I hope that the Oshkosh Common Council will think long-term.

Taxes are a huge issue in the next decade or so.
And we're talking on EVERY level of government.
At the fed level, the Bush tax cuts will expire. When asked specifically if this was the plan for the administration, Tim Geitner said, "It does not make sense to raise taxes in a recession."

This is double speak for..."now the recession has bottomed out, and we are on the upward road to recovery"---"we are no longer in a recession."

"Of course, they will be raising taxes on the federal level! "

The new House health care bill was loaded down with taxes, hidden and direct, albeit, these taxes were levied on three major industries (Pharma, medical equipment, insurance), but EVERYONE knows that these are PASS THROUGH taxes!
The burden of health care will fall upon the shrinking middle class! This bill may be deficit neutral, but not tax neutral.

Dodd's new financial reform package...the same thing! All special fees are pass through...and then the reversal of Bush cuts on top of it all!

And then there is Doyle on the state level who isn't running again because he knows that Wisconsin is one of the bottom eight states in the nation that is in serious....we are talking serious... financial straits. The answer is taxes, direct and pass through to get out of trouble. It isn't in Doyle's personal career interests to be the guy to raise loads of taxes. He'd much rather stay clean and move on to Washington for work.

Then, we have all the mandates that have made the technical system in this state one giant hog for public cash with little dollar for dollar value.

I certainly hope the flat city rate will be considered as having to exist for a very, very long time because people can't afford an increase now, and they won't be able to stomach an increase later either.