There are many important issues that the State Assembly will be dealing with in the next term. Here are my views on some of these issues. I will be expanding on these views weekly on the current issues page.

MAJOR ISSUES

Representation
To me the term "representative" means just that. A person who represents the constituents of a district should make every effort to try to find out how the majority of the voters in the district feel about issues that come before the Legislature. A representative should be a leader and help define the important issues of the day, but before introducing a bill before the Legislature must make sure that the voters in the district support the measure. Similarly, a legislator should get feedback from the constituents before voting on a bill to make sure they are being truly represented. I support advisory referendums as a way to get voter feedback on important issues.

Bipartisanship
There is a difference between compromising on an issue to accomplish a worthy goal, and compromising one's principles so that the outcome does not really reflect what constituents want. I will make every effort to work with Republicans and Democrats on the various issues that come before the Assembly. Ideas will not be rejected outright just because they originate from the other party, and I hope that the other side will approach issues in the same way. The bottom line for me will be effectively representing the electorate in the 23rd district.

Ethics
Trust in our government leaders is an absolute must in order for our system to function properly. I have no tolerance for even the appearance of dishonesty or impropriety from elected officials.

Taxes
Taxes are too high in Wisconsin, even though in the last two years we have dropped from being the sixth highest taxed state in the country to 11th. Unfortunately this improvement did not come about because our own taxes significantly dropped, but because taxes in a few other states increased. The best way to bring about tax cuts is for our State Government to spend more efficiently and eliminate waste. During my first term in office I was able to get a provision into the State Budget that will require the Department of Transportation to print the state highway map every other year rather than annually. I also authored a bill that will require the Department of Administration to send hard bound copies of the state statutes only to those municipal officials who request them. These initiatives will ultimately save state taxpayers millions of dollars, without any cuts in state services. I will continue looking for ways for our state to spend our tax dollars more efficiently and eliminate waste.

Crime
The penalties for certain serious crimes should be increased. Repeat drunk drivers present a danger on the roadways for everyone. Those who cannot resist the temptation to drink and drive should be given longer prison sentences, and the time between the arrest of a repeat drunk driver and the trial date should be shortened. We must make sure that the most effective methods, like ignition locks, are taken to keep repeat drunk drivers off the roads. There also should be an automatic sentence enhancer for crimes committed while armed with a gun.

Education
All children deserve a quality education. I therefore support expanding the school choice program statewide. It is a proven method to help students reach their full potential and to improve high school graduation rates.

There are also problems in the state's education systems that need to be addressed, such as unfunded state mandates to school systems. Wasteful spending has also been a problem in some cases. For example, the University of Wisconsin system has spent $26 million for a payroll system that is still not online, and is badly in need of oversight.

There are also problems with the way in which the state funds local school districts. Funding on an enrollment basis puts districts like Mequon/Thiensville that are experiencing declining enrollments at a disadvantage. And unfunded mandates put added pressure on local property tax payers. If elected to the State Legislature I will consider addressing these problems a top priority. We must remain committed to providing a quality education to all students in our state.

The Environment
As an avid fisherman who greatly appreciates our beautiful Wisconsin landscape, I strongly favor efforts to reduce pollution, preserve resources and develop land trusts. However, these efforts must be pursued with the realization that they can be costly and sometimes involve difficult choices. As measures come before the Legislature I feel it's important that voters are thoroughly informed about the costs and the benefits of these measures, and the likelihood that the desired results will be achieved.

Health Care
A significant number of Wisconsin residents currently do not have health insurance, and solving the problem is going to be a long term and difficult endeavor. Simply mandating health insurance for everyone, as Massachusetts recently did, does not address the issue of cost.

This is a problem that will require careful study by the Legislature, but there are some measures that can be taken now. For example, I support establishing lower limits on medical malpractice suits to reduce the cost of medical care and to avoid the crisis of doctors leaving the state because of high insurance costs. The state could also explore establishing tax incentives for health savings accounts.

Energy
This is an issue that extends well beyond the borders of Wisconsin, but is also an issue that we must deal with right here. The price of heating our homes and driving our automobiles has dramatically increased in recent years, and since industry must also pay more for energy there has been an effect on prices across the board. I am in favor of increased drilling to take advantage of some of the vast reserves of oil that are available in our country, and I am opposed to the ethanol mandate.

Unfortunately our state does not have hydroelectric resources that many of the states in the west have, and so much of our electric generation is accomplished through the use of coal. There has been an increase in the use of wind to generate electricity in the last few years, but even though wind, solar and biofuels are all important parts of a well rounded energy portfolio, they will not even come close to covering our peak energy needs in the foreseeable future. Natural gas is cleaner than coal, but is also non-renewable and more expensive.

Supporting the Troops
As a Vietnam veteran who spent three years in the U.S. Army Security Agency, I am very sensitive to the issues facing military veterans. The State should make every effort to assist veterans in the transition back to civilian life and to support them in their future endeavors.

COMMON SENSE ISSUES

There are many issues that the Legislature has faced, or will be facing in future terms that require action. These include:
The Minimum Markup Law. In my opinion this law does little more than make everyone pay more for gas. I support repeal of this law.
Voter I.D.The right to vote is one of our most precious rights. We need to show an I.D.to rent a movie, cash a check or get on an airplane. It should also be necessary to show one to vote, since this is the easiest way to prevent voter fraud. The recent revelations that 39 voter registration workers have been turned over to the district attorney’s office in Milwaukee for possible prosecution, and the fact that the state reports that 22% of people who registered to vote in our state in August provided information that does not match driver’s license records shows we have a real problem. It is imperative that we do everything possible to keep our elections clean in Wisconsin. Requiring that voters show a photo I.D. when voting makes sense, and I will continue to strongly support it in the State Assembly.
Illegal Immigration. Resolution of this issue obviously lies primarily with the federal government, but we should not add to the problem in Wisconsin with policies that encourage illegal immigration. For example, I think it was a good idea for Wisconsin to stop granting drivers licenses to people who could not prove they were in the United States legally.
Mass Transit. Effective mass transit helps to decrease pollution and conserve energy. However, in order to work the transit lines have to "go somewhere", and at some point the revenues the systems generate have to cover a significant part of the operating costs. I do not believe the system recently rejected in Milwaukee County would have satisfied either goal.