggling to get by during the recession caused by the pandemic. The GOP proposal also prohibits some immigrants from receiving benefits, which would make it harder for those families to make ends meet, and would also slow the economic recovery.
A massive revenue shortfall: Wisconsin needs federal funding to save economy and public services
The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting recession are wreaking havoc on Wisconsin. The state is likely facing a massive revenue shortfall, which will significantly affect its budget and ability to provide crucial services.
Why Congress Shouldn’t Let the Boost to Unemployment Benefits Lapse, in Four Charts
Wednesday, July 22, 2020 at 2:17 PM by Tamarine Cornelius Unemployment benefits will shrink by $600 a week starting at the end of July unless Congress takes action. If Congress allows the reduction in unemployment benefits, Wisconsin residents who lost their jobs during the pandemic will have a much harder time making ends meet and Wisconsin’s economy will be slower to recover.
Wisconsin Budget: Why State Economy Needs Federal Aid
Get a daily rundown of the top stories on Urban Milwaukee Western front of the U.S. Capitol. The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting recession are wreaking havoc on Wisconsin. The state is likely facing a massive revenue shortfall, which will significantly affect its budget and ability to provide crucial services.
Wisconsin Budget: 32 Cities Devote Most Spending to Police
Get a daily rundown of the top stories on Urban Milwaukee Milwaukee Police Department A third of Wisconsin’s largest cities spend more on law enforcement than any other function, according to a new analysis by the Wisconsin Budget Project. Local governments in Wisconsin – including cities, villages, towns, and counties – spend more than $2 billion a year on law enforcement and related costs like jails.
A Third of Wisconsin's Largest Cities Spend More on Law Enforcement than on Anything Else
A third of Wisconsin’s largest cities spend more on law enforcement than any other function, according to a new analysis by the Wisconsin Budget Project. Local governments in Wisconsin – including cities, villages, towns, and counties – spend more than $2 billion a year on law enforcement and related costs like jails.
Wisconsin Budget: Should Undocumented Immigrants Get State Relief?
Wisconsin Budget They help build state’s Unemployment Insurance trust, but are ineligible for benefits. By Tamarine Cornelius, Wisconsin Budget Project - May 20th, 2020 01:28 pm //end headline wrapper ?> Get a daily rundown of the top stories on Urban Milwaukee Wisconsin State Capitol. Photo by Dave Reid.
Unemployment benefits need expansion to help Wisconsin’s skyrocketing rate of jobless workers
The number of people filing for unemployment benefits in Wisconsin has skyrocketed, with initial weekly claims spiking to a level about twenty times the pre-pandemic volume. A new expansion of federally-funded unemployment benefits means that many workers filing for unemployment benefits will have access to additional weeks of benefits and larger weekly checks than was available before the pandemic.
Wisconsin lawmakers float partisan extortion scheme by holding COVID-19 relief funds hostage
Republican legislative leaders in Wisconsin are holding millions of dollars in federal Medicaid and unemployment benefits hostage, as they try to force Governor Tony Evers to cede some of his powers to the Republican-controlled legislature. Recognizing the high costs of fighting the coronavirus, the Federal government made additional Medicaid funding available to states.
Gov. Evers should insist the Legislature reconsider his win-win proposal
Photo by Dave Einsel/Getty Images An unexpected budget surplus gives Wisconsin a golden opportunity to make investments in our children and our schools that will pay big dividends down the road. But some legislators are refusing to use a portion of the surplus to provide Wisconsin schools with the resources they need to educate today’s children and tomorrow’s workers — a shortsighted position that could damage Wisconsin’s ability to be competitive in the future.
Governor and Legislature Have Different Plans for How to Spend a Portion of the Wisconsin’s Surplus
Thursday, February 20, 2020 at 1:36 PM by Tamarine Cornelius Governor Evers and legislative Republicans have released competing plans on how to use new resources that became available when new estimates of state tax revenues came in higher than anticipated. The Governor wants to take a balanced approach, splitting a portion of the surplus between providing additional resources for schools and also providing a substantial property tax cut.
Education’s Lost Decade: Wisconsin has failed to restore adequate funding for public schools
Despite recent increases, Wisconsin’s public K-12 school districts still receive less in state aid than they did a decade ago, prior to historic cuts to education. During that timeframe, state lawmakers chose to pass large tax cuts instead of investing the money in local schools.
Wisconsin Budget: Legislature Hasn’t Restored Aid to Schools
Wisconsin Budget Huge decline in aid in last decade helped fund tax breaks for wealthy, still hasn’t been made up. By Tamarine Cornelius, Wisconsin Budget Project - Feb 1st, 2020 02:47 pm //end headline wrapper ?> Get a daily rundown of the top stories on Urban Milwaukee Rufus King International High School. Photo from MPS.
Wisconsin’s low-paid workers get left behind again as minimum wages increase in 22 other states
Low-paid workers across the country are getting raises because 22 states increased their minimum wages on January 1 or near the end of last year. Those raises will lift workers out of poverty, help struggling families make ends meet, and make it easier for workers to achieve financial security. A minimum wage increase gives a particular boost to workers of color, for whom a long history of wage discrimination has depressed wages.
Lost Decade: After Enormous Cuts, Lawmakers Still Haven’t Fully Restored State Aid to Public School Districts
Wednesday, January 29, 2020 at 10:37 AM by Tamarine Cornelius For Wisconsin to have a well-educated and skilled workforce, we need to invest resources to make sure that every student has access to an excellent public education. But Wisconsin’s public school districts still get less state support than they did a decade ago despite recent increases, a new analysis from the Wisconsin Budget Project shows.
Wisconsin Budget: 22 States Hiked Minimum Wage This Year
Get a daily rundown of the top stories on Urban Milwaukee Low-paid workers across the country are getting raises because 22 states increased their minimum wages on January 1 or near the end of last year. Those raises will lift workers out of poverty, help struggling families make ends meet, and make it easier for workers to achieve financial security. A minimum wage increase gives a particular boost to workers of color, for whom a long history of wage discrimination has depressed wages.
Five Charts that Tell the Story of Poverty in Wisconsin
New figures released by the Census Bureau show that one in seven Wisconsin children live in poverty, with children of color several times as likely as white children to live in poverty. Here are five charts drawn from the data that describe the number of Wisconsin residents who have incomes too low to meet basic needs. 1. Children are the poorest segment of our population. Children are more likely than other Wisconsin residents to live in poverty.
How Wisconsin can prosper by adopting an inclusive approach to undocumented immigrants
Undocumented immigrants come to Wisconsin in search of opportunity, looking for safe communities for themselves and their families. In return, they benefit our communities by bringing cultural and economic vibrancy, entrepreneurship, and an expanded workforce for some of the state’s most critical industries. Wisconsin lawmakers should implement policies that promote prosperity for immigrants who are undocumented, their families, and the communities that welcome them.
Wisconsin Budget: 4 Immigration Policies to Boost Economy
Get a daily rundown of the top stories on Urban Milwaukee Wisconsin State Capitol. Photo by Dave Reid. Undocumented immigrants come to Wisconsin in search of opportunity, looking for safe communities for themselves and their families. In return, they benefit our communities by bringing cultural and economic vibrancy, entrepreneurship, and an expanded workforce for some of the state’s most critical industries.
Tax policy changes exacerbate racial and ethnic disparities in Wisconsin
Tax policy can be a powerful tool for enhancing racial and ethnic equity, but two new reports show how recent tax changes at the state and federal level have disproportionately blocked households of color from receiving tax cuts, even as they protected or expanded tax cuts aimed at wealthy, white households. State and federal tax systems affect taxpayers of different races differently, even when those policies don’t explicitly mention race.
The Week’s Greatest Hits
Show Menu Most popular articles and press releases in the past week By Urban Milwaukee - Jun 30th, 2019 08:00 am Get a daily rundown of the top stories on Urban Milwaukee Most popular articles in the past week. 1. Michigan Struggles With Legal Pot Recreational marijuana legalized, but state struggles with how to regulate retail sales, other issues. Jun 21st, 2019 by Rachelle Wilson 2.
Wisconsin Budget: New Tax Credit Skewed to Help Whites
Get a daily rundown of the top stories on Urban Milwaukee Homes on Keefe Avenue. Photo taken March 25th, 2019 by Carl Baehr. Most people of color would be blocked from receiving an expanded property tax cut approved by the legislature, with the value of the credit being delivered overwhelmingly to white residents of the state.
Wisconsin Budget: Lame Duck Mistake Reopens Tax Debate
Get a daily rundown of the top stories on Urban Milwaukee Tony Evers. Photo by Emily Hamer / Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism. The bill that was rushed through the legislature in early December was designed to narrow the ability of the newly elected governor to influence state policy choices.
Wisconsin Budget: Impact of Earned Income Tax Credit
Wisconsin Budget Proposed hike would benefit working poor in all 72 counties with $7.5 million for Milwaukee County. By Tamarine Cornelius, Wisconsin Budget Project - Jun 7th, 2019 11:22 am Get a daily rundown of the top stories on Urban Milwaukee Cash. (CC0 Creative Commons). Wisconsin’s families should have access to economic opportunity regardless of where they live in the state.
Wisconsin Budget: How to Improve the Foxconn Contract
Get a daily rundown of the top stories on Urban Milwaukee Design for Foxconn’s campus. Photo from the WEDC. Should Wisconsin seek to renegotiate the deal it made with Foxconn? If so, how should the contract be changed? The answer to the first question is pretty clearly yes; Governor Evers and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) should sit down with Foxconn and talk about options for making the contract better for all involved.
Proposed Wisconsin budget aims at building a strong economy by contributing to what works
April 15th is the annual deadline for most people to file their income taxes. The day comes with many negative messages about taxes. But it is worth remembering that to build broad-based prosperity, it requires investing in what works and Wisconsin cannot do that without the revenue from taxes.
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