Politicians relish labeling Wisconsin a "tax hell."

You've heard that plenty of times in the last several months, right?

They also love to cite Harley-Davidson as a model Wisconsin company – homegrown, innovative, internationally known.

Where do the sound bytes intersect?

According to a Milwaukee-based research group, Harley didn't pay corporate income tax in 2003.

Harley is disputing the facts, as laid out by the "Institute for Wisconsin's Future." There are mounting questions about the Institute's methodology.

It reported that two out of every three Wisconsin companies (there are nearly 55,000 such corporate income tax filers in Wisconsin) found a legal means of dodging income tax payments in 2003. Its director heralded the findings in high-profile news conferences earlier this week.

Harley, Kohl's, Johnson Controls and even national players like Microsoft didn't shell out income tax in the Badger State, according to the Institute. Some of the companies argue the analysis flat-out ignored subsidiaries which paid millions in corporate income taxes.

Whatever the case, there are still some basic numbers that don't sit well and cast the whole "Wisconsin is a tax hell" mantra in a new light.

"Tax hell" for who, and, "Why?"

The Associated Press, in reporting the Institute's analysis this week, noted the corporate income tax generated just 3 percent of state and local revenue in Wisconsin since 2004. Meanwhile, property taxes represented 36 percent of revenue, sales taxes: 29 percent, individual income taxes: 26 percent and others, 6 percent, according to AP.

Here's where the imbalance gets insidious.

Wisconsin Manfacturers and Commerce (which paid for plenty of those anti-property-tax political commercials bombarding your TVs before the Nov. 7 election) has been a leading voice in the "tax hell" chant. The organization has also called for the elimination of corporate income tax burden in Wisconsin to recharge the business climate.

What corporate income tax burden?

It's no surprise the WMC's leader was quick to downplay the Institute for Wisconsin's Future income-tax analysis as slanted, emanating from a "left-leaning" organization created by public unions and Democrat backers.

Frankly, average property taxpayers have far better standing to question the WMC's slants right now.

Yes: Wisconsin's property tax is unfair. Yes: Too much of our tax burden is borne by average Wisconsin homeowners.

But if the WMC was honest about or aware of Wisconsin's true tax problems, it would acknowledge many of Wisconsin's most esteemed manufacturing and commerce leaders don't seem to be paying a proportionate share.

If only average property taxpayers could afford to buy a TV ad explaining that one to the WMC.

FINAL THOUGHT: Wisconsin needs to address its corporate income tax vs. property tax imbalances. Average homeowners are shouldering more than their fair share in Wisconsin.

Rep. Louise Slaughter, D-Fairport, officially was named as chair of the House Rules Committee Wednesday, becoming the first woman to hold that post.

The panel is considered one of the most powerful in the House of Representatives.

"My fellow Democrats and I are committed to passing a new ethics bill that will take a serious stand against corruption in Congress," said Slaughter in a statement. "We're committed to a new agenda: To standing up for middle-class Americans, increasing our national minimum wage, curbing our dependence on foreign oil, and finding a solution to the problems we face in Iraq."

Slaughter's district stretches from Rochester along Lake Ontario into Niagara County and down to Buffalo.

I'm pleased that the Baker report has come to the same conclusions that many of us in the Senate reached last year -- we must begin a phased redeployment of troops as a way to both encourage the Iraqis to take more responsibility for their own security and also to reduce the extent to which a large U.S. footprint is fueling the insurgency. I am grateful to this distinguished group of Americans for their hard work toward a resolution of this difficult situation, and I am hopeful that the President will take this opportunity to move forward in a new direction in Iraq.

Unfortunately, the Iraq Study Group report does too little to change the flawed mind-set that led to the misguided war in Iraq. Maybe there are still people in Washington who need a study group to tell them that the policy in Iraq isn't working, but the American people are way ahead of this report.

While the report has regenerated a few good ideas, it doesn't adequately put Iraq in the context of a broader national security strategy. We need an Iraq policy that is guided by our top national security priority -- defeating the terrorist network that attacked us on 9/11 and its allies. We can't continue to just look at Iraq in isolation. Unless we set a serious timetable for redeploying our troops from Iraq, we will be unable to effectively address these global threats. In the end, this report is a regrettable example of 'official Washington' missing the point.

Forget the minimum wage. Or outsourcing jobs overseas. The labor issue most on the minds of members of Congress yesterday was their own: They will have to work five days a week starting in January.

The horror.

Rep. Steny H. Hoyer, the Maryland Democrat who will become House majority leader and is writing the schedule for the next Congress, said members should expect longer hours than the brief week they have grown accustomed to.

"I have bad news for you," Hoyer told reporters. "Those trips you had planned in January, forget 'em. We will be working almost every day in January, starting with the 4th."

The reporters groaned. "I know, it's awful, isn't it?" Hoyer empathized.

For lawmakers, it is awful, compared with what they have come to expect. For much of this election year, the legislative week started late Tuesday and ended by Thursday afternoon -- and that was during the relatively few weeks the House wasn't in recess.

Next year, members of the House will be expected in the Capitol for votes each week by 6:30 p.m. Monday and will finish their business about 2 p.m. Friday, Hoyer said.

"Keeping us up here eats away at families," said Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.), who typically flies home on Thursdays and returns to Washington on Tuesdays. "Marriages suffer. The Democrats could care less about families -- that's what this says."