MONROE - In one of the state's most closely-watched Assembly races as Democrats seek to take over control from Republicans, voters Tuesday will decide whether 80th District Rep. Brett Davis, R-Oregon, or challenger John Waelti, D-Monroe, will spend the next two years at the capitol in Madison.
Both candidates submitted written answers to questions posed by The Monroe Times. Here, in full, are their answers:
1. How, specifically, should state government reform education funding and what role would you play in that effort?
DAVIS: As the Chairman of the Assembly Education Committee, I understand we need comprehensive K-12 education reform in Wisconsin. We need to focus on reducing property taxes, making our school finance system more sensible, and directing more resources to classroom instruction. All involved parties need to be willing to work on a broad reform plan that will improve the system for property tax payers and students.
Specifically, we should 1. Address the mismatch between the revenue limits and the QEO provisions under current law by bringing the two into alignment; 2. Change the way schools are funded to reduce our over-reliance on the property tax by letting voters decide on specific reforms in referendums; 3. Put more of our money into the classroom and core education functions such as teacher salaries and classroom instruction by seeking competitive bids for services such as health insurance and consolidating administrative functions to produce savings.
WAELTI: The state needs to fund districts in sufficient amount to maintain programs without forcing them to go to referendum every four to five years. We desperately need to take pressure off property taxes. Closing corporate tax loopholes would be a good start toward this objective. As a freshman legislator, I would work with more senior like-minded legislators and stakeholders to come up with a bill, with emphasis on reducing property taxes that would pass legislative muster.
2. What are your opponent's strengths and weaknesses?
DAVIS: My opponent's strengths are that he is a genuinely nice person with a desire for public service. I personally have a great deal of respect for John and his family and appreciate his service to our country and community.
My opponent's weaknesses are that he doesn't have specific plans to take on the challenging issues facing us and he keeps changing his position on issues when it's politically unpopular. Whether it's the economy, health care, education reform or taxes, he relies on Madison and Milwaukee politicians for talking points and answers. He has also clearly taken positions on issues and then backed away from them when he found out it was unpopular. Whether it is statements made at the Green County Health Care forum supporting a $15 billion government run health care program that will cost our state thousands of jobs, or a survey (projectvotesmart.com) where he says he will increase business taxes, income taxes, sales taxes, vehicle taxes and taxes on Internet sales, he should stand by the facts.
WAELTI: His strength: Nice guy who played football. His weakness: Career politician who neglects our most pressing needs in Madison.
3. In regard to health care, what is a greater priority - access or cost - and how would you address that priority?
DAVIS: With Governor Doyle's announcement on Oct. 31 that the federal government approved bipartisan changes to Badger Care that we made last legislative session, 98 percent of Wisconsin residents will have access to health care. Health care cost, however, remains the major issue and is currently forcing people to go without health care coverage.
Health care is unlike any other good we purchase. Consumers are lacking essential information on cost and quality of the care they receive. For example, cost of an MRI at one hospital currently costs significantly more at another hospital for the same service. I will continue to advocate for greater transparency and efficiency in our health care system, which will make health care more affordable.
In addition, continuing to support health care cooperatives like Green County's Healthy Solutions Cooperative for small businesses and the Farmer's Health Cooperative of Wisconsin are important pieces to the health care cost and quality puzzle.
Finally, if elected, I plan on introducing legislation to lower health care costs by encouraging small businesses to participate in cafeteria health care plans, which provide federal and state tax incentives and lower overall cost.
WAELTI: Access or cost? Both are severe problems. The Legislature can deal with access by enabling every citizen to be insured. Prevention is a way to reduce costs. But then, to reduce cost through early detection and prevention, patients must have access. So to the average citizen, it is a "chicken and egg" dilemma. Affordable insurance for all of our citizens is the key need.
4. What can the state do to lessen our dependence on foreign oil?
DAVIS: Investing in homegrown energy is the only way to break the stranglehold that foreign oil has over our economy and bring energy prices back under control, while creating high-paying jobs locally. For example, in the current state budget, I worked with Governor Doyle to secure a $4 million grant for a soybean crushing facility in Evansville. Not only will this facility promote renewable fuel production, but will also lead to the creation of 40 new jobs.
That is why I will continue to support grant and loan programs that will promote renewable energy production and fund cutting-edge research into the next generation of biofuels.
Expanding the use of biofuels will play a large part in solving our energy needs, but it is only part of the solution. We must be open to all methods of large-scale power generation. If proper environmental safeguards are in place, I would also support exploring the expanded use of nuclear power to meet our growing energy needs and to reduce our dependence on foreign oil.
WAELTI: We need to make Wisconsin a leader in developing efficient sources of renewable energy. Our premier University of Wisconsin research establishment is key to this effort.
5. Where do you differ with your party on key issues?
DAVIS: During the budget stalemate of last year, I was the only member of my party to vote in favor of a compromise offered by Governor Doyle. This break from my party did not make me the most popular member of my caucus, but being independent and doing what is right for the citizens of this district is more important to me than appeasing party bosses.
I am also challenging the status quo in my party by offering a comprehensive K-12 education reform plan that will require compromise from both political parties if it is going to be successful.
Despite my record of independence and bipartisanship, my opponent continues to say I vote with the majority party's leadership 97 percent of the time. Voters should know that my opponent fails to point out that this number includes bills that passed unanimously or had bipartisan support. The fact is that both Democrats and Republicans supported 80 percent of the bills that passed last legislative session.
WAELTI: I have never smoked myself, even as a teen-aged Marine private, but I believe that tavern keepers should retain choice of "to smoke or not to smoke." A total ban on smoking in taverns is an example of legislative over-reach. While government has legitimate responsibilities, there is a limit to the extent to which government should intrude on rights and privileges of private business establishments.
6. What are some of the problems that need to be dealt with in the next budget process?
DAVIS: Stopping the excessive partisanship to simply get the job done and making sure we find the balance between investing in our priorities - the economy, health care, education and renewable energy - without raising state general-purpose taxes.
Because of the downturn in the economy, many people are having a hard time paying their taxes, mortgage, health care, student loans and heating bills so we need to make sure we assist where we can. However, we also have to remember that the hard working people that pay government's bills don't have limitless money.
Government should not be any different than working families, seniors and small businesses that are forced to tighten their belt during tough economic times. We can meet our challenge by putting politics aside and striking the right balance between investing in our priorities and holding the line on taxes.
WAELTI: The major challenge, as always, is to provide the goods and services expected of good government, while keeping within fiscal constraints, also expected of good government.
Both candidates submitted written answers to questions posed by The Monroe Times. Here, in full, are their answers:
1. How, specifically, should state government reform education funding and what role would you play in that effort?
DAVIS: As the Chairman of the Assembly Education Committee, I understand we need comprehensive K-12 education reform in Wisconsin. We need to focus on reducing property taxes, making our school finance system more sensible, and directing more resources to classroom instruction. All involved parties need to be willing to work on a broad reform plan that will improve the system for property tax payers and students.
Specifically, we should 1. Address the mismatch between the revenue limits and the QEO provisions under current law by bringing the two into alignment; 2. Change the way schools are funded to reduce our over-reliance on the property tax by letting voters decide on specific reforms in referendums; 3. Put more of our money into the classroom and core education functions such as teacher salaries and classroom instruction by seeking competitive bids for services such as health insurance and consolidating administrative functions to produce savings.
WAELTI: The state needs to fund districts in sufficient amount to maintain programs without forcing them to go to referendum every four to five years. We desperately need to take pressure off property taxes. Closing corporate tax loopholes would be a good start toward this objective. As a freshman legislator, I would work with more senior like-minded legislators and stakeholders to come up with a bill, with emphasis on reducing property taxes that would pass legislative muster.
2. What are your opponent's strengths and weaknesses?
DAVIS: My opponent's strengths are that he is a genuinely nice person with a desire for public service. I personally have a great deal of respect for John and his family and appreciate his service to our country and community.
My opponent's weaknesses are that he doesn't have specific plans to take on the challenging issues facing us and he keeps changing his position on issues when it's politically unpopular. Whether it's the economy, health care, education reform or taxes, he relies on Madison and Milwaukee politicians for talking points and answers. He has also clearly taken positions on issues and then backed away from them when he found out it was unpopular. Whether it is statements made at the Green County Health Care forum supporting a $15 billion government run health care program that will cost our state thousands of jobs, or a survey (projectvotesmart.com) where he says he will increase business taxes, income taxes, sales taxes, vehicle taxes and taxes on Internet sales, he should stand by the facts.
WAELTI: His strength: Nice guy who played football. His weakness: Career politician who neglects our most pressing needs in Madison.
3. In regard to health care, what is a greater priority - access or cost - and how would you address that priority?
DAVIS: With Governor Doyle's announcement on Oct. 31 that the federal government approved bipartisan changes to Badger Care that we made last legislative session, 98 percent of Wisconsin residents will have access to health care. Health care cost, however, remains the major issue and is currently forcing people to go without health care coverage.
Health care is unlike any other good we purchase. Consumers are lacking essential information on cost and quality of the care they receive. For example, cost of an MRI at one hospital currently costs significantly more at another hospital for the same service. I will continue to advocate for greater transparency and efficiency in our health care system, which will make health care more affordable.
In addition, continuing to support health care cooperatives like Green County's Healthy Solutions Cooperative for small businesses and the Farmer's Health Cooperative of Wisconsin are important pieces to the health care cost and quality puzzle.
Finally, if elected, I plan on introducing legislation to lower health care costs by encouraging small businesses to participate in cafeteria health care plans, which provide federal and state tax incentives and lower overall cost.
WAELTI: Access or cost? Both are severe problems. The Legislature can deal with access by enabling every citizen to be insured. Prevention is a way to reduce costs. But then, to reduce cost through early detection and prevention, patients must have access. So to the average citizen, it is a "chicken and egg" dilemma. Affordable insurance for all of our citizens is the key need.
4. What can the state do to lessen our dependence on foreign oil?
DAVIS: Investing in homegrown energy is the only way to break the stranglehold that foreign oil has over our economy and bring energy prices back under control, while creating high-paying jobs locally. For example, in the current state budget, I worked with Governor Doyle to secure a $4 million grant for a soybean crushing facility in Evansville. Not only will this facility promote renewable fuel production, but will also lead to the creation of 40 new jobs.
That is why I will continue to support grant and loan programs that will promote renewable energy production and fund cutting-edge research into the next generation of biofuels.
Expanding the use of biofuels will play a large part in solving our energy needs, but it is only part of the solution. We must be open to all methods of large-scale power generation. If proper environmental safeguards are in place, I would also support exploring the expanded use of nuclear power to meet our growing energy needs and to reduce our dependence on foreign oil.
WAELTI: We need to make Wisconsin a leader in developing efficient sources of renewable energy. Our premier University of Wisconsin research establishment is key to this effort.
5. Where do you differ with your party on key issues?
DAVIS: During the budget stalemate of last year, I was the only member of my party to vote in favor of a compromise offered by Governor Doyle. This break from my party did not make me the most popular member of my caucus, but being independent and doing what is right for the citizens of this district is more important to me than appeasing party bosses.
I am also challenging the status quo in my party by offering a comprehensive K-12 education reform plan that will require compromise from both political parties if it is going to be successful.
Despite my record of independence and bipartisanship, my opponent continues to say I vote with the majority party's leadership 97 percent of the time. Voters should know that my opponent fails to point out that this number includes bills that passed unanimously or had bipartisan support. The fact is that both Democrats and Republicans supported 80 percent of the bills that passed last legislative session.
WAELTI: I have never smoked myself, even as a teen-aged Marine private, but I believe that tavern keepers should retain choice of "to smoke or not to smoke." A total ban on smoking in taverns is an example of legislative over-reach. While government has legitimate responsibilities, there is a limit to the extent to which government should intrude on rights and privileges of private business establishments.
6. What are some of the problems that need to be dealt with in the next budget process?
DAVIS: Stopping the excessive partisanship to simply get the job done and making sure we find the balance between investing in our priorities - the economy, health care, education and renewable energy - without raising state general-purpose taxes.
Because of the downturn in the economy, many people are having a hard time paying their taxes, mortgage, health care, student loans and heating bills so we need to make sure we assist where we can. However, we also have to remember that the hard working people that pay government's bills don't have limitless money.
Government should not be any different than working families, seniors and small businesses that are forced to tighten their belt during tough economic times. We can meet our challenge by putting politics aside and striking the right balance between investing in our priorities and holding the line on taxes.
WAELTI: The major challenge, as always, is to provide the goods and services expected of good government, while keeping within fiscal constraints, also expected of good government.