candidate info for dpw/dnc elections

Candidates for Executive Offices of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin and the Democratic National Committee.

Please note that not all candidates have the same online or social media outlets.  Also, not all candidates have prepared bio's and statements which could be found at the time of this compilation.

DPW Chairperson candidates.

Candidates listed in alphabetical order.  Biographies and basic information on all four candidates is available from this link to the DPW's website: http://www.wisdems.org/2017-state-convention

Joe Donovan - Link to his Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Joe-Donovan-for-State-Chair-of-the-Democratic-Party-of-Wisconsin-1804848543112984/?fref=nf

Candidate biography:
Joe grew up on a small, family owned, dairy farm in Marinette County. Graduated from Northland College in Ashland, Wisconsin with a degree in Business & Economics.   The Donovan family was very active in Democratic politics. "I campaigned hard with my father for John F. Kennedy putting up yard signs and Knocking on doors when I was eleven years old". Joe served as an officer in the Marinette County Party and Democratic nominee for the (then) 88th Assembly District of Wisconsin. Moved to Milwaukee and served as Chair of the Milwaukee County West Side Democrats.   

 Co-founded an (Employee Owned) company (Donovan & Jorgenson) in Waukesha County in 1985 with a mission to conserve energy and reduce pollution by promoting and installing solar systems, heat pumps and high efficiency furnaces. Served as president and executive director from 1985 to 2016 doing everything necessary to grow the business to 70+ employees and more than 50,000 customers (largest residential HVAC provider in Wisconsin) . Joe retired early and will work full-time as the Chair of the DPW  for the 2017-2019 term.
                            

Eric Finch - Link to webpage: http://finchforchair.com/   Link to his Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ericfinch

Candidate biography:
Eric Finch represents new progressive leadership for Wisconsin.

Eric earned his BA in political science from the University of Washington by twenty and received a full scholarship to law school at Washington University in St. Louis. He went on to receive a second law degree in Intellectual Property and Technology Law.

After law school, Eric was a community organizer in Seattle. He later followed his wife’s career to Madison, volunteering for Tammy Baldwin in last two months of the 2012 campaign before moving back to Washington State to practice law. As an attorney, Eric took on big banks, advised non-profit organizations through tough times, and more. Eric returned to Wisconsin again for his wife’s career in 2014, taking a sabbatical from law practice to organize for the DPW, where he saw many areas that needed improvement.

Since then, Eric has worked on complex real estate transactions as an attorney and been an in-house lawyer for a world-class manufacturer that manufactures in USA, is committed to sustainability, and has moved toward an employee-owned model. Over the last year, he's been working on software projects, helping on campaigns, and serving clients with family & employment law issues, particularly within the LGBTQ+ community.

Bryan Kennedy - Link to webpage: http://www.kennedyforwisdems.com/  Link to his Facebook 

 page: https://www.facebook.com/KennedyforWisDems

Candidate biography:
Glendale Mayor Bryan Kennedy’s Democratic Party of Wisconsin (DPW) involvement spans more than fifteen years. After completing his Ph.D. in Latin American Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2000, Bryan took a faculty position at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where he taught until 2011. Shortly after moving to Wisconsin, he joined his union and the DPW.

At his core, Bryan is a grassroots organizer. When he was in graduate school, he was part of a union organizing effort of graduate assistants at the University of North Carolina. After joining the UWM faculty, he helped sign dozens of new members to his local union.

From 2007-2013, Bryan served as state president of American Federation of Teachers — Wisconsin. He turned the union into an organizing union by hiring five organizers and opening an Organizing Department. Under his leadership, AFT—Wisconsin experienced the largest expansion of new locals in their recent history —  eight successful collective bargaining elections on seven UW campuses in less than a year.

Elected Mayor of Glendale in 2015, Kennedy has also served for almost a decade on the Glendale-River Hills School Board. Kennedy was the Democratic nominee against Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner in 2004 and 2006.

Martha Laning - Link to webpage: http://www.laningforwisconsin.com/ Link to Facebook

page: https://www.facebook.com/laningforwisconsin/

Candidate biography:
Martha Laning grew up in a middle-class family in rural Central Wisconsin. Her parents instilled values of education, hard work, and the importance of giving back through volunteering. 

After high school, Martha earned a Business Accounting degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and worked at the local paper mill during summer vacation to pay for her education. In 2002, she obtained a Master’s in Business Administration.

At UW-Madison, Martha met her husband Wayne. They married in 1990 and have three beautiful children, Katie, Maddie, and Alec. Martha’s family motivated her interest in community service and desire to do more by leading the Democratic Party of Wisconsin.

Martha has served as a full-time chairperson of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin since June 2015 and, in that time, has traveled over 65,000 miles - from Superior to Kenosha - to talk to party leaders, allies, and voters across Wisconsin. She has worked to build a stronger party by empowering grassroots organizers, providing candidates with resources needed to run robust campaigns and building a stronger team that works together. 

DPW has made progress, but we have more work to do to build the infrastructure we need to win in 2018 and beyond.

1st Vice Chair candidates.

David Bowen

Link to his Twitter account: https://twitter.com/davidfbowen?lang=en 

State Rep. David Bowen was elected to serve as 1st Vice Chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin in June 2015.

Born Milwaukee, January 28, 1987; single. Graduate Bradley Tech H.S. 2005; B.A. UW-Milwaukee. Full-time legislator. Former program director. Member: Milw. Co. Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiative Advisory Com.; Beyond the Bell Milwaukee (steering com.); Black Youth Project-100; Democratic Party of Wisconsin. Former member: American Legacy Foundation Activism Fellow. Milwaukee Co. Bd. of Supervisors 2012-14.

Amanda Stuck
Link to her Twitter account: https://twitter.com/repstuckwi

Amanda Stuck was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly's 57th District in 2014.  Born in Appleton, December 16, 1982; married; 2 children. Graduate Appleton North H.S. 2001; B.A. political science UW-Oshkosh 2007; Masters of public administration UW-Oshkosh 2012. Full-time legislator. Former housing specialist, Appleton Housing Authority; legislative aide, Cong. Steve Kagan; rural mail carrier.

Elected to Assembly 2014.

2nd Vice Chair candidates.

Mandela Barnes 

Candidate biography:
Mandela Barnes is a former State Representative of WI's 11th Assembly District, elected in 2012 as a champion of progressive values. He served on the Assembly Committees on Corrections, Education, Jobs & the Economy, and Small Business Development. He also served as the chairman of the Legislature's Black and Latino Caucus. A lifelong Milwaukee resident, he graduated from John Marshall High School and went on to Alabama A&M University, completing his studies in mass communications and sociology in 2008.

After returning to Milwaukee, Mandela became the Lead Organizer and Director for Milwaukee Inner City Congregations Allied for Hope (MICAH), a coalition of faith-based groups advocating for social justice in the greater-Milwaukee community. He is currently the Deputy Director of Strategic Engagement for State Innovation Exchange, a national state policy network for progressive state legislators. 

Mandela has served nationally as a leader for education policy, gun violence prevention, and economic issues, and was also recognized as one of the nation's top pro-growth progressives by NewDEAL Leaders. 

His current list of endorsements for this race include, Congresswoman Gwen Moore, Mayor Tom Barrett, State Representatives Eric Genrich, Daniel Riemer, and Jocasta Zamarripa.

Mandela Barnes plans to bring much needed vision to our party.

Secretary candidates.

Meg Andrietsch

Candidate biography:

Meg has spent her life in southeastern Wisconsin, growing up in Kenosha, earning her MBA, and now working tirelessly to turn Racine County blue.

Proudly coming from a union household, Meg actively served the CWA, in advancing roles as a steward, chief steward, picket captain, strike captain, and Secretary of the local.  For the Democratic Party, she has worked at all levels of the organization (County, CD, and State), doing whatever is needed to get Democrats elected throughout the county and across the ballot.

Meg started attending State Party Administrative Committee meetings in 2007 as an observer, then became an Administrative Committee alternate, and in 2010 she became DPW Secretary when her predecessor was appointed a judge.

She uses her 6.5 years of experience, plus her personal connections gained from that service, to advance the cause of Democrats throughout Wisconsin.  Meg has a deep understanding of both the role of Secretary and DPW operations, and brings that knowledge to county parties and campaigns around the state.

In her ‘spare’ time, she likes to read mysteries, watch hockey, and listen to the blues, particularly the Allman Brothers Band, and any music by her favorite musician, Warren Haynes.

Anita Klein

Candidate biography:
Anita grew up in rural Manitowoc County on a dairy farm. She and her family moved to Kiel and Sheboygan where she helped her parents run a small restaurant.  Then in 1963 the family moved to Waldo, WI where they operated a small assisted-living facility.  Anita graduated from Sheboygan Falls High School and continued her education at Lakeshore Technical College in Secretarial Science and Para-legal.  

Anita worked as a legal secretary, earning her Certified Professional Secretary designation, for several years before completing an Associate Degree as a Para-legal.  She served on the Advisory Committee for Para-legal programs for the technical schools.

In 1978 Anita met and married her husband, Peter.  Peter was a dairy farmer, a democrat, and an organizer.  Together we continued this work.  With Peter’s encouragement she became involved in local politics.  Anita was Town of Mitchell Clerk for 14 years; she ran for 27th Assembly; and she was Trustee for the Village of Waldo for six years.  Anita was co-founder and general manager of a dairy marketing co-op for 12 years.  She served on the Agricultural Advisory Committee for the Federal Reserve Board in Chicago.

Currently, Anita is completing her 4th year as Chair for the Sheboygan County Democratic Party and her 4th year as Treasurer for the 6th CD. 

DPW Treasurer candidate.

Randy Udell

Candidate biography:
Randy Udell has spent his adult life working to build a stronger, more progressive Democratic party across the state of Wisconsin.  Randy got his start in Democratic politics early on, serving as President of the Young Democrats and a Student Senator at UW-Whitewater.  In college, he signed on as an aide to United States Congressman Les Aspin – learning first-hand about community outreach, constituent service, and what it takes to run and win in a challenging Wisconsin swing district.

After settling down in the Madison area with his husband Brad, Randy began to get involved with local Democratic organizations and campaigns.  He was elected as the Chair of the 2nd Congressional District, served for 5 years as the 2nd CD Treasurer, and in 2013 was appointed to the Democratic Party of Wisconsin’s Administrative Committee – helping to guide and hold the organization accountable to its members.  In 2015, in recognition of his skills and leadership, Randy was unanimously elected as the state Treasurer of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin. 

Throughout, Randy has been a constant mentor and advisor for county party officers, activists, and staff.  He’s helped party leaders navigate the difficult and changing world of campaign finance, worked one-on-one with county parties to ensure timely filing of reports, held one-of-a-kind trainings for county treasurers and other party financial officers, and worked to ensure accountability and transparency in the DPW budgeting process.  Thanks to his leadership, DPW continues to be on sound financial footing, in compliance with all Federal and State laws, and on pace to break numerous organizational finance goals.

Candidates for DNC slot vacated by Jason Rae.
In alphabetical order.

Luke Fuszard - Link to Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/lukefordnc/   

Candidacy statement:

My name is Luke Fuszard and I’m running to be your representative to the Democratic National Committee.

My ancestors, Charles and Caroline Fuszard, were immigrants who settled in Kenosha in 1845 - three years before Wisconsin became a state.

Because of their Catholic faith, my ancestors experienced incredible discrimination and prejudice. They were accused of being terrorists, subversives, and a whole lot worse. They had trouble finding jobs and simply being accepted for who they were.

Ultimately, there was only one organization that openly welcomed them. One group that accepted them without condition. One community that said “You belong” and that was the Democratic Party.

Inspired by my ancestors, I have tried my hardest to give back to the party that gave the Fuszards so much. I’m currently the Treasurer of the 2nd Congressional District Democrats, and the Chair of the Young Democrats of Wisconsin which works to bring young people into the party across our great state.

But the truth of the matter is that this campaign isn’t about me. It’s about you.

You - the leaders, activists and elected officials of the Democratic Party - inspire me.

You deserve a representative to the DNC who always keeps you up-to-date on what’s happening in Washington.

You deserve a representative to the DNC who will visit all country parties during their term.

You deserve a representative to the DNC who will allow you to express your opinion on every vote and major issue before the committee.

Over the next few months I look forward to meeting many of you along this journey.

Peter Peckarsky - Link to website: https://www.peter4dnc.com/ 

Candidate biography:
Peter is an attorney and long-time Democratic progressive activist, working primarily during elections on Voter Protection and Election Protection issues. He was born, raised, and graduated from high school in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He received his S.B degrees in Electrical Engineering and Political Science from MIT and his law degree from Case Western Reserve University.

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy placed Mr. Peckarsky's senior thesis in the Congressional Record in support of Sen. Kennedy’s opposition to the Anti-Ballistic Missile system.

Peter served as a consultant on strategic nuclear weapons forces and platforms to the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations and on intelligence analysis to the Director of Naval Intelligence.

As a White House Correspondent and free-lance investigative reporter, Peter reported on the financial affairs of various high level federal officials.

As an attorney, Peter is a lead trial counsel. He has participated in election law, patent, trademark, copyright, antitrust, trade secret, fraud, contract, leveraged buy-out, civil RICO, hedge fund, and securities fraud matters. His career has involved the interaction of law with scientific and technical fields including biotechnology, computer hardware and software, electrical circuits and signals, internet communications, internet devices, medical devices, microprocessors, organic chemistry, pharmaceuticals, physics, quantum mechanics, semiconductor design, semiconductor processing, statistics, and telecommunications.

Peter’s active involvement in electoral politics began when the Republicans announced their intent to prevent alleged “voter fraud”  by placing observers in green vests in Milwaukee wards with a substantial African American population. Peter (and others) suggested the state party organize lawyers to protect the vote. Since then at every general election, the critical primaries, the recalls, and some Supreme Court races Peter has participated actively in efforts to protect the vote.

Khary Penebaker - Link to website: http://www.kharypenebaker.com/meet-khary/  Link to Facebook 

page: https://m.facebook.com/KharyForDNC/    On twitter: https://twitter.com/kharyp 

Candidate biography:

Khary Penebaker is a husband, father, and successful businessman who isn’t afraid to stand up for what’s right. His strong moral values have served him well and shaped him into the tenacious leader he is today.

Penebaker has strong Southeastern Wisconsin roots, having moved to Wisconsin from Ohio as a young child. He first learned the values of determination, perseverance, and hard work from his father who, as a Senior Executive, helped establish Miller Brewing Company’s workforce diversity initiatives, breaking new ground within the Milwaukee business community.

That value of determination defined Khary during his time at Marquette University High School and later, at the University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee where he was a successful track and field runner and a standout student athlete. In 1998 Penebaker became the 100-meter Conference Champion as well as a 200-meter All-Conference Second Team member.

After completing his bachelor’s degree from UW-Milwaukee, he embarked upon a successful, nearly twenty-year-long career in the roofing industry. In his first five years, he jointly owned and operated Community Roofing before starting The Penebaker Enterprises, LLC Roofing and Sheet Metal Company in Milwaukee and serving as its president for the next decade.

Penebaker’s skills and go-getter attitude paid off, as the firm grew to fifty family-supporting jobs and received numerous industry awards for excellence, including the 2004 Supplier of the Year Award from the Wisconsin Supplier Development Council and the 2010 Minority Business Contractor of the Year Award from Wisconsin’s Daily Reporter.

Penebaker Enterprises completed such high-profile projects as the acclaimed $60 million Milwaukee City Hall Restoration Project. Following the turbulent Great Recession years, which dramatically changed the construction industry, Khary was hired by Metal-Era, Inc., working in several key management positions. More recently, he returned to an executive role as President of Roofed Right America, LLC.

During the 2016 election cycle, Penebaker was able to build a team of four full-time staff members that would help his US Congressional campaign raise over $120,000 from over 1,400 grassroots donors; Collected over 1600 nomination signatures; Made over 155,000 volunteer recruitment calls into the district which resulted in nearly 1,000 volunteers who have completed over 2,500 voter persuasion shifts; Interacted daily with 50,000 followers on Twitter/Facebook resulting in over 30 million impressions and was awarded Twitter and Facebook verification; Driven almost 20,000 miles to meet with voters throughout the district; Earned the support of Russ Feingold, Hillary Clinton, Herb Kohl, Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker, Keith Ellison, and many more.

As the father of three children ranging in age from toddler to teenager, family time plays a prominent role in his life, as does his faith. He has been actively involved with education, from his own children’s educational achievements to worker skill training. Having served as a volunteer spokesperson for several crime and safety-oriented organizations, Khary Penebaker is committed to keeping our communities safe.

Khary is a proud board member of Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin and WAVE (Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort) and is Everytown for Gun Safety‘s WI’s Survivor Fellow.

Adam Brabender

No information available.

There are three things which everybody must have in this world, no matter who they are.  Those three things are food, shelter and water.  There is no getting around that.

Lately a wide range of Grant County citizens have had water related issues on their minds.  They speak of deep seated concerns over the quality, as well as future quantities, of water for themselves and their families as well as for their crops and animals.

Republicans, Democrats and Independents are becoming very worried about the direction that the Republican Party of Wisconsin has taken in regards to protecting our most valuable resource, against the wishes of their own voters and majority of Wisconsin citizens.

Whether it is fear of brain damage in people occurring, especially in children, from lead pipes to pollution concerns to the draining of the water tables by a handful of CAFO's, water is on everyone's mind lately.  And that will probably remain one of the biggest concerns of Grant County citizens for a long time to come.

Recently, Democratic Senator Kathleen Vinehout did something Travis Tranel would never do, and listened to citizens (not just campaign donors and personal friends but a wide array of everyday people) concerns on this very important issue.  Afterwards, she put together this article on water and high capacity wells, which begins below.

High Capacity Well Proposal Makes Water Problems Worse

What if you woke up one morning turned on the faucet to wash your face and saw brown water coming out of your tap? Stacy Sylla of rural Lincoln Township in Trempealeau County texted me just such a photo of water the color of sludge. She has gone through three washing machines, dug fistfuls of sand out of the tank of her toilet, and bought an expensive water-filtering device. Her horse, Apples, died of exposure to toxins and pollutants found in her water. The likely cause of the well problems? A new sand mine just over a half a mile away from Stacy and Mike Sylla’s farm. Local residents opposed the sand mine. In order to get the mine approved, the cities of Independence and Whitehall annexed land miles from the original city borders. This end-around of the township government left residents with little say about what happens in their neighborhood. Stacy testified against the mine. She heard from a city council member that, “It’s not affecting my house.” She later told me, “I feel like the state has failed to protect the people.” Town officials tried to stop the annexation and tried to work with the mine to no avail. The town received many reports of water problems evidently caused by the mine pumping more than the local aquifer could handle. The story Stacy shared with me became a part of the debate on a high capacity well bill that fortunately failed to pass the Legislature last spring. The Syllas and their neighbors did receive a bit of a reprieve with cleaner well water when low gas prices resulted in less hydraulic fracturing, and consequently less need for sand. The mine ceased activity and the water in the neighborhood started to clear up. But this spring both the brown water and the high capacity well bill are back. Last month sand mining started up again. Stacy and Mike are hauling water for their livestock, buying water for cooking and drinking. Now they wonder if bathing in brown water is a health risk. The sand mine doesn’t appear to take any responsibility for the problem. However, Mike Sylla recently told the Trempealeau County Times, “One day they started blasting and it wasn’t long before our water went bad.” The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) also does not appear to be taking any responsibility. My office was told the state “didn’t have regulatory authority” and the Sylla’s should “test their water.” With a lack of state action, the Trempealeau County Board started a program of well testing. Toxins released in the water are expensive to detect. The county will pick up most of the cost of the water testing. Information and test kits are available through the Trempealeau County Extension office. Meanwhile a bill to make matters worse for neighbors with bad wells is moving through the Legislature. Senate Bill 76 would give a high capacity well owner access to water in perpetuity. Currently, the DNR reviews permits and any issues related to the permit when a well owner replaces, upgrades, transfers or replaces a high capacity well. There is no other system for a regular “check-up” to make sure local wells and waterways are not harmed by the removal of water through the high capacity well. During the Senate debate, my colleagues and I tried to add commonsense “check-ups” for high capacity wells such as a review every ten years or when there is a change in usage (from agriculture to sand mining), and when considering approval of a large number of new wells in the vicinity. All of these amendments were defeated. Senate Bill 76 recently passed the Senate on a partisan vote. The Assembly may take up the bill as soon as the beginning of May. Our state Constitution Public Trust Doctrine sets out that Wisconsin’s waters belong to all Wisconsin residents. Senate Bill 76 takes the state in another direction – the one with the biggest straw gets the most water. State action to pass this bill will make matters worse for the Sylla’s and their neighbors. I urge my colleagues in the Assembly to stop this bill. We need commonsense solutions that allow access to clean water for all Wisconsin residents.

State Budget: Start with What's Real

When it comes to paying the bills you’ve got to deal with what’s real. You can’t spend rhetoric.

Lawmakers are doubling down to deal with the state budget. Public hearings and town hall meetings are scheduled across the state. Many civic groups are hosting legislators in a discussion of the state budget. Many are burning the midnight oil to get to the bottom of the state’s financial matters.

In all these conversations and the budget votes to come in the Capitol, lawmakers must to deal with what’s real.

People know about the state’s transportation fund. More money is leaving the fund than money coming in to pay for roads. Potholes are real. 

In a future column I’ll discuss solutions to fix our roads. But, today, I’d like to focus on lesser known budget realities and possible solutions.

First, the reality of revenue; money coming into our state through taxes is increasing, but less money is expected than the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau originally estimated for the same time period a year ago.

When our state budget passed two years ago, the growth between last year and this year was pegged at 3.8%. Based on recent estimates, growth between last fiscal year and the current year is at 2.7%. We won’t know the actual figures until later, but we do know the Bureau’s revenue estimates for this year are reduced downward.

Why? Some changes are due to tax breaks costing more than originally anticipated. 

Other changes may be related to Wisconsin’s economy lagging the nation. For example, wages in Wisconsin are lower than 31 other states. Even states like Georgia and Louisiana have higher wages. Economic growth has also lagged. Wisconsin is ranked 23rd among states for economic growth since 2009 according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Second, health costs continue to grow faster than any other part of the budget. Governor Walker’s budget spends about $3 billion more (all funds) than the last budget. Half of this spending goes to health programs.

There are many reasons why health costs are increasing. For the one in five Wisconsinites that receive health care from the state, we can do much more to provide better value for taxpayers. 

For many years I’ve advocated for common sense changes to our health system. For example, about half of all births are paid for with Medicaid. We need to make sure all new moms have prenatal care. It’s simple and it saves lives and money. 

Finally, lawmakers need a dose of reality in funding schools. Our funding formula is broken. State Superintendent Tony Evers has proposed changes every budget since 2011. This budget, like previous budgets, ignores Mr. Evers’ proposals.

In this budget, the Governor is putting money outside the formula – evidently acknowledging the formula is broken but not fixing it. At best this is a Band-Aid approach that has, and will continue to, result in more referenda and higher property taxes.

Fixing the school funding formula would move Wisconsin forward. School board members would have consistency and be able to plan. Superintendents could count on steady, predictable revenue.

I agree with Mr. Evers in that every school needs a fixed amount of state aid. Evers suggests $3,000 per student. This approach will help both low aided districts and rural schools. Evers raises the amount for students in poverty. This will help both urban districts and poor rural districts.

Small school districts will still cost more money to operate. Maybe we need a conversation about a fixed dollar amount for rural school operation and then add a per student rate. Options are many but let’s have a conversation about solutions.

We do have an increase in revenue. Not as much as we thought a few years ago, and not much more than in past budgets. We are only slowly recovering from the Recession – slower than most of our neighbors.

But let’s be prudent and deal with reality. There are a lot of simmering problems that need our attention.

Senator Kathleen Vinehout

Survey time!

Thank you for being an informed and involved citizen.  Nothing happens in a democracy without participation and that is why we are sending you this survey.  The Grant County Democratic Party is growing in size and increasing it's outreach ability.  There are a great many new faces at our monthly meetings but we always want to see even more.

Currently, we meet the second Wednesday of the month at 6 p.m.  We understand that no single time and day of the week is perfect for everybody.  But we do want to make attending our monthly meeting as convenient as possible for the most people possible.

You can help us out by taking this simple, four question survey to help us discover how to better serve the voters of Grant County. Thank you and please begin the survey by clicking on this link.

Thank you from all of us.

April 3rd 4th 2017

The Legislature is coming to Grant County

There are some important happenings on the horizon that we wanted to make sure you aware of.  First of all is Spring Election Day which is Tuesday April 4th.  This is perhaps the most important spring election in fifty years and we certainly hope you are planning on voting that day.  If you feel there is a chance you will not be able to make it to the polls that day, early voting has begun.  Research the candidates, make sure you are registered, get voter I.D. information and anything else you may need to know is all to be found at in one place by clicking on this link:  http://facebook.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7b1b3bf014f33db1b8503fcb2&id=0a15993c3d&e=e8fefb3b5c

Of course the most important race on the ballot, the one that will determine the fate of our rural, public schools, is the race for State Superintendent.  We sincerely hope that you will cast your ballot for the incumbent candidate, Tony Evers.  
Here is the link to Tony's website:http://facebook.us13.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=7b1b3bf014f33db1b8503fcb2&id=8cfeb3cd21&e=e8fefb3b5c

We will be distributing literature door to door across Grant County on the next two Sundays to help turn out all the voters we can for Tony Evers.  This will not involve any door knocking or talking to people, just leaving some literature on their door and moving on to the next house.  It is easy and fun and the weather should be perfect.  
We hope you can join us on Sunday March 26th.  We will be meeting at 1590 W. Golf Drive in Platteville near Smith Park at 10 a.m.  We will distribute literature for about an hour and a half and then meet back on Golf Drive for lunch and conversation & good times.

On Sunday April 2nd, we will be meeting at noon in Platteville at 100 E. Main St. and distribute literature after that.  

On Monday April 3rd (the day before election day) there is a big and rare event in Platteville.  The State Legislature's Joint Committee on Finance (JCOF), including all sixteen members of the legislature, is coming to town to hear from you, the tax payers and voters.  This is your chance to speak directly to the people who decide the state budget which affects all of our lives and how our tax money is spent.

Registration for this event begins at 9 a.m. and will run throughout the day.  The location is Velzy Commons at Ullsvik Hall at U.W. Platteville.  Located at 1 University Plaza in Platteville. Here is a link to a map: http://facebook.us13.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=7b1b3bf014f33db1b8503fcb2&id=809a4ac60b&e=e8fefb3b5c

Given the seriousness of this opportunity to address the JCOF, there will be two preparatory sessions available for those interested.   For Wisconsin's Future will be holding a Refresher Meeting in Platteville at Berry Yo's (305 E. HWY 151) on Monday March 27 at 6 p.m. It will be a chance for folks to focus on the budget and learn/remember some of the biggest budget issues. 

We'll be going over the worst of the worst, and having a group discussion on how various things will effect local communities.

Following that, for anyone that can speak at the hearing, we'll be doing some group work on putting that testimony together.

Again the details for the Budget Refresher are:  When: Monday March 27 at 6pm  Where:  Berry Yo's  305 E. Hwy. 151 Platteville, WI 

Also, we are planning on having a people's press conference at 8 a.m. April 3rd, the day of the hearing, and will send more information out about that at a later point. We are going to have a yellow school bus in the parking lot as a gathering spot as well, as a place for people to practice their testimony and get coaching tips. Is your issue public education or other? The public ed folks are going to be wearing distinctive green shirts which will be available as well.  The best source of information is on this page: http://facebook.us13.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=7b1b3bf014f33db1b8503fcb2&id=ab8b3e8982&e=e8fefb3b5c

And an important thing would be for you to register, and we can follow up with you, here is the link for that: http://facebook.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7b1b3bf014f33db1b8503fcb2&id=f846a558b8&e=e8fefb3b5c

Thank you everyone and we look forward to seeing you soon.  And don't forget to go vote and bring a friend with you.

April 3rd in Platteville

There is a special event relating to education which will take place in Platteville on April 3rd, which is the day before Election Day.  If you have any concern for our rural public schools and how they affect the future of our state, we hope you will attend.  And then vote for Tony Evers on April 4th.

The Wisconsin budget process is underway and the Joint Finance Committee will hold six regional hearings around the state to hear public comment. Our children need you to be their voice in this conversation. Restoring public education funding to ensure thriving communities for all should be the cornerstone of this budget.

We invite you to RSVP today to be part of this effort - whether you intend to testify in person, support others who are testifying at the hearings, or submit written and video testimony outside of the hearings. YOUR story matters, and it needs to be heard by decision-makers.

Wisconsin Public Education Network
(608) 572-1696 • WisconsinNetwork.org

Monday, April 3 – UW-Platteville, Platteville
Wednesday, April 5 – State Fair Park, West Allis (Milwaukee)
Friday, April 7 – Berlin High School, Berlin
Tuesday, April 18 – Spooner High School, Spooner
Wednesday, April 19 – Ellsworth High School, Ellsworth
Friday, April 21 – Marinette High School, Marinette

For more information:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSftXvcWGoELvOjDhCJLaVy7IT05ywe_5SV90Jw17kQa_TPU3A/viewform?c=0&w=1
Keep your eye on what is being proposed for our public school system. Have no illusions.. The school voucher system will gut public schools. A voucher does not provide enough money for full tuition. Those who want to put their child in private school, using vouchers, will need to supplement the tuition cost out of pocket. This means those in poverty or working poor will not be able to access private schools. That leaves those who cannot afford private school in the public school system. Public schools will lose a majority of their funding to the vouchers leaving underfunded public schools with a high proportion of children in poverty. This is not equitable education for all. Don't we want ALL our children in America to have a good education?
To those of you not in the education field, you may not understand a lot of the educational jargon and the foundation of the American education system. Having a school voucher system (proposed by Trump's Education secretary, Betsy DeVos) doesn't just mean you can choose any school you want your kid to go to. It also means the public education program will be dismantled. Let me explain...
This bill will effectively start the school voucher system to be used by children ages 5-17 and starts the defunding process of public schools.
The bill will eliminate the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965, which is the nation's educational law that provides equal opportunity in education. The ESEA established what are known as title programs, and because these are so important to maintaining free and equitable public education, Congress has reauthorized ESEA every five years since 1965. Under President George W. Bush, ESEA became known as No Child Left Behind; under President Barack Obama, it was rebranded the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and passed Congress with rare bipartisan support.
ESSA is a big comprehensive program that covers programs for struggling learners, advanced and gifted kids in AP classes, ESL classes, classes for minorities such as Native Americans, Rural Education, Education for the Homeless, School Safety (Gun-Free schools), Monitoring and Compliance, and Federal Accountability Programs. Yes, there are all of these programs happening in our education system, in addition to just academics.
House Bill 610 also abolishes the Nutritional Act of 2012 (No Hungry Kids Act) which provides nutritional standards in school breakfast and lunch.
The bill has no wording whatsoever protecting Special Needs kids, no mention of IDEA, and FAPE.
Some things ESSA does for Children with Disabilities:
-Ensures access to the general education curriculum.
-Ensures access to accommodations on assessments.
-Ensures concepts of Universal Design for Learning.
-Includes provisions that require local education agencies to provide evidence-based interventions in schools with consistently underperforming subgroups.
-Requires states in Title I plans to address how they will improve conditions for learning including reducing incidents of bullying and harassment in schools, overuse of discipline practices and reduce the use of aversive behavioral interventions (such as restraints and seclusion).
Please call your representative and ask him/her to vote NO on House Bill 610 (HR 610) introduced by three Republican reps.

Broadband Expansion: Rural Wisconsin Needs the Real Deal

                       Today we are featuring another insightful article from Senator Kathleen Vinehout.

"All we seek is help to get the basic broadband services that you all take for granted,” Justin Fortney from Clifton Township in Pierce County wrote to me. “It has been frustrating for us families to watch the digital revolution pass us by…We often…pack the family into the car and drive to a relative’s house or commercial business to use their Internet.”

According to the federal government’s most recent information, Wisconsin ranks last in the Midwest in both rural and urban broadband access with only 44% of rural folks accessing download speeds of 25 Mbps. 

Both federal and state governments responded with grant programs to expand broadband but there are problems with assuring that residents actually receive the promised services. 

With much fanfare, Governor Walker recently announced his plan to add money for broadband to schools and rural areas. Later, Senator Marklein released a different bill. The Senator’s bill was voted out of his rural affairs committee and is headed for final passage soon.

Sen. Marklein’s bill is false advertising. The bill is neither “rural” nor “broadband.” As now written, nearly every Wisconsin county would be eligible for expansion grants. “Broadband” for awardees is defined at the “turtle-slow” speed of 5 Mbps download and .6 Mbps upload. In addition, such a paltry amount of money is used for grants that would not cover my small rural county with broadband even if we used all the statewide funds. 

More problems exist with the federal grant programs.

Mr. Fortney described the problem in his email. He refers to one federal program known as “CAF-II.”

“Our area is CAF-II Subsidized Area, but still no Internet. These limited funds are being used by the…company to further increase the speed of areas that already have broadband.” Mr. Fortney described how both large companies near him said they have no plans to provide services to him. Yet both companies received large grants to expand broadband.

The two large companied mentioned by Mr. Fortney sent representatives to a community meeting I attended last year. Neither company would commit to expanding service in Pierce County. In the words of one company representative, “I don’t want to promise you fiber where fiber is not going to come…It’s not a great business investment to put in copper or fiber,” and “We’re not going to go trenching through a bluff…[we are looking for] where can we grab the low hanging fruit.”

What can Wisconsin do if these large companies do not intend to use federal dollars to bring the 21st Century to rural Wisconsin? 

First, we should agree on WHAT IS broadband. The federal definition – 25 Mbps download speed and 3 Mbps upload is a good place to start. Unfortunately, Senate Bill 49 (the bill speeding for hasty passage) will award grants to those providing much less. 

Second, money for “Rural” broadband should go to rural areas. Senate Bill 49 – and the current state grant program – makes nearly the entire state eligible for awards. The Public Service Commission has broad latitude to send the money to just about any county in the state. This should change.

Third, Wisconsin must invest enough money to actually make a difference in the problem. To date, the state awarded 42 grants totaling approximately $3.9 million. This money is not enough to provide broadband for just my small home county. In comparison, Minnesota appropriated $65.5 million and Governor Dayton is proposing spending another $100 million.

Finally, Wisconsin should independently verify that companies keep their promises to the state (in their grant applications) and to consumers. I frequently hear of companies promising one speed and delivering another, of broadband maps that show an area as served and it is not, and of companies using poor service in an area to apply for a grant and then not delivering services to the neighbors.

Broadband is the 21st Century equivalent of electricity. Someday most of us may plan a visit to a rural area or are going to need to contact someone in a rural area. All of us are going to eat something grown in a rural area and these days you need broadband for farming. We need to make sure the promised “Rural Broadband” bill is the Real Deal for rural Wisconsin.

Audit Hearing Highlights Problems and Way Forward with Transportation

From Senator Kathleen Vinehout

"Deputies are trying to figure out what caused a bridge on a rural road west of Arcadia to collapse.” The WEAU-TV story broke the same morning as a recent Legislative Audit Committee hearing on the State Highways Program. As horrifying as the bridge collapse was, the story highlighted problems locals, others and I warned about for some time. Summer storms and floodwaters weakened older roads and bridges. State funds for local construction and maintenance did not kept pace with costs. The recent audit, conducted by the nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau (LAB), shined a light on long-standing problems with the Department of Transportation (DOT). Many lawmakers, including myself, advocated for this audit because an analysis of DOT programs has not been conducted for many years. Road conditions have gotten worse over five years (2010-2015). Using information from the audit, I calculated 38 Wisconsin counties have less than 5% of local (concrete or asphalt) roads rated “good”. Using the “International Roughness Index” measure of road conditions, Wisconsin ranked lower than six Midwestern states and the national average. Sixty percent of Pepin County’s state highways rated “poor” or worse than “poor”. The state road through the village of Pepin is so bad that dandelions sprouted in the cracks. Village officials asked me for help after they were told the DOT could not help with paving – even though this state road is slated for repair. I met with DOT officials and requested money for Pepin and over a dozen other road projects in western Wisconsin. I received the same answer I often hear, that it is a “local decision” and assistance to deal with the “local problem” was not forthcoming. Highway commissioners and town supervisors tell me that pushing blame onto local officials without sending additional local resources is a problem that got much worse in recent years. Auditors reported similar findings. For example, 70% of county highway commissioners who responded to an LAB survey indicated roadway maintenance funds for state highways in 2015 were “less than adequate”. The audit contains two very interesting charts of county road conditions. I reviewed the proportion of state highways in “poor or worse” condition. I discovered half of the counties ranked in the top twenty-five percent as worst in the state were in the western Wisconsin and included EVERY county that touched the Mississippi River. When I raised the issue of how money was spent by region of the state, newly appointed DOT Secretary David Ross could not answer me. The audit did highlight solvable problems within DOT. Secretary Ross shared his willingness to accept all the audit recommendations and to work on fixing what he could right away. But many of the problems are serious institutional issues related to the way DOT does its work and will not be resolved by the time the Legislature passes the 2017-19 state budget. Our transportation fund has an imbalance that worsened in recent years. Projections show by the end of the next budget, nearly one in four dollars spend on transportation will go to pay debt – leaving less money available for roads and bridges. Delaying some projects is inevitable but every delay only drives up costs. Governors of both political stripes paid for this transportation debt from the general fund. Governor Walker used more than $900 million of the General Fund – over three budgets – to pay for transportation projects and debt. This transfer left less money in the general fund to pay for needs like schools, the UW System and local government. Robbing Peter to pay Paul should no longer be an option. Spending more and adding unsustainable debt cannot be the ‘go-to’ option again. To fix the transportation fund we should improve efficiencies. The Audit Committee introduced a bill to adopt the legislative considerations in the audit. We will keep careful watch on the progress of the department and its new secretary and require periodic written reports. However, efficiencies alone will not provide all the help needed to fix the deteriorating roads, bridges and other transportation needs of the state. Lawmakers should revisit the revenue options detailed by former DOT Secretary Gottlieb and figure out how to fix the long-term problems we face. Related story, paved roads returning to gravel in Wisconsin as Travis Tranel, Scott Walker and their Tea Party bosses lead Wisconsin backward.  http://www.wpr.org/small-wisconsin-towns-paved-roads-return-gravel