Current Issues

This page will be updated with a new item each week .

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Tuesday, November 4th
Election Day, 2008

Two years ago as a first time candidate I was often asked why I was running for office. Running for re-election I have found a frequently asked question is whether or not I liked being in office and if it was like I thought it would be. My answer is that being in the State Legislature is a fascinating experience, and that I’m looking forward to a second term.

Some of my impressions from my first term: If you do the job right it is full time job. In addition to the days we are in session there are committee meetings, lots of e-mail to answer and plenty of reading required to keep up with the issues. I would never consider voting on a bill without giving it a thorough reading and having extended discussions about it when required.

On the days I am not in Madison there are plenty of constituent issues to deal with-everything from rough railroad crossings to questions about delayed state tax refunds. Anyone who has a problem with a state agency is welcome to call my office. It is the ability to help constituents deal with these problems that I have enjoyed the most during my first term.

I am impressed with the amount of expertise among legislators. We have members with experience in business, farming, law, health care and just about anything else you can think of. And even though we may strongly disagree over what policies are best for Wisconsin, I do believe that my colleagues care about our state, and are there because they want to make it better.

Among my priorities in a second term will be to continue working to cut wasteful state spending and finding ways to run our state more efficiently. This will be especially important because of the large budget deficit we are facing. Increasing penalties for drunk driving offenses will also be an issue the Legislature must address. I strongly support increasing the penalties. I will also continue to pursue photo I.D. for voting. Keeping our system honest and pursuing cases of voter fraud is of the utmost importance in maintaining voter confidence in the election process.

There will be a push among some legislators to enact the “recommendations” of the Governor’s Global Warming Task Force into law. While I support efforts to keep Wisconsin’s air and water clean, I feel passing these laws will have no measurable benefit for our environment and will cost state residents dearly in higher prices and taxes. I will continue to fight these efforts as well as any other misguided legislation that will only lead to higher taxes.

Of course it’s up to you, the voters, to decide who’s elected on Election Day. I believe that this is one of the greatest features of our system of government-the people get to decide who their leaders will be. An informed electorate who exercises their right to vote is the best way to insure that we will stay strong as a state and as a nation.

   I thank the residents of the 23rd Assembly district for the confidence you have shown in me by electing me as your State Representative, and I am ready to continue serving you in the next session of the Legislature.

Thursday, October 23rd
My Platform

A more detailed version of my platform can be found on another page of this website, but with less than two weeks until the election I want to summarize some important areas that I think deserve attention.

Photo I.D. for Voting: We continue to hear of thousands of false registrations being turned in on behalf of various groups around the country, and there have been many problems with registrations reported in Wisconsin. This is absolutely outrageous and unacceptable. The easiest solution would be to require a photo I.D. in order to vote in our state. Having a fraudulent name on the voter rolls would not be such a concern if voters were required to show an I.D. in order to vote. Those who participate in voter fraud should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. I will continue to fight for photo I.D. and other reforms that will ensure that one of our most precious rights is protected from fraud.

Taxes and Spending: The state will face a budget deficit in the next biennium estimated at anywhere from $800 million to $3 billion. I remain committed to addressing this deficit by cutting spending and without raising taxes. I am strongly opposed to “raiding” one fund to cover the expenses of another, and in the longer term believe the state should spend taxpayer dollars more responsibly. I believe Wisconsin can continue to provide needed services to its residents without being one of the highest taxed states in the country.

Health Care: I am opposed to taxpayer funded universal health insurance. More than 90% of the residents in the state are covered by some form of health insurance, and our quality of health care is among the best in the country. I believe we can lower health care costs by making health savings accounts tax deductible at the state level, encouraging more transparency in costs and making it easier for individuals to become members of health insurance co-ops. I also believe that the key to reducing health care costs requires a cooperative effort that will include the Legislature, health care providers, insurance companies and consumers.

Energy: The state has been increasing its use of wind power to generate electricity, and I think this is an excellent trend. However, wind alone will not meet our energy needs into the future. An important step will be to repeal the moratorium on nuclear plant construction. A balanced energy portfolio is necessary to meet our states needs and insure that our economy remains strong.

Repeat Offenders: The state’s drunk driving laws need to be strengthened immediately. I support making first offense OWI a criminal offense, making the third offense a felony and establishing mandatory minimum sentences for each offense. I believe this will be accomplished in the next session of the Legislature.

Education: The availability of a quality education is the first step to achieving a skilled workforce and fighting poverty. Currently 39% of our state’s budget is dedicated to education, the largest expenditure of any of our state’s expenses. I support 2/3 funding of K-12 education in Wisconsin and doing everything we can to make sure that we maintain high standards in our schools. It’s also important that our school districts operate efficiently and get the biggest benefit from the dollars spent. I oppose repealing the QEO, and also support school choice as a way of offering all students the opportunity to attend schools in which they have the best chance of succeeding.

The Environment: Wisconsin is a beautiful state with abundant natural resources, and it’s important that we do everything we can to protect those resources. The stewardship program is an excellent example of one way we are accomplishing this goal. I support measures that fight pollution and keep our air and water clean for future generations.

Tuesday, September 30th
Bad Business

The current financial crisis the country faces raises many questions; chief among them is how people who should know better were able to make so many bad financial decisions. It seems obvious that consistently lending much more money to borrowers than they could afford to pay back would eventually lead to big problems. Whatever the details of the bailout plan Congress eventually approves, part of the plan should involve a painstaking investigation into who is responsible for the financial mess, and they should be held accountable. The Community Reinvestment Act should be immediately repealed, and we should also put mechanisms in place so that future crises are prevented.

While dealing with the fiscal crisis is a federal issue beyond the scope of individual states to address there are economic issues at the state level that should not be overlooked. We are currently facing a budget shortfall in Wisconsin and it may continue for some time to come. The cause: the state has been spending more money than it is collecting in taxes. There are basically two ways to address the issue: raise taxes or cut spending.

The easy way out is to simply raise taxes, and that is the tactic that has been used far too often in our state. That’s why as of two years ago we were the sixth highest taxed state in the country. We have since dropped to number eleven, but that’s not because our own taxes have dropped. It’s because a few other states have raised their taxes to levels that are higher than ours.

Cutting state spending is a lot tougher, because no state agency wants to get by with less. We are generally told that if the Department of Transportation funding is cut that our roads will fall apart. If the Department of Revenue funding is cut we will have to wait much longer to receive our tax returns, and so on. These attitudes are what got Wisconsin our high tax ranking, and if we address our budget shortfall by raising taxes we will certainly move up again in the ranks of the highest taxed states.

I believe that state spending can be significantly cut without giving up important state services. For example, in the last session of the Assembly I authored a bill that will allow the Department of Administration to only send copies of the State Statutes to those municipal officeholders who request them. Previously the Department had been printing over 3,000 copies of the statutes at a cost of $430,000 every two years. Since many local officials get their information online today, much of the cost of printing these statute sets was wasted. Under the new law municipal officials who want a hard copy of the statutes can still receive it, but because of reduced printing costs the savings should be substantial.

That’s just one example of how our state can save money without cutting vital services. I believe there are many other areas in which we can operate more efficiently or simply cut wasteful spending. One of my goals is to continue searching for ways to save taxpayers money. I am hopeful that the heads of the various state agencies will help me in this endeavor, since they know the details of their operating budgets better than anyone else.

Wisconsin is a great state. Anything we can do to make it more affordable for our residents to live here should be tenaciously pursued. I plan on doing just that.

Monday, September 22nd
What Ever Happened to Global Warming?

Have you noticed that over the last year or so the term “global warming” has often been replaced with “global climate change?” So the calls to “fight global warming” have become “We must fight climate change.” What has changed? The answer is that it hasn’t been quite as warm here lately as some expected it would be, not just here in Wisconsin but in other areas as well.

For example, after a chilly spring Milwaukee didn’t have one 90 degree day this past summer. National weather service reports indicate that the state of Alaska experienced its coolest summer high temperatures since the early 1970s. So Milwaukeeans, Alaskans and others may not be too anxious to “fight” what little warm weather we have experienced lately, which has caused some of the proponents of the “man is causing global warming” crowd to change their battle cry.

I guess what they are saying now is that they really don’t know what human use of fossil fuels will lead to, but whatever it is it’s going to be bad, and we must “fight it.” This idea ignores the fact that the Earth’s climates have been changing since long before man was using fossil fuels, and that the climates will continue to change in the future. The idea of “fighting” climate change makes about as much sense as fighting earthquakes or volcanoes. We can adjust to them or get out of their way, but we can’t really stop them.

It should be pointed out that the “man is causing global climate change” crowd attribute many weather anomalies to human activities and are rarely challenged in the popular media. For example, the Journal-Sentinel recently reported that one of the co-chairs of the Governor’s Global Warming Task Force was speaking at a meeting in Milwaukee, and suggested that the floods Wisconsin experienced in August of 2007 and again last June were the result of global warming. The speaker was not asked what evidence he had to back up that assertion, and I suspect that had we had droughts for the last two summers he would have also attributed them to global warming or global climate change.

The debate will go on over whether or not human activities are influencing the Earth’s climates. This is a scientific issue and will not be answered by the popular media. Only high quality and unbiased research will give us more definitive answers. But keep in mind that those who are making a call to action now are asking the Wisconsin Legislature to start passing laws to decrease our output of greenhouse gases-laws that will lead to higher prices and taxes, and possibly lost jobs-stresses that our state’s economy can’t afford.

While we already spend a good deal of money at both the state and national level to reduce pollution we can also see benefits in terms of cleaner air and water. However, for an individual state to pass global warming laws that would severely inhibit its economy is pointless. Even if Wisconsin could cut its output of carbon dioxide to zero it would have no measurable impact on atmospheric background levels of carbon dioxide. That being the case, our efforts would have no impact on global temperatures, regardless of what anyone thinks about global warming.

I will oppose any efforts in the State Legislature to pass laws that will negatively impact our state’s economy while producing no beneficial effect on the environment. At the same time, I favor our state pursuing a sensible energy policy, which means increasing our use of nuclear energy to produce electricity, and by increasing the use of renewable sources of energy. We are using more wind in the state now and that is good, but it’s important to remember that energy sources like wind and solar alone will never satisfy all of our energy needs. I also oppose ethanol mandates.

As for future climate change, since it will happen regardless of what we do, I do feel we have to be prepared to adjust to it. Civilizations have adjusted to it in the past, and there’s no reason we can’t handle future changes.

Friday, September 12th
Contrasting Societies

Thursday marked the seventh anniversary of the devastating attacks on the World Trade Center. It was a time to pause and pay tribute those who died or were injured, and to all those who took part in the search and rescue attempts in the days following. This is also a time to remember that the war on terror goes on, and to recognize the bravery of our military personal who are fighting this war on the front lines today. This war is ongoing, and it’s only by being strong and vigilant that we can prevent future attacks, and ultimately win.

Tuesday was primary Election Day, and served as a reminder of the stark contrast between our culture and society, and those who would kill, destroy and oppress. We have the opportunity to select our leaders peacefully, without fear of violence or retribution. And after our elections, we are willing to accept the results and continue to live peacefully. Even though we tend to take this for granted, there are many places in the world where this is not the case. In dictatorial regimes, not only is the right to vote unknown, but simply expressing one’s disagreement with the government can result in imprisonment or death.

Unfortunately our voter turnout often falls far short of full participation, particularly in primary elections. It’s easy to get caught up in the activities of the day, and find excuses for not making the trip to the polls. That’s too bad, because in some elections if the turnout were higher, the results could be different.

We have another election day approaching on November 4th, and on that day and on all those to come, it’s important to remember that the right to vote in our country only exists because we are a free society, and since the founding of our country many have fought and died to keep us that way. By exercising that right we show our appreciation to those who have sacrificed so that we have that right. It also gives us the opportunity to choose who our leaders will be at all levels of government.

Voting is a cherished part of our country’s freedoms that should be exercised by everyone who is eligible.

Friday, September 5th
An Exciting Week

For the last three evenings I watched the Republican National Convention TV coverage from St. Paul, and on Thursday I was the emcee at an Acceptance Speech party hosted by the Milwaukee County Republican Party in Greendale. Those of us in attendance would have rather actually been at the convention, but getting together to enjoy the coverage with some good friends and food was the next best thing.

The addition of Governor Sarah Palin to the presidential ticket has certainly raised the level of enthusiasm among Republicans. To have Senator McCain and Governor Palin make Cedarburg the first campaign stop after the convention only adds to the excitement. I thought Governor Palin’s speech on Wednesday evening was absolutely spectacular, and I thought Senator McCain was excellent as well. In February I joined nine other southeastern Wisconsin Republicans in endorsing Senator John McCain. He’s a true American hero who I believe will make a very strong and effective president and Governor Palin is the perfect choice for vice president.

Political conventions are uplifting experiences as well as a lot of fun. But now the hard work begins, and not just for the candidates. Volunteers will be busy making phone calls, doing lit drops and putting up yard signs. Maybe you will be one of them. Volunteering is a time honored tradition in political campaigns and is a very important part of helping elect the people who we feel will be our best leaders. We have a great Republican ticket in John McCain and Sarah Palin. I will do everything I can to help them get elected in November.

Friday, August 29nd
Behind the Scenes

Over the past few weeks there have been a couple of stories in the news that gave a decidedly misleading slant to what really occurred. The first appeared in the Journal-Sentinel on Sunday, August 17th, and concerned the passage of the Great Lakes Compact. The second concerned reports that the Natural Resources Committee of the State Assembly failed to approve a proposed Department of Natural Resources Rule that would have required utilities to reduce their mercury emission by 90%, certainly a worthy sounding goal. Since I am vice-chair of the Natural Resources Committee, I can shed some light on what really happened in both instances.

In the story on the Great Lakes Compact the reporter stated that “a handful of Assembly leaders…tried to essentially derail the measure by refusing to bring it to a vote before the Legislature adjourned…” That is simply not true! There were two issues that delayed the passage of the Great Lakes compact. One was the issue of communities like New Berlin and Waukesha having access to Lake Michigan water, and the other concerned the possibility that the way the Compact was written left open the possibility that ground water could become a part of the public trust. Both of these issues were worked out to everyone’s satisfaction by adjusting the enabling legislation of the Compact.

I was present during the committee hearings and other discussions that took place concerning the Compact. At no time did anyone suggest that we not pass the Compact. It was just a matter of making sure that what we were passing was going to protect the waters of the Great Lakes while at the same time protecting the residents of Wisconsin. The final product does just that, which is why it passed the Assembly by a vote of 98-1.

As for the mercury rule it’s important to remember that we already have a rule in effect that requires utilities to reduce mercury emissions by 75%. No one even knows for sure if a 90% reduction is possible at the current state of our technology. Furthermore, the Department of Natural Resources failed to produce an economic impact statement, which is required by law. The estimates that the new rule would have only resulted in a $5 to $12 per year increase in an average homeowners electric bills seem very low, and without the impact statement it is difficult to verify.

Our Committee did not reject the rule outright, but rather sent it back to the DNR for further consideration, part of that being the production of an economic impact statement so we’ll have a better idea of how much this new rule would really cost Wisconsin’s consumers, for a mere 15% improvement over the current rule.

Friday, August 22nd
Campaign Time

In some ways it seems like only yesterday that I was first elected to the State Assembly. And it’s not just me. A number of people have commented “What, you have to run again?” But that’s the way it is in the State Assembly. Our Wisconsin State Constitution is modeled after the U.S. Constitution, so our Assembly corresponds to Congress, where Representatives also serve two year terms. All 99 seats in the Assembly are up for election every two years. State Senators serve four year terms, so half of the 33 Senators are up for re-election every two years.

My first term has been interesting as well as rewarding. The thing I have enjoyed the most is helping constituents deal with issues involving state and local government. These issues can be anything from assisting someone whose state tax refund did not arrive to a community dealing with a rough railroad crossing. Most of the time I or my staff can help the constituent reach a satisfactory resolution. Sometimes the problem can be solved with a simple phone call, while other issues can be more complicated and take weeks or months of hard work.

While many people consider our Legislature to be part time, I have found it to be every bit a full time job. When the Assembly is not in session there are committee meetings to attend, and many other events and meetings that I attend in the district. Many of the issue we take up in the Legislature are very complicated, so there is a lot of background reading and research involved before we actually take a vote. Each member of the Assembly serves on four committees. My favorite committee assignment for my first term was serving as vice-chair of the Natural Resources Committee. This is probably busiest Assembly committee, since there are so many important issues the Legislature must deal with regarding Wisconsin’s abundant wildlife, forest and fishery resources.

So as my first term concludes it is time to start campaigning again. The general election is on November 4th, so my next ten weeks will be very busy. That will mean ringing a lot of doorbells, attending candidate forums and meeting with as many of you as possible. We have a wonderful system of government that really works. You, the voters, have the final say on who your leaders will be. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve as your representative in the State Assembly.

I feel I accomplished some important goals during my first term, but there is much more to do. That’s why I hope you’ll elect me to a second term. The campaign begins now.