Fourth, they say, some arcane tax breaks are questionable as public policy, such as increasing from 15 years to 20 years the allowable carry-forward for operating losses, or extending tax credits to companies paying taxes under the alternative minimum tax, or automatically adopting any change to the Internal Revenue Code provisions regarding depletion provisions. Experts say it is hard to see how these off-the-radar changes boost employment, but business accountants no doubt love them.

Part of the problem, one expert tells me, is that in Walker’s zeal to lower taxes whenever there is a state dollar burning a hole in his pocket, he has dribbled out money at intervals and hasn’t taken any long-term perspective on how the tax code really should look.

Instead, any unexpected revenue that shows up is seemingly pushed toward whatever proposal is most politically expedient. Little thought has been given to how the state’s future revenue picture will look or how the total state tax burden — individual vs. corporate as well as residential vs. commercial — should look.