Government spending conference set for Jan. 19

National and state experts will engage in a wide-ranging discussion of effective ways to control government spending at a conference on Wednesday, Jan. 19, sponsored by the Robert M. La Follette School of Public Affairs.

The conference, “Taxing and Spending Limits in Wisconsin,” comes at a time when state officials are debating the merits of a so-called Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR) and other strategies to check government spending.

“The conference will provide taxpayers and policymakers with important context for the critical debate that Wisconsin residents will face in months to come,” says Donald Nichols, the school’s director.

The daylong conference begins at 8 a.m. at the Monona Terrace Convention Center, and leads off with a session that puts Wisconsin taxes and spending into perspective.

Nichols, a professor of public affairs, will compare Wisconsin spending with that of other states, and Jason Helgerson, deputy secretary of the state Department of Revenue, will talk about the value to Wisconsin of the deductibility of state income and property taxes when computing federal taxes.

Todd Berry, president of the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance, will moderate a discussion following their talks.

Another session will focus on the consequences of spending limits for public services in Wisconsin.

James Knickman, vice president of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, will speak on the difficult job government has in facing health-care costs, and William Testa, vice president and director of regional programs for the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, will speak on the role taxes play in economic development.

La Follette School economist Andrew Reschovsky will make a presentation on the effects of constitutional revenue and spending limits, such as TABOR.

Speaking at the conference luncheon will be William Niskanen, chair of the Washington, D.C.-based Cato Institute, a libertarian research center. He will discuss constitutional approaches to government spending.

The conference will wrap up with an afternoon session examining ways to confront Wisconsin’s fiscal problems. Nichols will discuss property tax reform proposals, and Tom Hefty, former chair and chief executive officer of the former Blue Cross Blue Shield United of Wisconsin, will talk about ways to control Wisconsin’s Medicaid costs. Iris Lav, deputy director of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, will present alternative approaches to state “rainy-day funds.”

Former state budget director Richard Chandler will lead a discussion of their proposals.

Registration for the conference costs $30, and includes lunch. Deadline for registration is Thursday, Jan. 13. To register, visit the conference Web site.