News & Articles

Since Tom Tiffany became a candidate for governor I have written three articles describing how his extreme opinions are harmful to Wisconsinites. I explained how his policy positions were based on partisan, ideological talking points rather that accurate information, reliable research or expert analysis. His website and newsletter statements show he is profoundly ill-informed on many topics. The “common sense” he claims to promote often makes no sense.

This article provides more factual evidence that Tiffany will be bad for Wisconsin.

On Tiffany’s campaign website he says, “Alongside President Trump, Tom delivered the largest tax cut in history for working families, seniors, and small businesses.” But a simple Google search shows this statement is false.

The Google AI summary reports that:

“Independent economic analysts and historical records show it is not the largest tax cut in U.S. history.” It was, perhaps, the sixth largest in recent history.

Reliable sources, like the Tax Policy Center and the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), say 60% of the tax benefits went to the top 20%.

The cuts to many social programs (Medicaid, food stamps, childcare, nutrition) offset much the impact of the tax cuts for lower income people. The CBO estimated the bottom 10% lost $1,200 in total resources per year while the top 10% gained $13,600 per year.

The Center for Budget and Policy Priorities did an analysis of the 2025 Trump tax cuts. They concluded, “As a whole, the megabill (HR 1) represents the greatest legislative transfer of resources from lower to higher income families in modern times. It will deliver $4.5 trillion of tax cuts heavily tilted to the wealthiest Americans, partially financed by $1.3 trillion in cuts to programs that help Americans with low and middle incomes afford health care and groceries. At the same time, the Administration’s sweeping tariffs – which it has cited as offsetting the cost of the megabill – have helped push up consumer prices [and] reducing the purchasing power of these workers’ wages.” (Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, “Overhyped Deductions for Tipped Income and Overtime Do Little for Workers,” April 9, 2026)

Tiffany claims Trump “...ended taxes on tips, overtime, and Social Security.” But this is not true and the same CBPP analysis explains the deception, “The Administration describes these provisions as working-class tax cuts, but because they are structured as income tax deductions, they are largely ineffective at helping low and moderate income households...None of these workers will get even a dollar of benefit from the tipped worker [or overtime] deduction...”

The CBPP is explaining a basic feature of the tax laws. In order to benefit from most tax deductions your personal deductions need to exceed the standard deduction. Most tax filers (90%) take the standard deduction so other tax deductions are useless for reducing their taxes.

Trump also did not “end” taxes on Social Security benefits. Tiffany is again wrong (or lying). The HR1 legislation created a temporary senior tax deduction for people over 65 years old (not connected to receiving Social Security benefits). This reduced taxable income by $6,000 for individuals or $12,000 for married filing jointly. It did not change the IRS rules making up to 85% of Social Security taxable. Many seniors with higher incomes will still owe federal income tax on their Social Security benefits. Some seniors will pay less; or nothing, depending on their income. Low income seniors are unaffected as they never paid any tax on their benefits. In fact 50% of all workers don’t pay any federal income taxes because their income is too low.

Regarding other bad outcomes from the Trump tax polices Americans for Tax Fairness concludes, “The new law...opens loopholes for big corporations...[and] pays for those cuts by gutting healthcare and food assistance for workers and families...[but] the 1% will receive $1 trillion over the next decade.” It has been widely reported that these tax cuts will add $4 trillion to national debt. ATF says the “funding cuts in the law will result in 17 million people losing healthcare coverage and over 3 million losing nutrition assistance.” (ATF website, “Big Ugly Tax Scam’ Act Analysis,” July 9, 2025).

Tiffany is either ignorant or deliberately misleading the public on these tax issues. This is another reason why voters should reject Tiffany for governor.

Crime is another issue for Tiffany’s demagoguery. In past newsletters he has claimed that “crime is skyrocketing” and criminals are “wreaking havoc on American cities.” Citizens are supposedly “living in fear of widespread violent crime” but in Tiffany’s mostly rural northern Wisconsin congressional district many of us don’t even lock our doors!

Tiffany says that the U.S. murder rate went up 30% between 2019 and 2020 (and blames Biden even though this increase occurred during the Trump administration). Tom’s fear mongering uses accurate statistics, but out of context and with misleading conclusions.

The Brennan Center for Justice confirms that murders went up 30% in that period (Myths and Realities: Understanding Recent Trends in Violent Crime, July 2022). But the report attributes these figures to increases in gun violence, gun ownership and more people carrying guns. In 2020, 75 % of murders were committed with a firearm. But Tiffany opposes all sensible gun control that is supported by a majority of Wisconsinites.

The Brennan Center report also says these increases in crime were not the result of criminal justice reform in liberal-leaning jurisdictions. Murder rates rose in cities run by Republicans and by Democrats. So, accusing Democrats of being “soft on crime” is ridiculous.

His portrayal of the crime problems is exaggerated to create a wedge issue. In Wisconsin there were 175 murders in 2019 (3 per 100,000 residents and below the national average). In 2020 there were 315 homicides. That is a 70% increase! But 202 of those were in Milwaukee. Wausau and Eau Claire each had three murders. Obviously, this is not a “deadly crime wave plaguing our neighborhoods.” The truth is a majority of Americans live in safe communities and rarely if ever have any serious problems with violent crime. Tiffany’s overblown, inflammatory rhetoric is pure campaign fear mongering.

Wisconsin needs a governor who is well informed on issues, cares about people, has realistic, evidence-based solutions to the problems we face, and will be guided by truth – not partisan ideology. Tiffany doesn’t exhibit these qualifications.