By SCOTT BAUER  (USA) Brewers large and small joined together Monday to object to a proposed quintupling of Wisconsin’s beer tax, the first increase in 40 years. <div id=”lingo_span” class=”lingo_region”> MillerCoors joined with smaller craft brewers, the Wisconsin Grocers Association, the Tavern League and others to argue that raising the tax in a recession was a bad move that would hurt the industry. “You don’t raise a tax just because it hasn’t been raised in a while,” said Rob Swearingen, president of the Tavern League. Opposition from the league, which represents 5,000 bars and liquor stores, has helped to keep Wisconsin’s beer tax at the third-lowest nationwide. But it could be harder to defeat a tax increase this year as lawmakers are looking at every alternative to help plug a projected $6.6 billion budget shortfall. To see the full article go to:  <a href=”http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2009/05/18/ap6437346.html”>http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2009/05/18/ap6437346.html</a></div>