Justin on the Issues

Wisconsin lags behind many of its peer states in supporting arts and cultural workers, programs, and organizations. That is a mistake. Arts and culture bring us joy and deep understanding, they help us celebrate tradition and invention alike, and serve as the keepers of what is best about every generation. They connect people of varying experiences to one another as nothing else can.

Wisconsin's artists and creative workers, its arts and cultural organizations, and its commercial art and entertainment sector are important players in our economy - as businesses in their own right, as attractants to businesses considering locating in Wisconsin, and as anchors for our tourism and film industries. Arts education provides children with important opportunities to succeed through creative and critical thinking and to express themselves clearly and eloquently. And, arts education promotes learning and success in core academic subjects.

We must support and grow the Wisconsin Arts Board and invest in arts education.

All too often, in order to get elected a candidate must either have significant financial resources to pay for the campaign or raise enough money to do so. We currently have disclosure laws which require candidates to list their contributors and how much money they contributed. If a donor contributes over $100.00 the candidate must also disclose their occupation and employer.

There are limits to how much any one individual can give to a candidate’s campaign. Corporations are prohibited from contributing at all. The law is designed to let people know who is financially supporting a candidate. These rules are for contributions that go to the candidate’s committee and are controlled by the candidate.

Unfortunately not all money spent toward a campaign is controlled by the candidate and his/her campaign. Groups with ambiguous names are able to enter the campaign arena and buy ads and do mailings attempting to influence the outcome of elections. Who makes up the group and who funds them? Often, we don’t know.

I believe we should strengthen the transparency laws so that groups who are willing to identify its leaders, organizational structure and funding sources in detail, similar to a legislative campaign, should be allowed to continue to participate in the electoral process. Such ”Sunshine” legislation would ensure the public’s right to know who is paying for advertising so they can decide the value of these messages and how much their vote should be influenced by these groups.

My campaign finance reports indicate that I have received a good portion of my donations from neighbors and friends within the district, from family, and that I have accepted the support of some labor organizations. I’m honored to have the endorsements and support of the individuals and groups that have chosen to support me.

If you have ideas on reforming campaign finance reform I would love to hear from you.

My involvement in our neighborhood school’s PTO has allowed me to see firsthand the need for improved public education funding. We must invest in great schools for kids and lifelong learning opportunities for adults. Doing so will increase opportunities for our children, strengthen our communities and build our economy. Put simply, good schools benefit everyone.

As a proud graduate of Wisconsin public schools, I want all children to enjoy the same educational opportunities that I had growing up. These opportunities made Wisconsin an education leader for decades. For the sake of our children and our state, we can’t afford to neglect our commitment to education.

As an outdoor enthusiast and SCUBA instructor, our natural environment is important to me. Clean water, air, and open spaces guarantee a healthy environment not just for us, but also for our children and grandchildren.

I believe we don’t have to choose between a healthy economy and a healthy environment. I will work to make Wisconsin a leader in capturing good, family supporting “green” jobs. There are tremendous opportunities to build healthy, sustainable businesses as we shift to a more environmentally responsible economy.

Wisconsin has recently renewed the Stewardship Fund, safeguarding the best of our sensitive and wild places so that we can continue to enjoy these beautiful and threatened natural treasures. I was proud to be part of the tremendous effort by Senate Democrats, conservation organizations and environmental groups to accomplish this important task.

The recent passage of the Great Lakes Compact is another conservation landmark. I supported passage of this proposal to insure that we protect the Great Lakes for years to come. As your representative, I will continue to work on strengthening this legislation.

I think it is vital that the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Secretary be independent from political influence. As such, I think the DNR Board should appoint the DNR Secretary, as opposed to making it a political position. We must also increase our state’s ability to fight big polluters by restoring the Public Intervener’s office, ensuring we can continue to safely enjoy our lakes, rivers and streams long into the future.

Additionally, we need to protect our state from neighboring states that export their waste to Wisconsin and dump it in our landfills. We can do this by removing the economic incentive that makes it cheaper for Chicago waste to be dumped in Wisconsin landfills. This is particularly important given Wisconsin’s strong recycling tradition. We’ve worked hard to limit the amount of our own waste being dumped in landfills.

Last year we succeeded in passing new ethic regulations into law. The new GovernmentAccountability Board (GAB), governed by retired Judges, was created. It essentially merged the functions of the Wisconsin State Elections Board and the Wisconsin Ethics Board into a single agency to provide oversight of elected officials in their campaigns and in their conduct as they serve in public office.

The GAB will oversee administration and enforcement of Wisconsin’s campaign finance, elections, ethics and lobbying laws. This merger allows citizens more transparency of the campaign and legislative processes.

Lobbying is also tracked, both in time spent lobbying on legislation and money spent employing lobbyists. Lobbyists must register to let the public know which bills they are working for and against. Any citizen can visit the GAB web site (http://gab.wi.gov/) to see which of these lobbying groups is spending money, for or against any particular piece of legislation. The GAB also has rules about what lobbyists can and cannot give legislators and their staffs. Wisconsin has among the strictest regulation in this area.

The Wisconsin legislature has taken steps in recent years to regain its reputation for clean, open and ethical government. I am proud of my efforts with Senator Robson to restore civility and decorum to the State Senate and was honored to present about ethics at the National Conference of State Legislators.

I strongly support these efforts and intend to continue advocating for clean and open government, one that you and I can be proud of.

In a time of economic uncertainty and tight family budgets no one is clamoring to pay more taxes. But what I hear when speaking to people in the 81st District is not an objection to taxes but concerns about tax fairness and how the tax dollars are being spent. People want more state funds spent on the public schools to lower the burden on local property tax payers; they want government funds to support and fund responsible long term economic development; they want government funds to assist those effected by the flooding, job loss and other unforeseen events, and we all want those potholes filled.

The biggest problem with current Wisconsin taxes is that they fall disproportionally on middle class property owners. Recent tax policy on both the state and federal levels have reflected a pattern of giving tax breaks to the ultra-wealthy on the theory that this will trickle down and help less wealthy people. This has not happened. And, while some Wisconsin corporations are paying their share, there are many who have used tax loop holes and tax evasion methods to avoid paying taxes in Wisconsin. Significant revenue could be generated to help fund the programs that people support if everyone paid their fair share of taxes. By changing collection methods and by closing tax loop holes we can address the issue of tax fairness and place less burden on our retirees and homeowners.

I believe that every Wisconsin resident, regardless of age or gender, should have quality, affordable healthcare choices.

I strongly support providing a base level of healthcare that emphasizes wellness and preventative care, and ensures healthcare when needed.

I will continue the fight to require insurance coverage of early treatment for autism; treatment that provides a lifetime of potential and growth for children suffering from autism.

I will continue the fight for Mental Health Parity, offering treatment and hope to thousands who suffer from mental illness.

Over the last few years, I’ve worked with Senator Judy Robson to protect “SeniorCare” from President Bush’s attempts to kill this vitally important program. Similarly, I worked hard to support “Healthy Wisconsin,” which would provide Wisconsin residents with the same health care that state legislators enjoy. I will continue these efforts.

We can accomplish these goals and make Wisconsin a healthier place.

Like all of us, I have watched with increasing concern as fuel prices, foreign competition, and healthcare costs have contributed to layoff and plant closing announcements here in Wisconsin.  During my work with Senator Robson I often advocated for long term economic development and retaining good paying jobs. 

The GM announcement indicating that they will be closing the Janesville plant was particularly concerning.  The state has invested significant funds to help retain these quality jobs.  The United Auto Workers union, UAW Local 95 Janesville-Madison, that represents the hard working men and women at GM has worked with management to make this plant highly productive and globally competitive.  I am proud that the men and women of UAW Local 95 have endorsed me and have put their hope and faith in my ability to work to improve Wisconsin’s economy. 

The unemployment statistics, as dismal as they are, paint a brighter picture then the reality. Many people who are currently working are doing so by juggling multiple jobs, or are in positions that pay less and have fewer benefits then the positions they have held in the past. 

Government resources can be wisely used to encourage economic development and invest in our workers.  We must start with an excellent education for our children, support higher education, and continue with resources to retrain workers as our economy changes.  Job development grants given out should be monitored to ensure they are fulfilling their purpose: job creation for our citizens.

Government involvement in economic development needs to have measurable goals and requirements for keeping jobs here in our communities. State government must work with corporations and local units of government to stimulate the economy to keep Wisconsin’s economy strong and to provide its citizens a chance at the American dream.

I believe unequivocally in a fair Wisconsin. I worked against the recent discriminatory amendment that prohibits loving couples from enjoying the basic legal protections afforded through civil marriage. I continue to advocate for rights for committed couples through partnership benefits and a domestic registry.

It is time for a proposal to ensure that all couples have the opportunity to such basic, common sense rights as hospital visitation, parental and burial rights. This issue goes beyond fairness and American freedoms. Our economic security is threatened as Wisconsin businesses, municipalities, and the university system struggle to compete with employers in other states that offer broader rights to their employees.

I believe that we have too much negative campaigning and too many personal attacks in our political debate. This negativity demeans the public service that elected officials give and drives good people away from running for office. Although politics can be intense and personal, I believe that we need to strive to lead by example. Early in the campaign I challenged my primary opponents to a clean campaign pledge to talk about the issues and avoid negative campaigning. It is my hope that they will join me in taking the high road and talking about the issues and concerns of our neighbors.

Last year legislation was introduced in the State Senate which would have provided public financing for Supreme Court Elections. All seven of the Supreme Court Justices signed a letter of support. Polls show overwhelming support by the public for public financing of those races.

Despite this overwhelming support, the legislation failed to pass the legislature and Wisconsin experienced one of the most negative and costly Supreme Court races in the nation.

Political partisanship and adversarial elections are appropriate in legislative and gubernatorial elections. Judicial elections are different. They are non-partisan because judges rule on the law as applied to the facts before them. They are obligated to give each person who enters the judicial process due process including the right to a fair and impartial decision maker.

I join groups like the League of Women Voters in being concerned that large monetary contributions to a judicial campaign may undermine the confidence in a fair and independent judiciary. Freeing the Justices from having to run expensive, partisan campaigns would enhance their capacity to run elections based on their qualifications for the job.

I believe medically accurate education and access to safe contraceptives are key to greatly reducing unintended pregnancy. As a husband and father, I take the responsibility to educate my own children on these important issues, but I also know schools have an important role to play, and should provide age-appropriate, comprehensive sex education, including contraceptive and abstinence information, to our children.

I also believe that government can and should protect everyone’s right to receive necessary healthcare that is in the patient’s interest. Ultimately, we should be giving men and women as many healthcare options as possible and making sure that they have accurate information about those options.

As a parent, I know that pregnancy related decisions involve complex personal and health circumstances. It’s vitally important that we empower the patient and physician in these decisions, and not politicians that want to impose their own views on a private issue.

I’ve been on the front lines of protecting reproductive rights, both during my service in the state Senate and for years prior to that. My efforts span from volunteering to help protect reproductive health clinics from potentially violent protestors while in high school, to serving as Senator Robson’s Committee Clerk as we held off extremist efforts to kill the Wisconsin Family Planning Waiver.

Since serving as Senator Judy Robson’s Committee Clerk, I have worked with Planned Parenthood to protect the Family Planning Waiver, an important program that provides vital services such as cervical cancer screenings and basic health care for thousands of Wisconsin women. I’m committed to continuing and expanding this lifesaving program.

Senator Robson was the lead author of the Compassionate Care legislation in the Senate, joining Representative Mark Pocan and other legislators in successfully passing this important protection. As Senator Robson’s Chief of Staff, I worked with staff, Planned Parenthood advocates, and legislators to help her promote and pass this important legislation.

I believe in government “for the people and by the people.” Voters not only choose their representatives, they have the right to know what decision those representatives make, who has input and influence on them when they are making those decisions, and what effect those decisions have on the people of the District. Representatives should have regular contact with their constituents so they know what the people of their district want regarding pending legislation. And they should always be available to explain their votes on various matters.

Wisconsin Eye, which broadcasts assembly sessions and committee meetings both on cable and on the web, is a great tool allowing citizens to follow the actions of their elected officials. But these broadcasts would be meaningless unless the legislators are willing to have honest open debate on the floor in pubic. It is meaningless unless the elected officials are willing to explain how they voted and why. Government meetings should be open and accessible to people. Open meeting laws and open records laws continue to be invaluable in allowing press and public oversight to legislative activity.

Having worked in a legislative office, I realize the value of promptly returned phone calls, regular newsletters and web sites that allow the legislator to keep people informed and to receive feed back. The 81st District is an area which allows a legislator to interact regularly with people in both formal and informal events. I will make myself available at those events and at additional listening sessions to respond to our community’s concerns and issues, and to discuss my legislative action.

I believe that we must work to create efficient ways to get people where they want to go. That includes encouraging the use of public transportation, expanding the state van pooling system, and building and maintaining good bike trails. Given the escalating price of fuel and diminishing state transportation funds, we need to plan for the future by exploring the feasibility of expanded bus service and transportation options between communities and regions of our state.

Walking the neighborhoods of our district has impressed upon me the importance of pedestrian safety and accessibility. Well-maintained and effectively constructed crosswalks, lighting, traffic signaling and intersections are all important parts of transportation planning and neighborhood safety.

Recent flooding has certainly shown us the value of good roads and strong infrastructure such as bridges and dams. We need to repair the damage done while creating a system that ensures regular inspection and preventive maintenance of bridges and dams.

Transportation and infrastructure are areas where federal money is often available. I believe strong political advocacy can increase the amount of federal money returned to Wisconsin to provide for infrastructure and transportation projects in our communities. I am also a strong proponent of protecting segregated funds for their intended purpose. Segregated fees are often user fees that are collected with the understanding that those fees will be used for related purposes, Wisconsin needs to return to the practice of safeguarding these funds.

Working for Senator Robson, I was often an advocate for communities, farmers, and small businesses that had difficulties with transportation projects. Given that advocacy experience, I believe that as we develop and reinvest in our infrastructure, it is vital that we appreciate the value of our environment, agricultural land and the economic impact to our small businesses.

Wisconsin has a long tradition of clean elections. However, we need to learn from the problems other states have experienced in recent years. Wisconsin needs to be proactive to guarantee not only that every vote counts, but also that every voter has equal access to the polls. We must be careful, however, to make sure that any changes include voter verified voting systems, so we can protect the integrity of our elections wherever they are threatened.