...that taxes aren't higher. At least according to State Rep. Sheldon Wasserman.

According to local blogger Steve Koczela:

The entire discussion (about 27 minutes) is well worth a listen, but the most interesting part came around the 7:00 to 8:40  mark, when he appeared to blame Charlie Sykes and Mark Belling for preventing a balanced budget in Wisconsin by opposing the hospital tax.  (He had the audio on his site.)

With tin hat firmly affixed, Wasserman says:

The Republicans don't want to do it, because it's a tax, and to be point blank with you, two people in the city of Milwaukee are very, very powerful.  And when they talk the Assembly Republicans listen very, very, very well.  And that's Charlie Sykes and Mark Belling.  And Charlie Sykes and Mark Belling are absolutely opposed to the hospital tax.  Even though the hospitals want it.  Even if though brings them $200 million to the state.  They're opposed to it.  And my colleagues will tell me point blank, 'Sheldon, I've got to do what I'm told.' So in terms of where revenue would be coming from, that's really off the table"