MONROE - In the 80th Assembly District, one candidate's issue ad is another candidate's attack ad.
The race between Rep. Brett Davis, R-Oregon, and challenger John Waelti, D-Monroe, heated up over the weekend as the candidates sent out flyers that were critical of the other's positions.
Both candidates accuse the other of not being truthful with the facts.
Davis sent a flyer that criticized Healthy Wisconsin, a health care plan he said Waelti supports.
"At the Green County Fair, he said he supported government run health care and Healthy Wisconsin," Davis said. "I think it's important people know how each of us come down on the issues."
Davis said the flyer focuses on an issue important to voters.
"My opponent and I have said we want to focus on issues," Davis said.
Waelti said the flyer is too similar to another ad put out by the outside special interest group, All Children Matter.
"I didn't hold Brett accountable for the other flyer (put out by All Children Matter), but I hold him accountable for this one," Waelti said.
Waelti said he has a problem with the fact that Davis' flyer in many parts makes the same claims and attacks as the piece by All Children Matter did.
"Either Brett plagiarized them or they plagiarized him," Waelti said. "He said he was opposed to what All Children Matter put out in their ad and then sends out the same ad."
Waelti said he doesn't support the Healthy Wisconsin plan but does support the concept of health care for everyone.
"I said there had to be some changes (in the plan)," Waelti said.
On his campaign Web site, Waelti says "an ideal system would be a single payer system not tied to employment."
"Some version of the previously proposed 'Healthy Wisconsin' plan should be enacted to ensure that every Wisconsin citizen has access to an affordable health care package," the site says.
Davis said he hopes people don't get confused about the mailing sent out by his campaign and the mailing sent out by an outside group. He said he doesn't want special interest groups to get involved in the campaign.
"I've called on outside groups to stay out of the race," Davis said.
Sen. Jon Erpenbach, D-Waunakee, who authored the Healthy Wisconsin bill in the Senate, said the charges made by Davis on his flyer are not true.
In the flyer, Davis says Waelti supports providing health care to illegal aliens.
"Federal law says no one can be turned away from a hospital," Erpenbach said. He also said the charge that Healthy Wisconsin provides benefits for people who don't work also is false. The state has health care plans for people with low or no income. Besides, he added, state law prohibits people with low or no income from being turned away from hospitals, as well.
"This plan would cover people who aren't covered," Erpenbach said.
Erpenbach said the flyer uses "scare tactics" to get people to vote against Waelti, who he called a "good guy."
"I'm disappointed," Erpenbach said of Davis' ad. "The independent mailer was almost word-for-word. It's pretty clear Brett and All Children Matter are saying the same thing."
But Davis said his campaign isn't using attack methods to present Waelti's position.
If anyone is using attack methods, it's Waelti, Davis said.
He said Waelti has sent out a flyer that says Davis supports "big oil" and that he favors allowing people to take guns into daycare centers.
Waelti's flyer says Davis voted with Republican leadership 97 percent of the time.
"Nice guy back home, but forgets our values in Madison," the flyer says.
Waelti's flyer accused Davis of supporting big oil companies by voting against Assembly Bill 873 in 2005. The bill, which was defeated, would have imposed an excess profits tax on oil companies and created an individual income tax credit for home heating costs.
Davis said he voted against the bill because the oil companies simply would have passed the tax along to consumers who already were having problems paying their bills.
"It would have hurt families," Davis said.
A second point in Waelti's flyer is that Davis opposed "providing affordable health care coverage to Wisconsin citizens." It refers to Davis' vote in 2005 against AB 834, which would have committed the Legislature to passing a bill by Jan. 1, 2008, that would assure at least 98 percent of state residents have health care coverage within two years.
Davis said the proposal was actually a "plan to do a plan" with no definite rules or proposals.
"It doesn't say how we were supposed to do it," Davis said. "It was a hollow bill."
Davis said the Assembly did pass legislation in its most recent session to provide health care to 98 percent of residents through the Badger Care Plus plan.
The last charge says Davis voted to deny a $600 tax to homeowners while protecting special interest groups.
But Davis said the plan he opposed, AB 452, would have raised taxes on prescription drugs, medical supplies and agricultural goods.
Davis said the charges aren't true and said Waelti's flyer is an example of "politics as usual."
The race between Rep. Brett Davis, R-Oregon, and challenger John Waelti, D-Monroe, heated up over the weekend as the candidates sent out flyers that were critical of the other's positions.
Both candidates accuse the other of not being truthful with the facts.
Davis sent a flyer that criticized Healthy Wisconsin, a health care plan he said Waelti supports.
"At the Green County Fair, he said he supported government run health care and Healthy Wisconsin," Davis said. "I think it's important people know how each of us come down on the issues."
Davis said the flyer focuses on an issue important to voters.
"My opponent and I have said we want to focus on issues," Davis said.
Waelti said the flyer is too similar to another ad put out by the outside special interest group, All Children Matter.
"I didn't hold Brett accountable for the other flyer (put out by All Children Matter), but I hold him accountable for this one," Waelti said.
Waelti said he has a problem with the fact that Davis' flyer in many parts makes the same claims and attacks as the piece by All Children Matter did.
"Either Brett plagiarized them or they plagiarized him," Waelti said. "He said he was opposed to what All Children Matter put out in their ad and then sends out the same ad."
Waelti said he doesn't support the Healthy Wisconsin plan but does support the concept of health care for everyone.
"I said there had to be some changes (in the plan)," Waelti said.
On his campaign Web site, Waelti says "an ideal system would be a single payer system not tied to employment."
"Some version of the previously proposed 'Healthy Wisconsin' plan should be enacted to ensure that every Wisconsin citizen has access to an affordable health care package," the site says.
Davis said he hopes people don't get confused about the mailing sent out by his campaign and the mailing sent out by an outside group. He said he doesn't want special interest groups to get involved in the campaign.
"I've called on outside groups to stay out of the race," Davis said.
Sen. Jon Erpenbach, D-Waunakee, who authored the Healthy Wisconsin bill in the Senate, said the charges made by Davis on his flyer are not true.
In the flyer, Davis says Waelti supports providing health care to illegal aliens.
"Federal law says no one can be turned away from a hospital," Erpenbach said. He also said the charge that Healthy Wisconsin provides benefits for people who don't work also is false. The state has health care plans for people with low or no income. Besides, he added, state law prohibits people with low or no income from being turned away from hospitals, as well.
"This plan would cover people who aren't covered," Erpenbach said.
Erpenbach said the flyer uses "scare tactics" to get people to vote against Waelti, who he called a "good guy."
"I'm disappointed," Erpenbach said of Davis' ad. "The independent mailer was almost word-for-word. It's pretty clear Brett and All Children Matter are saying the same thing."
But Davis said his campaign isn't using attack methods to present Waelti's position.
If anyone is using attack methods, it's Waelti, Davis said.
He said Waelti has sent out a flyer that says Davis supports "big oil" and that he favors allowing people to take guns into daycare centers.
Waelti's flyer says Davis voted with Republican leadership 97 percent of the time.
"Nice guy back home, but forgets our values in Madison," the flyer says.
Waelti's flyer accused Davis of supporting big oil companies by voting against Assembly Bill 873 in 2005. The bill, which was defeated, would have imposed an excess profits tax on oil companies and created an individual income tax credit for home heating costs.
Davis said he voted against the bill because the oil companies simply would have passed the tax along to consumers who already were having problems paying their bills.
"It would have hurt families," Davis said.
A second point in Waelti's flyer is that Davis opposed "providing affordable health care coverage to Wisconsin citizens." It refers to Davis' vote in 2005 against AB 834, which would have committed the Legislature to passing a bill by Jan. 1, 2008, that would assure at least 98 percent of state residents have health care coverage within two years.
Davis said the proposal was actually a "plan to do a plan" with no definite rules or proposals.
"It doesn't say how we were supposed to do it," Davis said. "It was a hollow bill."
Davis said the Assembly did pass legislation in its most recent session to provide health care to 98 percent of residents through the Badger Care Plus plan.
The last charge says Davis voted to deny a $600 tax to homeowners while protecting special interest groups.
But Davis said the plan he opposed, AB 452, would have raised taxes on prescription drugs, medical supplies and agricultural goods.
Davis said the charges aren't true and said Waelti's flyer is an example of "politics as usual."