La Crosse PRAT goes splat

It appears PRAT has gone splat. La Crosse County was seeking permission from state lawmakers to approve this new tax, called the Premier Resort Area Tax, which it said would raise millions to pay for local road repairs. But our lawmakers in Madison seemingly have little interest in approving this special tax for La Crosse County. That is a good thing. While the tax would have raised much needed money for road repairs, the idea was doomed from the start. The tax would not have been applied to just tourism related purchases. It also would apply to clothing purchases, as well as your bill at bars and restaurants. The tax would not only be paid by those visiting the city, but those living here as well. The La Crosse Chamber of Commerce estimates that if adopted a La Crosse family would pay an extra $105 a year. And while a majority of the tax would be paid for by residents of the city of La Crosse, the money raised would pay for roads not in the city but throughout the county. And we’ve now learned that the county considered using the money raised by the new tax not for road work, but for contributing to the costs of expanding the La Crosse Center. So much for improving our roads. La Crosse County doesn’t need a PRAT tax, and it appears the PRAT idea is DOA.