Madison, Wis. — Today, Democratic Party of Wisconsin Vice Chair Felesia Martin, Milwaukee business owner Becky Cooper, and Dr. John Perryman blasted Ron Johnson for paying virtually nothing in state income taxes in 2017 despite making a minimum of nearly half a million dollars that year. Johnson paid a mere $2,105, which is what a dual income family making $40,000 a year would pay in state income taxes.
See what the speakers had to say, in part, below and watch the full event here.
Vice Chair Felesia Martin: “What’s so outrageous is that so many middle class and everyday working Wisconsinites are working very hard, and they have to pay more in taxes than Senator Johnson. How is it fair that everyday working class citizens pay more money [in taxes] than one of the wealthiest individuals in the state of Wisconsin? Senator Johnson is not using his power to help everyday Wisconsinites, he is using it to make his donors richer and to game the system.”
Becky Cooper: “Johnson, who on top of his private income, gets a taxpayer funded salary as a senator and he doesn’t think he has the same responsibility to benefit the entire community like the rest of us. By avoiding paying his share of taxes and securing a tax cut for his wealthy donors, that puts the burden on the rest of us who are struggling to get by and seeing our communities suffer because others aren’t paying their fair share.”
Dr. John Perryman: “It was just mind blowing to see the minuscule amount of state taxes this millionaire Ron Johnson paid in 2017. I know he has issues with the public good but even for someone like him who has so much to pay so little is ridiculous. This is a man who is corrupting the system to help himself and the wealthy while leaving working families behind. It’s been a long 12 years of Senator Johnson cheating the system to benefit himself and his rich donors.”
