by Gary KingLeader editor

BURNETT/POLK COUNTIES - Incum-bent State Rep.AnnHraychuck, D-BalsamLake, is being challenged in the Nov. 2election by Erik Severson, R-Osceola, toserve in the state Legislature, representingthe citizens in the district that encom-passes the southern half of BurnettCounty, all of Polk County and part of St.Croix County.Hraychuck, a lifelong resident of Polk

County, was first elected to the state As-sembly in 2006 and re-elected in 2008. Shehas more than 30 years of law enforce-ment experience, including four years asPolk County sheriff. She lives in BalsamLake with her husband, Dave, and theirdog, Hunter.“I look forward to continuing to fight

for commonsense solutions and work in abipartisan fashion to create jobs, grow ourstruggling economy and protect our fam-ilies with essential public safety intiativeswithout placing additional burden on thebacks of Wisconsin taxpayers,” Hray-chuck noted in her re-election announce-ment.Severson is an emergency room doctor

who lives in Osceola with his wife, Katie,and their twin 3-year-olds. He’s originallyfrom Esko, Minn., right outside Duluth.He attended UMD, medical school atMayo, did his residency at the U of M inMinneapolis and took a job at the OsceolaMedical Center.Severson said his interest to run for As-

sembly was sparked by the events of thelast few years. “The economy is failingand there is increased spending at the na-tional and state level - and I asked ‘howare people making these decisions to in-crease spending when there’s no money?’My generation - we’re going to have topay this money back. I see the economygetting worse and taxes on business in-creasing so they aren’t able to hire people- and basically see the whole way thingsare being run and I say ‘Boy, somethinghas to be done about this - and I feel like Ihave to do something - I can’t wait forsomeone else.’”Severson said he’ll keep his emergency

room physician job on weekends, realiz-ing it will be a much busier life if he’selected but that he and his wife discussedthat possibility and felt it was worth hav-ing a new voice in Madison.

Following are answers provided byeach candidate to questions posed by theLeader:What should the state do to reduce the

deficit?Hraychuck: We’re going to have to

make more cuts in order to reduce thedeficit. There are savings to be had interms of improving efficiency and elimi-nating duplication, but those savings arenot enough to eliminate our structuraldeficit. Cutting services and programs arenever popular, but we proved it can bedone. The budget we passed this sessioncut state agencies funding by 6 percentacross the board, eliminated over 1,000state jobs and canceled a scheduled raisefor nonrepresented state employees. I be-lieve we need to have to have an open andhonest discussion about the kind of serv-ices we expect our government to provideand the amount of taxes we’re willing topay in order to get them.Severson: Bringing the budget under

control is the biggest issue we have toface. I just stop and ask if there is any-thing in the last two years the state hasbought and paid for that we can do with-out. If we made reductions to bring usback to where the deficit was two yearsago, we could cut 10 percent right there.That’s just one way of looking at it.There’s a myriad of places we could cutcosts, and I think we need to realize thatless money is coming in, so we just can’tspend more. We can’t do it in our per-sonal lives. The Legislature and the gov-ernor are responsible for creating thedeficit if you’re increasing spending whenyou know there’s not going to be as muchmoney coming in - that’s not wise think-ing.

How should the state fund schools,should state encourage/support consoli-

dation?Hraychuck: The

problems facingschool districts, edu-cators and familiesacross Wisconsinright now are huge.Democrats, Republi-can and nongovern-mental interestgroups have all putforward variousideas about how tooverhaul the sys-tem. However, more often than not, theplans are abandoned because the problemis too complicated. The current formulais hitting our area especially hard. Thissession, I helped put together a new cau-cus in the Legislature, a rural caucus.Working together, legislators representingrural districts were successful in passinglegislation that will help districts like ours,including a bill giving consolidatingschool districts greater flexibility. Choos-ing to consolidate is a difficult decision,one that must be made at the local level.The rural caucus worked extensively withstakeholders like the School Administra-tors Alliance, Wisconsin Education Asso-ciation Council and WisconsinAssociation of School Boards, and cameup with a number of other concrete pro-posals that will help rural school districts.I look forward to working on those ideasnext session.Severson: Regarding consolidation,

when it’s an obvious situation and that’swhat the schools want to do it should beleft up to those communities. Fundingschools is something that needs to be eval-uated - property taxes keep going up tofund the schools. You look specifically atsome of the schools in Milwaukee - theyget their kids counted almost twice andget more money than most rural schools.That doesn’t seem right to have someschools get favored more than others. AsI go around the district to talk with peo-ple, the issue of property taxes comes up alot - people are most concerned aboutproperty taxes going up 10 percent a year.In the past a lot of bad decisions have beenmade regarding spending, and I’m opento looking at all areas where money can besaved and used more efficiently - part ofthat would be evaluating how the school/education money is used.

How can we get more jobs in our area,what is the state’s role in job creation.Your thoughts on business taxation?Hraychuck: I believe the number one

priority of the Legislature should be get-ting our economy back on track and posi-tioningWisconsin on the right side of thisrecovery. We need to focus on helpingbusinesses put people to work and stand-ing up for working families in their timeof need. This session the Legislature spenta great deal of time on job creation incen-tives. We expanded Enterprise Zone taxcredits, which have helped us retain andlure job creators to the state. We increasedResearch and Development tax creditsthat help keep Wisconsin innovative andcompetitive, and we approved critical in-centives for farmers that will enable oneof Wisconsin’s largest industries to growand thrive. The job creation incentives wepassed for meat and dairy processing arealready generating investments in com-munities across Wisconsin. And we needto domore. We need tomake sure that weare in a position to take advantage ofevery opportunity that comes our way.The truth is thatWisconsin is a good placeto do business compared to other states.When people talk about Wisconsin’s hightaxes, they are not talking about taxes onbusinesses. Corporate income taxes inWisconsin rank in the bottom third amongthe states, sales taxes rank in the middle,and excise taxes and fees are among thelowest in the nation. Our tax systemneeds to be fair and balanced. We can’t af-ford to keep shifting taxes from big cor-porations to residential propertytaxpayers.Severson: The big thing is the whole en-

vironment for business. As far as taxes go,when I talk to people such as businessowners, their big concern is that theydon’t know what’s going to happen next

week with theeconomy, and ifthey expend theyask “what’s thegovernment goingto do next - newtaxes, new laws,new regulationsthat will hinder mybusiness?” So thebig thing is that thegovernment has toessentially get outof the way - let the

people who are running their businessesdo that in the best way they think is best.They should be allowed to fail, too. Wehave to decrease taxes andmake it friend-lier for businesses, so if they succeed theycan hire more people and create morejobs.

What can be done to promote tourismin our area, does the state have a role inthis?Hraychuck: The state does have a role

in promoting tourism, an industry thatbrings close to $13 billion toWisconsin every year. Pro-moting tourism is one of theways we can take advantageof opportunities. Most of usprobably don’t view havingto shovel after yet anothersnowfall as an opportunity.It would be easy, in a statethat averages over 45 inchesof snow each year, to see thisas not much more than ahuge inconvenience. Notthe Department of Tourism,which has been actively andsuccessfully promoting win-ter recreation in Wiscon-sin. That’s not to say that weshouldn’t keep a close watchon what the department isdoing. I have been im-pressed by Kelly Trumble,the secretary of tourism, andher Originality Rules initia-tive, a program that encour-ages unique and innovativeapproaches to regional mar-keting. I was pleased to beable to bring her up to thedistrict to share ideas onhowwe canmore effectivelypromote our area.Severson: I do think the

state can be involved in pro-moting tourism. The statenow is actually workingwith the Wisconsin Dellsbusinesses to help promotethat area. Is it entirely thestate’s responsibility to dothat? No. But working to-gether on that is a good ideasince both will benefit fromit. I don’t feel the stateshould help to promote justone business, but it reallyhelps the state if people arecoming here and buyinggoods and paying the salestax. So yes, working to-gether is good, just so thetaxpayers aren’t the onlyones paying for it.

Property taxes - do yousupport a levy cap?Hraychuck: In theory, I

don’t think that the stategovernment should betelling local governmentswhat they can and can’t do.Our democratic systemworks best when the differ-ent levels of government re-spect the powers that othersare given. However, I havecome to see that cappingproperty taxes, which can besuch a burden on youngfamilies and elderly individ-uals on fixed incomes, issometimes necessary. Wecan’t allow the rising costs oflocal services, includingfunding schools, to forcepeople out of their homes.Severson: Simply put, yes.

Alternatives to property tax?Hraychuck: I’m not sure that there is a

way to completely replace property taxes,but I am open to any ideas that will helpkeep property taxes down. Local govern-ments ability to raise revenue is very lim-ited, and most of the suggestions forreplacing property tax, like an increase inthe sales tax, would end up expanding thereach of the state government, which isnot something that I think most peoplewould approve of. One thing I am tryingto do is to identify tax breaks that end uphurting Wisconsin residents. I am work-ing on legislation for next session thatwould end the tax break that companiesget for moving expenses when they movejobs out of Wisconsin and/or out of thecountry.Severson: I’m not sure there is a good al-

ternative at this point. Education is veryimportant and the government has to finda way to fund that.

28th Assembly District: Hraychuck vs. Severson

Hraychuck Severson

N O V E M B E R 2 E L E C T I O N

73rd Assembly District: incumbent Milroy vs. Bakerby Regan Kohler

Washburn County Register reporterWASHBURN COUNTY – Incum-

bent 73rd Assembly District Rep.Nick Milroy faces Bonnie Baker inthe Tuesday, Nov. 2, general election.Milroy, who was elected to the As-

sembly in 2008, is running on theDemocratic ballot, while Baker is onthe Republican ballot.The 73rd District is made up of the

majority of Washburn, parts of Bur-nett and all of Douglas counties.The candidates were asked about

their backgrounds – including family, education, past andpresent career experience and government work – whythey chose to run for office, what issues are most impor-tant to them, and to their branch, at this time, what strate-gies they would implement in light of the need to keepcosts under control, to operate the office as efficiently aspossible, and any other relevant information or a generalstatement. The following are their responses:

Bonnie BakerI ammarried with three children and have lived inWis-

consin the past 15 years. I have served as a board memberon the Superior School Board since November 2008. I ama retired speech/language pathologist, having taught 35years in Superior Schools.• Education: Master of Arts degree in communicative

disorders from University of Minnesota-Duluth; Bachelorof Arts degree in speech pathology and audiology fromUMD. Current member of the Superior School Board; pres-ident of Friends of the Superior Public Library; member ofSuperior Area Retired Educators Association; SuperiorOptimist Club; vice chair of Port Cities Volunteer Womanof the Year 2009-10; PTA member; Mensa member; Na-tional Rifle Association member.Reason for candidacy: I am concerned about the eco-

nomic health of our great state. Last year the private sec-tor lost 163,000 jobs; I am concerned about our legislatorsspendingmoremoney thanwe receive; andwe have a bal-looning budget deficit which ended at $2.5 billion. I canhelp change these conditions.Top issues facing the state: The loss of jobs throughout

Wisconsin is troubling. We can grow jobs by establishinga business-friendly climate. We need fewer governmentregulations, lower taxes and fewer fees. In 2009, Forbesranked Wisconsin as the third-worst state in which to dobusiness; that needs to change.Strategies to control costs: Wisconsin residents paid $2.4

billion more in state and local taxes than the national av-erage in 2000. Put another way, our state-local tax loadclaimed 12.9 percent of personal income, fourth highest inthe country. The Badger State has been among the fivemost-taxed states in every year since 1991.There is an arrogance that exists in Madison right now

– they talk about our money as if it’s theirs. If families andemployers are allowed to keep more of what they earn, itwill boost employment and consumer spending, whichwill in turn grow us out of this recession. Every (Gov. Jim)Doyle budget has resulted in a future deficit, and everyelection cycle brings promises to balance the budget. In-stead, the Democrat-controlled Legislature has been shift-ing money around and filling in deficit holes withone-time federal stimulus dollars, leaving us in a biggerhole. When you’re in a hole, you stop digging – it’s a sim-ple concept that families and small businesses happen tolive with every day. Turning off the spigot now will pre-vent future budget deficits.Other information for the voters: For the first time in

state history, Wisconsin’s various levels of governmentemployed more people than Wisconsin’s manufacturers,and Wisconsin’s budget crisis was ranked among the 10worst in the nation.I believe in the following:• I believe in free enterprise, which does not have ex-

cessive government regulations and taxes. I will support arepeal of the capital gains tax, and I support a more sim-ple and streamlined tax code.• I will vote to support a limit on state spending, and I

will support a smaller government.• I support a clean environment. The environment is

definitely an important issue, but it shouldn’t be the envi-ronment or jobs, it must be the environment and jobs thatare considered.• I will vote to uphold our Second Amendment rights.

The right to keep and bear arms is one of the fundamentalfreedoms upon which our country was built.• School funding reform is needed. I support [governor

candidate] Scott Walker’s plan which would allow localgovernments and school districts, currently paying higherpremiums for health care than the state pays, to enroll inthe state employee health plan. This will help keep prop-erty taxes low and keepmore money in school budgets forstudents and teachers.

Nick MilroyI was born and raised in northern Wisconsin and am a

fourth generation of the Milroy family to call the northwoods home. I have spent 34 of my 36 years living innorthern Wisconsin. I am married to my high schoolsweetheart, Julie, a local public school teacher, and we areraising two children together.I am a proud veteran who served in the Persian Gulf.

Returning home from my overseas deployment, I contin-uedmy service in the Navy Reserve, served as a city coun-

cilor in my hometown, and am a cer-tified Wisconsin Hunter Educationinstructor. I am a graduate of theUniversity of Wisconsin-Superiorand worked for over a decade as anatural resource professional.As your representative to theWis-

consin StateAssembly, I am honoredto continuemy service to our region.As a member of the Wisconsin StateAssembly Committee of Veteransand Military Affairs, I continue toserve my fellow veterans. My back-ground as a biologist has been an

asset to the Legislature, where I serve on the Forestry, Nat-ural Resources and Fish and Wildlife committees.I have an extensive history of volunteering and mem-

berships, which includes, but is not limited to: Lake Supe-rior Bi-National Forum Board of Directors, St. Louis RiverWatershed Total MaximumDaily Load Partnership Boardof Directors, American Fisheries Society, Duluth-SuperiorMetropolitan Interstate Council Board member and Headof the Lakes Fair Board of Directors. Hobbies and inter-ests: hunting, fishing, camping, scuba diving, wild ricing,reading, traveling, family.As a father of two young children, I am running for the

Wisconsin State Assembly because I want to ensure thatnorthern Wisconsin continues to be a great place to liveand raise a family. My parents and grandparents taughtme the value of hard work and giving back to our com-munity. I have worked hard to live up to that commitment.I served in the Persian Gulf and continued my serviceupon returning home in the Navy Reserve. Prior to serv-ing in the Legislature, I worked as a biologist protectingour natural resources. Our natural resources in northernWisconsin are the basis of our economy. My experience asa natural resource professional brings a unique perspec-tive to the Legislature, where I serve on the Forestry, Nat-ural Resources and Fish andWildlife committees. I have astrong track record of protecting our natural resources andenhancing the jobs that sustain our economy.Like many, I am frustrated with the direction of our state

and national economy over the last decade. We need pos-itive leadership that will work toward sustainable eco-nomic development to provide jobs for the nextgeneration. My top priorities are to work to bring good-paying jobs to northern Wisconsin and to hold the line onproperty taxes so that all of our children can continue tocall northernWisconsin home. I would be honored to con-tinue my service to northern Wisconsin and will alwaysstand up for the working families of our region.

The top issue facing our region is growing our economyby bringing good-paying jobs to northern Wisconsin. Tokeep northernWisconsin competitive and bring good-pay-ing jobs here, we must continue to invest in quality edu-cational opportunities for our children, rein in theinsurance companies to bring down the cost of health care,and protect our natural resources which are vital to oureconomy. We also must hold the line on property taxes sothat future generations can continue to live, work and raisea family in northern Wisconsin.I will be a vigilant steward of taxpayer dollars. Every ex-

penditure must be carefully analyzed for the positive ben-efit of our economy. Just like all of our households,Wisconsin must do more with less. I understand the diffi-culties that so many families are facing, that is why I re-turned nearly $1,500 of my own salary to help balance thestate budget.We can position northern Wisconsin as a leader in the

21st century economy by creating policies and incentivesthat utilize our region’s bountiful natural resources withinvestments in renewable energy technologies. Our natu-ral resources are the basis of our economy and we mustmanage them for sustainability and optimal production.Growing our economy is my top priority so that we canafford to provide quality education, public safety and op-portunities for the next generation.I am a husband and father who wants the best not only

for my family but for all of our families. My lifetime ofservice was born in the promise, handed down tome frommy parents and grandparents, that we have a moral obli-gation to give back to others. Our region has givenme andmy family a wonderful quality of life and hope for a brightfuture. I am committed to ensuring that northern Wiscon-sin continues to be a great place to live, work and raise afamily. I believe in the values of hard work, sacrifice andfreedom that define the people of the north woods. I willcarry those values with me every day inmy service to you.Endorsements received:Wisconsin Professional Police AssociationWisconsin Sheriffs and Deputy Sheriffs AssociationProfessional Firefighters of WisconsinWisconsin Education Association CouncilAmerican Federation of TeachersWisconsin League of Conservation VotersAmerican Federation of State, County and Municipal

Employees Council 40Sierra ClubAFL-CIONational Association of Social Workers, Wisconsin

Chapter.

Nick MilroyBonnie Baker

N O V E M B E R 2 E L E C T I O N

Voters will be asked ifconstitution should be changed to

prevent raidingof transportation fund

by Gary KingLeader editor

NORTHWEST WISCONSIN - Should it be deemedunconstitutional for state legislators to use state trans-portation money for other purposes?Voters will answer that question in an advisory refer-

endum at the polls next Tuesday, Nov. 2.Fifty-three of the state’s 72 counties - including Bur-

nett and Polk counties - will include the question ontheir ballots.The state transportation fund is made up of money

from a gasoline tax and vehicle registration fees. It alsoreceives federal transportation money.Gov. Jim Doyle, since taking office in 2003, has taken

$1.2 billion from the transportation fund to pay forschools and to provide aid to local governments.According to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, legis-

lators from both major political parties “grumbledabout the transfers” but signed off on many of them.“It is time to lock up these funds so that the segre-

gated transportation fund is used for the purpose ofwhich it is intended,”Waukesha County Executive DanVakras said in a statement to county board memberswhen they took up the referendum proposal in June -and passed it. “We need to make sure that we are beingtransparent with taxpayers. When a taxpayer pays thegas tax or their vehicle registration fee, they should beconfident that their dollars are going to fund trans-portation projects.”According to the state’s Legislative Fiscal Bureau, the

state borrowed about $800 million to make up for theloss, but the transportation fund still faced a net dropof $434 million.This past year, the Finding Forward Coalition and the

Transportation Development Association asked coun-

ties to add the advisory referendum to their ballots. TheWisconsin Transportation Builders Association and theWisconsin County Highways Association signed on insupport of that effort.According to their statement on the Internet, Finding

Forward believes amending theWisconsin constitutionto safeguard transportation user fees is “part of a returnto fiscal responsibility,” instead of using transportationrevenue to plug general fund deficits, the group says.“The members of Finding Forward are committed to

working with communities acrossWisconsin to take thefirst step to raise awareness and give the public avoice,” the group states. “Achieving a constitutionalchange is a longer, more complicated process, and Find-ing Forward is committed to being a strong and posi-tive advocate every step of the way.”Legislators will take the results of the advisory refer-

endum and, depending on the results, could bring theissue to a vote, but amending the state constitution canbe a lengthy process. The issue may not come to astatewide binding referendum until 2013.Steve Hiniker, executive director of the environmen-

tal group 1,000 Friends of Wisconsin, told the Milwau-kee Journal-Sentinel the referendum was a “sideshow”that didn’t address the real problem.“It’s not getting to the point that we are trying to

build too many roads with too few dollars,” Hinikersaid. - with information from the Milwaukee Journal-Sen-tinel

Advisory question on ballot inBurnett and Polk counties

NOVEMBER 2

Perala, Rivard and Schiess seek to replace retiring Rep. Hublerby Regan Kohler

Washburn County Register reporterWASHBURN COUNTY – Three candidates are run-

ning for the 75th Assembly District seat in the Tuesday,Nov. 2, general election – Roger Rivard, Steve Perala andJohn Schiess.Rep. Mary Hubler has been the 75th District’s repre-

sentative for many years, but she opted not to run again.Rivard is on the Republican ballot, after defeating Re-publican candidates JudithWells Espeseth, Don Quintonand Dari McDonald in the September primary. Perala isrunning on the Democrat ballot, and Schiess is running asa write-in for the Republican ballot.The 75th Assembly District includes southern Wash-

burn County, a majority of Barron County and the towns ofMcKinley, Johnstown and Beaver in Polk County.The candidates were asked about their backgrounds (in-

cluding family, education, past and present career experi-ence and government work), why they chose to run foroffice, what issues are most important to them, and to theirbranch, at this time, what strategies they would implementin light of the need to keep costs under control, to operatethe office as efficiently as possible, and any other relevantinformation or a general statement. The following are theirresponses:

Steve PeralaBackground: Steve Perala, 38, Barron; BarronHigh School

[graduate]; Bachelor of Science, mathematics, University ofWisconsin-Superior, Master of Education, UW-La Crosse;high school math teacher and baseball coach, Barron HighSchool (nine years); research assistant in the state Assem-bly (three years); director, Northern Tier (Education Asso-ciation for Northern Wisconsin Schools, one year).I have two young children. I am concerned about their

future and the future of my former students who are nowbeginning their adult lives.I was raised in the district and was fortunate to return

home to raise my children. I want my children, former stu-dents and future generations to have the same opportuni-ties.We need to set a long-range plan for the economic future

of our area. We need to make sure that all of our decisionsare part of a much larger solution and direction for our areaand our state.I was fortunate to get a good start on life while I was

growing up in Barron. Today’s seniors are a large part ofmy success. I want to protect our seniors for the sacrificesthey made for my generation. Their well-being and the fu-ture of my children and children in our community will bevery important in every decision I make.Jobs and the economy need to be priority number one for

the next legislative session. The decisions we make, how-ever, must be part of a much broader long-term strategy forgrowth. The discussion should center on where we want togo – not just for today but five and 10 years down the road.Decisions should be made with our goals in mind. It willnot work if we are only reactionary – wemust be proactivein our approach. Education needs to be a part of this strat-egy. We will also need to develop more public and privatepartnerships with business andwork in a bipartisan fashionto accomplish this goal. Anew generation of leaders will beneeded to bring these new ideas to the forefront.Difficult cuts are required to balance the budget and pro-

tect our priorities. When balancing our family budget, wedon’t ask our children to eat less food. Mywife and I tightenour belts. Government can do the same by identifying pri-orities and cutting waste. We need a budgeting system thatdoes not punish departments for saving money, and weneed a vision that ties all spending to a broader set of goals.One of the most important things we will need to do is

work across the aisle in a bipartisan fashion. If there is agood idea, I will support it no matter if the idea came froma Democrat, Republican or Independent. As a teacher I wasalways happy to learn from others to improve myself andmy profession. I plan to listen, use strong leadership and aworking knowledge of our political system to benefit ourregion – not to make myself look good or play party poli-tics.To put us on the right track for the future, it will take a

collective effort from all parties. The public is ready for anew generation of leaders who understand that we are allin this together.

Roger Rivard[I’m] 57 years young, married to my wife, Berni, for over

17 years. We have six children and nine grandchildren. [I’ma] lifelong resident of Rice Lake and the 75th District. Mem-ber of [numerous diocesan groups and church council andboards from the 1970s on]; former grand knight of Knightsof Columbus, late 1980, [and] fourth-degree knight, 2004.[I’m a] real estate broker, developer and sales associate,

1989-present, currently with Coldwell Banker Brenizer, Re-altors, 1994-present [and hold a number of real estate des-ignations]. Member [and past president] of Rice LakeChamber of Commerce; member and past chairman of RiceLake Chamber Ambassadors, 2002-present; chairman andmember of Rice Lake Chamber Tourism Committee, 2005-present; member of Lumbering Hall of Fame Committee,2005-present; received the Chamber Member of the YearAward for 2009; past member of Rice Lake Kiwanis Club;scoutmaster Troop 28, St. Joseph’s Church, early 1970s.Between my wife and myself we have six children and

nine grandchildren, and I feel we are spending their futureaway. My wife and I are at the time in our life when all ofour friends are retiring, but I feel I must “fight the fight” togive our children what we have.With 160,000 jobs lost in the last year alone, 6,700 em-

ployers leaving the state and more government jobs thanmanufacturing jobs for the first time in state history, I thinkthe number one concern on most people’s minds, and mytop legislative priority, is getting our economy back on trackand getting people back to work. Over the last severalmonths, I’ve had a chance to talk to thousands of people all

across the 75th Assembly District. Most of the people I’vetalked to have had enough of the business as usual inMadi-son, where the wishes and wants of bureaucrats are givena higher priority than the basic needs of the average family.Like them, I believe it’s time to put our state back in thehands of the people. It’s time to work with employers tocreate jobs, not punish them for investing here.And it’s timeto undo the damage of the last eight years of [Gov.] JimDoyle’s policies of higher taxes, wasteful spending andmore debt. My Restore Wisconsin plan will accomplishthese goals and put Wisconsin back on the right track to-ward economic prosperity again.As a small-business owner and job creator, I know what

it takes to balance a budget and run a successful businessbecause I’ve done it every day for nearly 40 years. Unfor-tunately, Doyle and the politicians who increased statespending by nearly 10 percent in the middle of a recessionnever bothered to ask the taxpayers of Wisconsin wherethey were going to cut their family budgets, insulating gov-ernment from having to make the tough choices. That’s theproblem we have in Madison right now – too many politi-cians talk about our money as if it’s theirs. In general, ifworking families and small businesses are allowed to keepmore of what they earn, it will boost employment, get peo-ple back to work and grow our state out of this recession.I’ve lived and worked in this area my entire life. I raised

my family in the 75th District because I love this area andwill do everything I can to represent you and our hard-working values in Madison. As a real estate professionaland small-business owner for nearly 40 years, I’ve createdjobs, helped hundreds of families achieve the dream ofhome ownership, brought business developments repre-senting hundreds of good jobs here to the north woods, anddonated my time, effort and energy to several communitygroups including the Rice Lake Chamber of Commerce, theRice Lake Fire Department, the Knights of Columbus andmy church community.I will always put people first. I will work for you, not the

special interests. I will cut wasteful spending and bring fis-cal responsibility back to Madison. By doing so, I truly be-lieve that we can make Wisconsin the jewel of the Midwestthat it once was … a place where employers will come toinvest in our communities, create good jobs and stay here.

John SchiessSchiess, Rice Lake, graduated from UW-Stevens Point

with a major in resource management and a minor inforestry in 1970. He spent two years in ROTC and served in

Vietnam. Upon his return, he went back to Stevens Pointfor a degree in physical education with minors in coach-ing, biology and driver’s education, while serving in theWisconsin National Guard there.Schiess has worked out west for the National Park

Service, as a junior high science teacher, at a credit bu-reau, as a counselor and then a courier, and also had aconservative talk show and commentary. He ran for U.S.Senate and Congress while living in Oregon, in 1984 and1988, respectively. He returned to Wisconsin in 1999 andworked as a professional driver and courier until he ranfor the 93rdAssembly District. He planned to retire whenhe moved to Rice Lake, but remained interested in poli-tics.Schiess joined the governor’s race last fall, but had to

drop out due to illness. He then decided to run as a write-in about a month ago, after seeing the primary election re-sults. He said he has studied the U.S. Constitution for 25years, and felt he could not in good conscience support ei-ther candidate for the 2010 Assembly election. He said thatmore individual responsibility needs to take place, as thereis too much “pass the buck” going on. Needs are not rights,he said, as they cannot coexist. If one lives by the 10 Com-mandments, he or she will have what they need, he said.Illegal immigration is one of the most important issues to

Schiess, along with fiscal responsibility, free enterprise andvirtue versus vice, meaning the state needs virtuous lead-ers. He said the state has a moral responsibility tostrengthen the family. The country doesn’t have an eco-nomic crisis, but a moral crisis that contributes to the in-ability of the state to balance a budget, he said. The greatestthreat to freedom lies within our own country, he said, andpeople need to recognize the truth.Schiess has a Web site, www.afact.us, that details all his

political platforms.The following are his responses to the WCR question-

naire:A recent census shows illegal immigration accounting for

25 percent of the population increase in the state. Can yourbudget handle that amount of increase for those who insistyou add them to your family of responsibility?Solving social problems at the smallest unit of govern-

ment possible would cut expenses by at least 50 percent. So-cialism has never worked, and never will work.The motto for America is freedom, peace and prosperity.

That can only come through a virtuous people and a freemarket economy with a minimum of government regula-tions. Get the government out of the way and free enter-prise will prosper. When the government creates jobs, that’scommunism; when the people create jobs, that’s American-ism!Have you had enough of spendingmoneywe don’t have,

of government dictating down rather than listening to us, ofthe big government corruption in both parties? The Consti-tution empowered the government to protect us from fourthings:1. Force (the mob offering you a deal you can’t refuse)2. Monopoly (concentration of power)3. Vice4. Debauchery of public moralsNow it is the source of and protects all four. Vote for a real

conservative … and a real Republican!

Roger RivardSteve Perala John Schiess

N O V E M B E R 2 E L E C T I O N

FALL GENERAL ELECTIONNOVEMBER 2, 2010

LOCATION AND HOURS OF POLLING PLACESA Fall General Election will be held on Tuesday, November 2, 2010, in the State of Wisconsin. This notice of location and hours of polling places is published onbehalf of the municipalities. Following is a list of polling place locations for Burnett County municipalities:

Town of AndersonJessica King, Clerk2773 185th St.Luck, WI 54853715-472-4753

Town of BlaineRita Ronnigen, Clerk33426 North Mans TrailMinong, WI 54859715-466-4884

Town of DanielsEllen Ellis, Clerk8713 Daniels 70Siren, WI 54872715-349-5840

Town of DeweyPamela Brown1148 Swiss Chalet Rd.Shell Lake, WI 54871715-468-7111

Town of GrantsburgRomey Nelson, Clerk/Treasurer

118 E. Madison AvenueP.O. Box 642Grantsburg, WI 54840715-463-5600

Town of JacksonLorraine Radke, Clerk4742 County Rd. AWebster, WI 54893715-866-8412

Town of LaFolletteLinda Terrian, Clerk23928 Malone Rd.Siren, WI 54872715-349-2531

Town of LincolnPatrice Bjorklund, ClerkP.O. Box 296Webster, WI 54893715-866-7580

Town of MeenonSuzanna M. Eytcheson,Clerk

25863 E. Bass Lk. Dr.Webster, WI 54893715-866-4893

Town of OaklandDeanna Krause, Clerk7426 W. Main St.P.O. Box 675Webster, WI 54893715-866-8213

Town of RooseveltKarla Mortensen, Clerk22030 Bakker Rd.Shell Lake, WI 54871715-645-2507

Town of RuskJennifer Christner, Clerk26951 W. Benoit Lake Rd.Webster, WI 54893715-635-3861

Town of Sand LakePeggy Tolbert, ClerkP.O. Box 165Webster, WI 54893715-866-4398

Town of ScottKim Simon, Clerk28390 County Rd. HSpooner, WI 54801715-635-2308

Town of SirenMary Hunter, Clerk23340 Soderberg Rd.Siren, WI 54872715-349-5119

Town of SwissJudy Dykstra, Clerk7551 Main St.P.O. Box 157Danbury, WI 54830Office: 715-656-3030

Town of Trade LakeDeborah Christian, Clerk13361 St. Rd. 48Grantsburg, WI 54840715-488-2600

Town of UnionDavid Olson, Clerk8637 Grover Pt. Rd.Danbury, WI 54830715-866-4129

Town of Webb LakeGail Keup, Clerk2363 Escape DriveWebb Lake, WI 54830715-259-3439

Town of West MarshlandMargaret A. Hess, Clerk25161 Spaulding Rd.Grantsburg, WI 54840715-463-2922

Town of Wood RiverDawn Luke, Clerk11097 Crosstown Rd.Grantsburg, WI 54840715-689-2296

Village of GrantsburgJennifer Zeiler, Clerk316 S. Brad St.Grantsburg, WI 54840715-463-2405

Village of SirenAnn Peterson, Clerk/Treasurer

24049 First Ave.P.O. Box 23Siren, WI 54872715-349-2273

Village of WebsterPatrice Bjorklund, Clerk/Treasurer

7505 Main St. W.P.O. Box 25Webster, WI 54893715-866-4211

Town of Anderson Town Hall 13808 Anderson Rd.Town of Blaine Town Hall

(Northland Comm Ctr) 1232 E. School Rd.Town of Daniels Town Hall 9602 Daniels 70 Rd.Town of Dewey Town Hall 24433 Town Hall Rd.Town of Grantsburg Town Hall 23211 State Rd. 48Town of Jackson Town Hall 4599 County Rd. ATown of LaFollette Town Hall 24184 Malone Rd.Town of Lincoln Town Hall 9110 Perida Rd.Town of Meenon Town Hall 7396 Kruger Rd.Town of Oakland Town Hall 27826 Lone Pine Rd.Town of Roosevelt (Timberland Luth. Church)20805 Cty. Rd. HTown of Rusk Town Hall 25195 County Rd. H

Town of Sand Lake Town Hall 5364 County Rd. XTown of Scott Town Hall 28390 County Rd. HTown of Siren Town Hall 7240 S. Long Lake Rd.Town of Swiss Town Hall 7551 Main StreetTown of Trade Lake Town Hall 11811 Town Hall Rd.Town of Union Town Hall 9015 County Rd. FTown of Webb Lake Town Hall 31000 Namekagon TrailTown of West Marshland Town Hall 12259 County Rd. FTown of Wood River Town Hall 11610 State Rd. 70Village of Grantsburg Village Hall 316 S Brad St.Village of Siren Village Hall 24049 First Ave. NVillage of Webster Community Center 7421 Main St. W

The polls will open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. All of the polling places are accessible to elderly and disabled voters. If you have questions concerning your pollingplace, contact the municipal clerk:

524042 10L WNAXLP

by Regan KohlerWashburn County Register reporter

WASHBURN COUNTY – Two candidates for Wiscon-sin’s 25th Senate District will face each other in the Tues-day, Nov. 2, general election– Sen. Bob Jauch (I) and DaneA. Deutsch.Incumbent Jauch, who was first elected to the Senate in

1986, is running again on the Democratic ballot, whileDeutsch is on the Republican ballot.The 25th Senate District is made up of Washburn, Ash-

land, Bayfield, Barron, Douglas, Iron, Sawyer and part ofPolk counties.The candidates were asked about their backgrounds –

including family, education, past and present career expe-rience and government work – why they chose to run foroffice, what issues are most important to them, and to theirbranch, at this time, what strategies theywould implementin light of the need to keep costs under control, to operatethe office as efficiently as possible, and any other relevantinformation or a general statement. The following are theirresponses:

Dane A. DeutschFamily: married to Katharine Joy Deutsch for over 32

years. Four children – Toby (administrative recruiter forUniversity of Wisconsin-Milwaukee), Moses (first lieu-tenant in U.S. Army, deployed to Iraq), Sarah (UW-Madi-son Law School grad and lawyer in Phoenix, Ariz.,) andIsrael (law enforcement officer in Green Bay) and twograndkids: Eli and Maria.Education: Bachelor of Science in physical education

and health at Bemidji State University; Associate of Artsin aerospace science at University of Wisconsin-Superior;50 percent completed master’s degree from University ofWisconsin-Stout in information communications technol-ogy.Occupation: business owner and entrepreneur [with]

three businesses built from scratch over the last 20 years:Deutsch’s Gymnastics Training Center, DCSNetlink (com-puter and networking company), and Leadership Man-agement Development Center (teach character educationand soft skills such as leadership, teamwork, relationshipbuilding, management, etc.).Relevant experience: military veteran, managed all

USAF communications-electronics throughout the coun-try of Turkey; board of directors in local chamber of com-merce; national ambassador for Character Counts, acharacter education program; teacher by degree, andcoach by profession; Minnesota American Legion BoysState Senator; Eagle Scout; member of the UW-Stout Ad-visory Board for ICT college degrees.Why I chose to run for office: I am a businesspersonwho

will work to have government run like a business to bal-ance the budget, eliminate the debt, and grow businesses,which will provide jobs for people. I am a proven leaderthat is team-oriented who can influence those changes,and whom people trust. I will lead with character andbusiness-minded common sense.Most important issue: We need more jobs. Becoming

more business friendly, and growing businesses, leads tomore jobs, which in turn leads to greater revenue, whichbrings more children to our schools and a larger popula-tion for all of our communities to grow and prosper.Cost control: As a business person, the first item on the

agenda is tolook for, findand cut outthe inefficien-cies in gov-ernment thatare costingtaxpayer dol-lars. This canbe done with-out takingaway anycritical pro-grams cur-

rently serving thecitizens. Work to eliminate the fraud, waste and abuse. Wemust eliminate our debt and be fiscally responsible.Campaign Web site: www.daneforsenate.com

Bob JauchFollowing four years in theArmy, including one year in

Vietnam, I attended UW-Eau Claire. Upon the death of myfather, I quit school to assist mymother with a small print-ing business. I then moved to Superior to work for Con-gressman Dave Obey and attended UW-Superior. I waselected to the Assembly in 1982, and elected to the Senatein 1986. Currently, I serve as chair of the Children andFamilies Committee and am vice chair of the Educationand Natural Resources Committee. I am also the chair ofthe Legislative Study Committee on fraud and abuse. Iparticipate in state, national and international civic edu-cation programs to strengthen democracy and promote cit-izenship.Public office remains one of the most honorable ways to

strengthen our communities and improve the lives of ourneighbors. I am inspired by the beauty of the north, ammotivated by the strong character of our neighbors and re-main passionately committed to apply my skills, experi-ence and energy to better their lives.Our forests, fields, rivers, streams and lakes define the

landscape and I am committed to continuing an effort topreserve andmanage these beautiful resources to preservethem for the future and sustain our economy.I share the northern values of good schools, safe com-

munities, strong families and a clean environment and ampassionate in advocating for policies that provide the op-portunity for our region to grow and our citizens to pros-per.Our region is often overlooked by those who believe

that Wisconsin ends at Hwy. 29, and no one works harderthan I do to assure that our citizens are treated as equalswith those who live in our largest cities in the south.I believe in a strong state-local partnership to assure that

our children are well educated and that our property tax-payers are protected. That partnership must invest inmaintaining and improving our infrastructure and help-ing our businesses grow.Northern residents work hard, volunteer their time and

invest their energy to help others and build our commu-nities. The will of the people is the law of the land and I amdeeply committed to working with them to leave a legacyof a better life for the future.Improving the northern economy is always the top pri-

ority, and my primary responsibility is to work with local

officials and business to find the right policies and re-sources to protect and expand jobs.The state adopted my proposal to provide $3 million in

revolving loans to support the protection and expansionof small businesses in the north. The Legislature adoptedseveral of my transportation initiatives to help improvethe financial viability for loggers. At my urging the De-partment of Natural Resources reversed their decision toclose the Hayward nursery.Our farms are the lifeblood of our society and I have

worked for policies to provide long-term financial stabil-ity by investing in alternative energies like biofuels.Investing in our bridges and roads is critical to our well-

being and essential to growing our economy and I havestrongly supportedmajor investments in Hwys. 53 and 63.I have also continuously worked to increase local road aidswhich are critical to protecting the local levy and main-taining our local roads.We have a moral and constitutional responsibility to in-

vest in equal education for our children. Education is thepipeline to the promise of our future and I have passion-ately argued for more resources and greater flexibility tohelp our small rural schools succeed.Painful budget reductions will continue as Wisconsin

struggles with the harmful effects of the global recession.State employee positions have been eliminated and over10 percent of our state workforce is vacant. Salaries werefrozen while all state employees take 16 days of furlough.I also returned 4 percent of my salary as part of a sharedresponsibility to cut costs and balance our budget.Agency budgets were cut by 5 percent, including over

$633 million in cuts to medical assistance and $294 millionin reduction to K-12 schools. The university budget wascut by $135 million. I currently chair the Legislative StudyCommittee on fraud and abuse, which will recommendchanges that will result in additional savings.School districts operate with restrictive spending limits

and many are now considering consolidation or dissolu-tion. The Legislature adopted my language to increaseconsolidation aid as a way of providing financial assis-tance to taxpayers who choose to consolidate their dis-tricts.While communities work well together in the north, we

must also find ways to eliminate barriers for local govern-ments to consolidate andmore efficiently deliver services.I serve the public, not the special interest, and I will do

my best to protect citizens from the selfish behavior of oth-ers who don’t care about community. My job is to serveworking families and farmers who work hard and con-tribute to the well-being to their community. I will con-tinue to cooperate and provide assistance to northernWisconsin businesses whichmake investments in new jobsand growing our economy. However, I will also do mybest to eliminate corporate tax loopholes that shift the bur-den of taxation from businesses to homeowners.Our citizens have every right to expect public officials

to put politics aside and seek solutions. Those who prac-tice the politics of obstruction and hope for failure hurtAmerica. As a state lawmaker I know how to assure thatgovernment is responsible, responsive and efficient. Everyday I work with local officials, colleagues and local busi-ness to improve the economy and revitalize our region. Iam a problem solver who cuts through partisanship andpolarization to get results.

25th Senate District race pits incumbent Jauch vs. Deutsch

Dane A. DeutschBob Jauch

N O V E M B E R 2 E L E C T I O N

Mielke launches write-in campaignRUDOLPH - Dan Mielke, candidate for the 7th District

Congressional seat who was defeated in the Republicanprimary by Sean Duff, announced Friday, Oct. 8, that hewould launch a write-in campaign.Mielke said his decision came after Duffy ignored his

offer of an endorsement for Duffy’s campaign if Duffywould agree to “six areas of concern.”“About two weeks ago I sent out a press release that I

would consider endorsing Sean Duffy if he were willingto sign an affidavit, under penalty of perjury, that hewould adhere to six areas of concern,” Mielke stated in ane-mail. “Sean has not responded or even tried to negotiatean agreement on those key issues. This confirmsmy beliefthat he is not truly committed to these issues therefore, Icannot endorse him and have decided to launch a write-in campaign against Sean Duffy in order to give like-minded folks a candidate that they can in good conscience

vote for.”Mielke’s list of issues includes:• I believe strongly that we must end abortion.• We must protect our elderly, veterans and those who

are truly needy.• We must abide by the Constitution.• I am strongly opposed to having our government

supporting/promoting and funding immoral lifestyles.• I also believe that we must clean up the election

process so that it is fair and equitable to all.“I believe that these fundamental issues are more im-

portant than all the other political concerns facing ustoday. To neglect dealing with these just to get elected is,I believe, a slap in our Creator’s face. Without God’s favorthis nation cannot and frankly should not continue toprosper.” - with information from Mielke campaign

Debate held in 7th Congressional Districtby Glen Moberg

Wisconsin Public RadioWAUSAU - The two leading candidates for Congress in

Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District squared off in a tel-evised debate Sunday night, Oct. 17. Former AshlandCounty District Attorney Sean Duffy and state Sen. JulieLassa each hope to replace Dave Obey, who has held theseat for 41 years.Lassa, a Democrat from Stevens Point, accused Repub-

lican Sean Duffy of trying to hide his support of Wiscon-sin Rep. Paul Ryan’s plan to privatize Social Security. Sheaccused him of supporting Ryan’s budget plan in the past,which “includes privatization of Social Security.”Duffy denied Lassa’s charges as false, citing newspaper

coverage of the issue.“The Wausau Daily Herald said it’s misleading.

TheMilwaukee Journal Sentinel said it was ‘liar liar pantson fire.’”The two candidates repeatedly sparred on the issues of

free trade, the role of government and job creation.Duffy accused Lassa of supporting job-killing policies

in the state Senate. He says under Lassa’s leadership thestate has lost 150,000 jobs, expanded the size of govern-ment, increased taxes, and has seen a number of busi-nesses and companies leave Wisconsin.Lassa retorted that Polaris was moving 400 jobs toMex-

ico because of tax incentives for outsourcing that Duffysupports.“(Duffy) supports leaving those tax loopholes in place.

I think they need to be closed. We need to be rewardingbusinesses who invest in Wisconsin andAmerican work-ers. And talking about the job losses in this state and inthis country, it was the greed of the big Wall Street banksthat brought this country down on its knees.”The debate was held in the studio of Wausau’s CBS af-

filiate, WSAW-TV, and also broadcast in the Eau Claireand Superior television markets.

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10r,L

by Gregg WestigardLeader staff writer

BURNETT COUNTY - Incumbent Bur-nett County Sheriff Dean Roland is facing achallenge in the Nov. 2 general electionfrom Frank Taylor, currently the chief ofthe St. Croix Tribal Police Department.Following are profiles of the two candi-

dates and their responses to questions thatwere asked them in recent interviews.

Frank TaylorProfile: Born and raised in Burnett

County, part of a family that has been herefor many generations. Seventeen years oflaw enforcement experience. Seven yearsof supervisory experience. St. Croix TribalPolice Chief five years.Frank Taylor is the St. Croix Tribal Police

Chief and the Democratic Party candidatefor sheriff. The timing was right for a ca-reer move, Taylor says, the next opportu-nity for him, explaining why he entered therace. He has been Tribal Police chief for fiveyears and is proud of the department heand his officers have built over the years.Taylor feels he can bring qualities to thesheriff’s position that he has developed inhis years as chief.Taylor is a person with ideas. He men-

tions three goals he has if elected sheriff:improving communications among locallaw enforcement, expanding training op-portunities for the deputies and all localpolice officers, and beingmore proactive inthe community. In all these goals, he wantsto build on his experience as head of a localpolice department, working with the pub-lic and with other local agencies.There are five local police departments

in Burnett County. Taylor says as sheriff hewants to improve communications be-tween the sheriff’s office and the local de-partments and build a stronger workingrelationship. That would include moresharing of resources. For example, thetribal department has two K-9 teams, a re-

source that could beshared more withother departments.Taylor would lead

the sheriff’s office inoffering more jointtraining opportuni-ties with the otherdepartments. Jointtraining would re-sult in increasing theskills of more offi-cers in the countywhile lowering thecost of training. For example, the sheriff’sdepartment and the local departmentscould conduct training exercises in thelocal schools to learn the layout of thebuildings in case there was an emergency.Building a stronger relationship with the

public is Taylor’s third goal. He would likethe deputies to havemore contact with res-idents and businesses. Taylor wants the of-ficers to be out of their cars more, talkingto business owners, campers and kids. Healso wants more working contacts with theother agencies dealing with the public tohelp prevent problems from developing.The sheriff can get people to the table totalk about the problems in the county, Tay-lor says.Taylor knows that the budget will be

tight and money must be spent well. Thatwill take flexibility, including putting thesheriff and chief deputy on patrol, ifneeded. He says he has an open mind onspending. He does want the officers to feelsatisfaction in their jobs, knowing that hewill back them upThe sheriff oversees the entire operation

and takes responsibility for the depart-ment, Taylor says. The chief deputy over-sees daily operations and patrol functions.But Taylor adds that either of them shouldtake walk-in complaints when the needarises.“I am going into the sheriff race as a

challenge,” Taylorsaid. “The un-known excites me. Iwon’t know howbig the shoes arethat need to befilled until I’mthere. But I acceptthe challenge. I amgoing into this witha positive attitudeand an openmind. Idon’t make deci-sions in haste.”

Taylor says he is offering his reputation,his commitment and pride in what he hashelped accomplish with the Tribal PoliceDepartment.

Dean RolandProfile: Thirty-five years in law enforce-

ment. Past experience includes city policework, working as a special agent for thestate of Idaho, and administrator of a be-havioral treatment facility. Siren Policechief 1997 to 2003. Burnett County sheriffsince 2003.Dean Roland is the Burnett County sher-

iff and wants to continue in the office.Roland, who has served two four-yearterms, says he envisions the Burnett Sher-iff’s Department being the best departmentin the state. He says the job is not done andhe wants to be re-elected to take the de-partment to that goal. “We can take itthere,” Roland said.Building a strong staff is a priority for

Roland. He says his staff has the ability torun with any idea, and he wants them todo it. Roland says he expects his staff tocome to him with solutions. He discussesthe ideas and backs them up on what theywant to do. New ideas and doing things innew ways is important in tight budgettimes, Roland says.“I will never let a staff member fail,”

Roland said. “I push them beyond their

perceived limits. I look at all my staff andsee their abilities. I like to help them de-velop. It is fun to watch someone do some-thing for the first time.”Roland and his staff are in the process of

rewriting the department’s entire policyand procedures manual. He is working onmaking the Burnett County sheriff Depart-ment one of the few accredited depart-ments in the state. That involves soundpolicy, good programs and strong educa-tion for the staff, Roland says.“We need to do more with less,” Roland

says. “With budget limits, we must thinkoutside the box. You can’t do things theway you have always done them.”Roland wants his staff to do things the

right way, not the easy way. He sayschange is the norm. Part of that change caninvolve new technology, but costs can limitwhat you can buy and what you have toadapt.“We don’t need more money or man-

power, just more time,” Roland said. “That(more time) comes from better training forthe staff. Knowledge leads to better work.If we work smart, we can get more doneand get it done better.”The sheriff deals with the public, pre-

pares the budget, deals with the countyboard and oversees the department,Roland says. The chief deputy runs theday-to-day operations and fills positions.Both of them can handle calls and be addedto the roster when needed.“My job is to keep people safe,” Roland

said. He added that the county is changing.Tourism is now the number one industry.There is an increase in domestic violence,fraud and Internet crimes. The departmentneeds to keep up with the new demands.“I love my job,” Roland said. “I ammost

qualified to continue. I know what liesahead. I see the challenges and I want tomeet them.”

Burnett County sheriff: Roland vs. Taylor

Frank Taylor Dean Roland

N O V E M B E R 2 E L E C T I O N

by Greg MarstenLeader staff writer

BALSAM LAKE – The candidates forPolk County Sheriff held a forum/debateMonday evening, Oct. 25, at an event spon-sored by the Polk County Towns Associa-tion, and while the two men tended toagree on most of their issues, they did finda few areas where they may approachbudget and law enforcement concerns dif-ferently in the future.Independent candidate Ed Collins

squared off with Republican candidatePete Johnson on several issues. Both menoutlined their backgrounds, experience inlaw enforcement and why they were run-ning, as well as areas they felt were beyondtheir control for budgeting.“The sheriff’s office should be inde-

pendent,” Collins said. “It’s about trans-parency within the budget.”Johnson agreed, and assured that while

he was running as a Republican, he said,“There isn’t room for partisan politicswithin the sheriff’s office ... no decisionmaking should be based on that affilia-tion.”While both men agreed there should not

be partisan issues within law enforcement,they also seemed to concur that future cutswere coming, regardless of who holds theoffice of sheriff.“There are probably some personnel cuts

coming,” Johnson said. “It doesn’t makeme happy, but we do what we can to getthe budgets in line.”Collins suggested the department utilize

attrition and pending retirements to assist

in cuts, if necessary,and suggested giv-ing various dutiesto PCSD adminis-tration, possibly in-cluding some jailoversight issues, tooffset some of thoseexpected losses.“But I don’t want tocut patrol,” hestressed.Johnson raised

concerns about spe-cific liability in jail issues, where he said thecounty was “more liable to lawsuits thanalmost anywhere else.”“[The jail] is one area to probably not cut

positions,” Johnson said.Bothmen agreed that future budgets will

be tough to balance in law enforcement,but also had concerns over cutting so deep,that it may cost money in the end withadded liability or less patrol coverage.“The sheriff already has a lot of respon-

sibilities,” Johnson said. “We don’t need toput him in a squad car doing traffic stops.”Collins said they may have to incorpo-

rate some positions and tasks, and said that“budget cuts will be a big task for whoeverthe sheriff is.”Bothmen agreed that jail occupation and

costs are an area that will need addressing,either through expansion of outside pris-oner housing, rate adjustment or throughexpansion of federal prisoner housing. ButJohnson said that the issue has been ex-plored in the past, and that they would

need to expandsome services orprisoner segrega-tion to meet thosestandards.“We may need to

look again at thoser e q u i r em en t s , ”Johnson said.Collins con-

curred, but also sug-gested finding waysto expand ways “tokeep local popula-

tions out of jails,” either through use aslabor, such as with Habitat for Humanityin home construction or with disincentives.“We should make them not want to

there,” Collins said. “Make it uncomfort-able.”Johnson suggested the expansion of the

restorative justice program, which is nowunder way, while noting that the law doesnot allow the county to force prisoners towork.“We can’t have chain gangs,” Johnson

said.Collins agreed that they cannot force

prisoners into labor, but countered that“we have to find newways to make thingswork with smaller budgets.”Being a Towns Association meeting, one

issue that surfaced had to do with the rela-tionship between the towns and law en-forcement, with Johnson suggesting thesheriff’s office consider assigning liaisonofficers to various municipalities andtowns without municipal police forces.

Collins suggested expanding a neigh-borhood watch program and by makingthe sheriff himself the liaison betweenelected officials and law enforcement.“I think we should get the sheriff to deal

directly with town chairs,” Collins said,suggesting that the sheriff should alreadybe considered the liaison between officialsand law enforcement. “To use a commu-nity and commonsense approach.”Johnson suggested that due to the sheer

volume of meetings, it might make sensehaving the sheriff attend quarterly TownsAssociation meetings, but also stressed theliaison idea.Both men agreed that mutual aid issues

are one way to help with coverage acrossthe county, and while they disagreed ondeputization of municipal officers forPCSD duties, they also agreed that liabilityissues must be respected, and that all re-sources of mutual aid should be utilized,including Tribal Police and municipal of-fices, they also have to realize that insur-ance companies tend to be the ultimatedeciding factor on liability.“But face it, we’re part of a team,”

Collins said, speculating that the countyand municipal offices probably have thesame insurance providers, and that someliability issues can be addressed, if needed.“We all work for the same taxpayers.”Johnson nodded in agreement, and both

men agreed that one way to save money isto utilize every resource, including neigh-boring counties and other branches of lawenforcement for mutual aid, when appro-priate.

Polk County sheriff candidates face off at towns meeting

Johnson Collins

PPoollll sshhoowwss WWaallkkeerr lleeaaddss BBaarrrreetttt bbyy nniinnee ppooiinnttssby Patty Murray

Wisconsin Public RadioSTATEWIDE - The Wisconsin Public

Radio – St. Norbert College survey showsScott Walker with a slight lead in the racefor governor.But a closer look at the numbers show

Tom Barrett is very close behind. Findings indicate Republican Walker

has 50 percent of the vote among likelyvoters, compared to Democrat Barrett’s 41

percent. That’s a 9-point lead, survey an-alyst Wendy Scattergood says a five-pointmargin of error in either direction stillmakes for a tight gubernatorial race.Scattergood says most people have al-

ready made up their minds and are un-likely to change them. But she says sixpercent are still undecided.“The people who are Republicans or

Democrats are going to vote their partyline. There is a sort of strong party identi-

fication, not a lot of people who are chang-ing sides, but we know we do have peoplein the middle who do.”Those would be the 16 percent of peo-

ple in the poll who say they’re Independ-ents. Scattergood says it’s not a bigpercentage, but could be enough to makea difference. She says Independents arethe key constituents because they’re alarge enough portion that when it’s closebetween Democrats and Republicans as it

has been for a number of years, Inde-pendents who go back and forth “reallymake a difference.”Scattergood says Barrett could be hurt

by an “anti-incumbency” mood eventhough he’s running for his first term asgovernor. Current Gov. Jim Doyle’s ap-proval rating is only 36 percent.The survey polled 402 likely voters.

by Regan KohlerWashburn County Register

WASHBURN COUNTY – RepublicanSean Duffy, Democrat Julie Lassa and In-dependent Gary Kauther are running forthe 7th Congressional District seat in theTuesday, Nov. 2, general election.Kauther’s profile will run in next

week’s Leader.Duffy defeated candidate Dan Mielke

on the Republican ballot in the Septemberprimary, while Lassa defeated Democratcandidate Don Raihala. Duffy, Kautherand Lassa are seeking to fill the seat va-cated by longtime Congressman DaveObey.The 7th Congressional District, House

of Representatives, serves multiple coun-ties in northwestern Wisconsin – Wash-burn, Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Burnett,Chippewa, Douglas, Iron, Lincoln,Marathon, Polk, Portage, Price, Rusk,Sawyer, Taylor, Wood and parts of Clark,Langlade and Oneida counties.The candidates were asked about their

backgrounds (including family, education,past and present career experience andgovernment work), why they chose to runfor office, what issues are most importantto them, and to their branch, at this time,what strategies they would implement inlight of the need to keep costs under con-trol, to operate the office as efficiently aspossible, and any other relevant informa-tion or a general statement. The followingare their responses:

Sean DuffyCareer history: Ashland County district

attorney (August 2002-June 2010). [I] wasappointed, then ran for office unopposedeach term.School name: St. Mary’s, Winona, Minn.Degree awarded: Bachelor of ArtsMajor: Business marketingSchool name: William Mitchell College

of LawDegree awarded: Juris DoctorMajor: LawHometown: HaywardSpouse: Rachel Campos-Duffy. [We]

have six children together.“Congress must get our deficit and debt

under control. The most overlooked issuefacing America is the economic nuclearbomb we have given to China thanks toWashington’s inability to rein in spending.Our reliance on China to fund projects we

can’t afford comeswith serious na-tional security im-plications.“Too much uncer-

tainty also exists inthe marketplace.Talk of morebailouts, and newhealth care and capand trade regula-tions, keeps uncer-tainty looming. Toreduce uncertainty,we must ensure taxes don’t increase onJan. 1, and create a simpler, smarter, fairertax system. We have the best workforce inthe world, yet our tax code is the secondhighest of any advanced industrial nation.By reducing the tax code we can bettercompete, as well as incentivize – not pe-nalize – companies to keep jobs here. Weshould oppose taxing overseas productsof U.S. companies and protect small busi-nesses by requiring a detailed cost-bene-fit analysis of any regulation beforeimplementation, and eliminate the 1099requirement. Finally, we must export Wis-consin-made products, not Wisconsinjobs, because I know Wisconsinites wantpaychecks, not unemployment checks. Bydoing this, confidence can be restored andbusinesses – the true job creators – willfeel confident in their investments.“We do need to get spending under con-

trol. My six-step plan for restoring fiscalresponsibility in government is availableon my Web site. To start, I would end allbailouts, cancel unspent stimulus fundsand not allow for any Temporary AssetRelief Program reauthorizations. Since2008, we’ve seen an 84 percent increase innon-defense/security discretionaryspending – I would freeze this spendingat 2008 levels and only hire one person forevery two people retiring from the federalgovernment who don’t work in defense orsecurity – saving hundreds of billions ofdollars. I also believe the governmentshould pass a budget every year to bettercontrol spending. If families and busi-nesses stay on budget, the governmentshould too. Growing up in Wisconsin, Ioffer a commonsense approach to prob-lem solving. Electing more people fromMadison isn’t the leadership we need –look where that spending got us. We neednew leaders for a new direction.

“Wisconsin is myhome. I grew uphere and my wife,Rachel, and I areraising our six chil-dren here. I offerreal solutions to re-store fiscal sanity,gain control overour debt, bring jobsback to Wisconsinand put moneyback into the pock-ets of our hard-

working people and job creators.“I entered this race after the nearly tril-

lion-dollar stimulus bill passed. As a fa-ther of six children, it bothered me thatWashington government leaders werespending millions, billions and trillions ofdollars, and leaving the bill to our chil-dren. Our country already has a $13.3 tril-lion debt – we can’t keep spending andexpecting future generations to pay for it.“I am ready to be a fresh voice for the

people of the 7th District and bring a newdirection to Washington. I wasn’t hand-picked to run for this seat, like my oppo-nent; I ran because I saw a problem andwanted to be a part of the solution. I havea unique perspective on understandingand upholding laws as district attorney,and I offer a commonsense approach toproblem solving.”

Julie LassaCareer history: Executive director of the

Plover Area Business Association, gov-ernment affairs coordinator, Golden SandsHome Builders and Stevens Point Boardof Realtors, state Assembly (1998-2003),state Senate (2003-present) chair of theSenate Economic Development Commit-tee.School name: University of Wisconsin-

Stevens PointDegree awarded: Bachelor of ScienceMajor: Political science and business ad-

ministrationHometown: Stevens PointFamily: Married to John Moe. Two

daughters, Taylor (6) and Madison (3)“I grew up on my parents small dairy

farm in Portage County where I learnedearly the Wisconsin values I share withworking families in the district - how towork hard and make a dollar stretch - val-ues I am running to fight for in Washing-

ton.“I have called on Washington to take its

cue from Wisconsin middle-class families.Just like families across northern and cen-tral Wisconsin, Washington should betightening its belt and sticking to abudget. That’s why out of the starting gatein my campaign, I’ve called on Washing-ton to take a 10-percent pay cut until Wis-consinites were back at work and refusepay raises until we have a balancedbudget. I and my family are currently giv-ing back a portion of my salary to taxpay-ers.“I was also the first candidate in the race

to propose a comprehensive jobs plan andhave been traveling across the districtmeeting with voters as part of my ShakeUp Washington, Grow Wisconsin jobstour. I believe Washington needs to adopta commonsense pro-worker pro-businessstrategy to create jobs and should start byending failed policies that ship jobs over-seas. I have called for ending tax breaksfor corporations that outsource jobs. Bygetting tough on China and reformingfailed trade deals like NAFTA, I believewe can level the playing field to ensurethat Wisconsin workers and small busi-nesses—the best in the world—can com-pete fairly in global markets. I will fightfor good-paying Wisconsin jobs to build astrong middle class by giving tax breaksto the true engines of economic growth—Main Street small businesses and workingfamilies.“I am also deeply committed to keeping

Social Security and Medicare strong forour seniors and our families. I earned theendorsement of the National Committeeto Preserve Social Security and Medicarebecause of my leadership and vision insupporting seniors and in protecting So-cial Security from being privatized.“Wisconsin has seen more than 52,000

jobs go to China because of our nation'strade deficit. My opponent supports giv-ing tax breaks for corporations and specialinterests – the same eight groups that arespending more than $1.2 million in attacksto get him elected. “I have called on my opponent to join

me in supporting the DISCLOSE Act,which would hold corporations and out-side groups accountable in campaignspending.”

Duffy, Lassa seek 7th Congressional District seat

Sean Duffy Julie Lassa

by Gregg WestigardLeader staff writer

POLK COUNTY - Voters in Polk Countywill elect a new sheriff in the Nov. 2 gen-eral election, the winning candidate re-placing Sheriff Tim Moore, who decidednot to seek re-election.The winner will serve a four-year term.Following are profiles of the candidates

- Independent Ed Collins and RepublicanPete Johnson - and their responses to ques-tions posed in recent interviews.

Pete JohnsonProfile: Raised in Trade Lake and a

Grantsburg graduate. Bachelor’s degree incriminal justice administration. Twentyyears in law enforcement. Working forPolk County Sheriff’s Department since1999. Pete Johnson, an investigator with the

Polk County Sheriff’s Department, is theRepublican Party candidate for PolkCounty sheriff. Johnson entered the racewhen Sheriff Tim Moore announced thathe would not seek another term.“I had always planned on running for

sheriff sometime but had expected that itwould be in the next cycle,” Johnson said.“I think Moore is liked by the county.There is no incumbent running now, so thecandidates are all starting on the samelevel.” Johnson calls himself a big-picture guy

and says he can bring a varied backgroundand broad experience to the office. Each di-vision within the sheriff’s department isdifferent, he says. He can stand back andsee how it all works together.The sheriff must work with everybody,

Johnson says, and do the right thing. It’s

not about manage-ment or the unionbut about taking theright actions. Hesays he will be hon-est and upfront in allhis dealings.The sheriff’s

budget is $7 million,but $6 million of thatis personnel costs setby contracts. Thesheriff has control ofthe $1 million operations budget, Johnsonsays. With money tight, the sheriff mayneed to look at cutting personnel and see ifany positions can be combined. He wouldlook at how long a position has been va-cant and see if there are alternatives to theposition. That includes management va-cancies, Johnson says. One way to lowercosts might be through more flexibility inscheduling, he said.Johnson says the sheriff relies on the

chief deputy to keep the day-to-day oper-ations of the department. He says it is thesheriff’s job to deal with the communityand the county board.Part of what Johnson wants to do is

work closer with the local police chiefs.“We are all doing ultimately the same job,”he says, “and we must work together.”Johnson says there is room for better dia-logue between the sheriff and the chiefs.“We can’t keep throwing everyone in

jail,” Johnson says. “We need to find waysto keep people out of the jail. Some peopleneed to be there, but we need to see if thereare any alternatives.”Johnson says he is willing to work with

drug courts and OWI courts and says he is

willing to try any-thing to stop peo-ple from returningto jail. He says pro-grams should betried and tracked tosee is they are re-ally working.“I’m a simple

guy,” Johnson says.“I try to make hon-est statementsabout everything. I

think I can do a good job as sheriff and Iwant to be elected for who I am.”

Ed CollinsProfile: In law enforcement since 1992.

Has served with several local police de-partments. Was acting chief in Centuria.Four years in Marines. Polk County resi-dent since 1996.Ed Collins says he is truly independent

and would come into the Polk CountySheriff’s Department with an outside per-spective, not tied to any divisions in the of-fice. He says he would bring in a freshslate, with no hidden agenda. Collinswants to put aside past differences andmove ahead.“It is important for the public to see the

sheriff,” Collins says. “I want to be visibleand closer to the citizens.”To do that, Collins wants to work with

the village councils and local police chiefs.He wants to improve communications andmake all officers feel part of the team. Hewants to deputize the municipal officers ifpossible and share more information withthem. Collins also wants to do more jointtraining of officers in the county to in-

crease skills and cooperation while lower-ing costs for the county and the munici-palities.Keeping the public informed also in-

volves being on the street, communicatingwith people. Collins wants to be proactive,talking with businesses and listening toneeds and ideas. He says the public shouldbe the first eyes and ears of the depart-ment. Collins wants increased citizen involve-

ment in law enforcement. He would liketo start a reserve officer program, trainingand using the public for work with specialevents and citizens patrols. Collins saysthis is a way to involve volunteers, someof whom might want to make a career inpolice work. He would also like to start aprogram for troubled youth.The sheriff must work with all his offi-

cers and know them well. He must makesure the past differences are put aside andthe officers come together as a family.Collins says the sheriff must take care ofhis officers so they can take care of thepublic.Collins says he knows budgets will be

tight, and he will look for ways to lowercosts without hurting service. That couldinclude finding more ways to keep low-risk inmates out of jail and in the commu-nity. His reserve officers program wouldalso provide more trained persons for spe-cial uses without increasing costs.“I have done my jobs well in the past,”

Collins says. “I have worked closely withthe public. Now I am ready to move to an-other level. I am a simple, commonsenseperson. What you see is what you get. I amindependent.”

Polk County sheriff: Johnson vs. Collins

Pete Johnson Ed Collins

N O V E M B E R 2 E L E C T I O N

Lively sheriff contests in three countiesCommon issues emerge

during interviewsby Gregg Westigard

Leader / Register staff writer WASHBURN, POLK, BURNETT

COUNTIES – While the area clerk of courtelection contests have drawn little inter-est, the three area sheriff races haveproven to be lively. All three incumbentsheriffs, Tim Moore in Polk, Dean Rolandin Burnett and Terry Dryden in Wash-burn, drew opposition. Moore chose to re-tire after five years in office. Roland andDryden each faced a primary within theirown party and a general election chal-lenge. Eleven candidates entered the con-tests for sheriff. There were four primaryraces in September.The candidates on the Nov. 2 ballot are

Terry Dryden (Republican) and Paul John-son (Democrat) in Washburn County,Dean Roland (Republican) and Frank Tay-lor (Democrat) in Burnett, and Pete John-son (Republican) and Ed Collins(Independent) in Polk. Elections are the job evaluations of

county officials. Once each four years thevoters decide if six county officials havedone a good job running their depart-ments and deserve another four years inoffice. Two years ago, the voters rehiredcounty clerks, treasurers, registers ofdeeds and district attorneys. This year thesheriffs, clerks of court, and, in WashburnCounty, the coroner get a public review oftheir performance.

While the general public may have asomewhat limited opportunity to get in-formation on how well the officials areperforming, the sheriffs have two groupswatching them closely and sometimesstepping forward at election time to givetheir opinions. Those groups are thedeputies in the sheriffs departments andthe local police chiefs. In Polk County, the deputies were the

vocal group. Sergeant Tim O’Hare enteredthe race against Moore early in the season,citing issues within the department as areason for running. O’Hare received theendorsement of a number of departmentdeputies but lost in the September pri-mary to Pete Johnson. Johnson, also a Polkdeputy, entered the race after Moore de-cided not to run again. The vocal group in Burnett and Wash-

burn was the local police chiefs. BurnettCounty has five police chiefs. Four of thefive decided to run for sheriff this year. InBurnett County, Jeff Schinzing, Grants-burg police chief, ran against Roland inthe Republican primary. Michael Spaf-ford, Webster police chief, and Frank Tay-lor, St. Croix Tribal police chief, faced eachother in the Democratic primary. A fourthpolice chief, Paul Johnson, head of theJackson/Scott/Webb Lake department, isrunning against Washburn Sheriff Dry-den. Only Siren Police Chief ChristopherSybers sat out the 2010 election.

Common issuesSome common issues emerged during

interviews the Leader conducted with the

candidates, issues that go beyond countylines and beyond the elections. Financesand budgets in a tight economy are anissue in each county, but other topics cameup in each county and each discussion.Working with local departments: The

relationship of the sheriff with local policedepartments has many angles. Local de-partments work with the county depart-ment offering mutual aid. Somecandidates think this should be expanded,with all local officers deputized by thecounty. They say this would offer more re-sources to the public and build betterteamwork. A counterargument is that thelocal officers might not meet the samestandards as the county deputies. A claimof better teamwork is offset by a claim thatthe sheriff is making a power grab. Somevillage board members say they pay thewages of their departments and their offi-cers should stay in the village. This issuewill see more discussion after the elec-tion. There was general agreement that there

should be more sharing of resources.Some local officers have areas of expertisethat can be used by other department. Allsaid there can be more training in com-mon to lower the cost of officer educationand build a better-trained force county-wide. And there was talk of more com-munication between the sheriff and thelocal police chiefs, but no agreement onwhether that should include the sherifftaking part in the regular chiefs meetings.

Working across county lines: Therewere many ideas on how the local sher-iff’s departments can work more closelytogether to increase the level of service tothe public and to lower costs. Ideas men-tioned include joint purchasing and jointtraining. On a larger level, there may beoptions to combine communications anddispatch services to serve a larger areawhile lowering staffing and capital costs.More cooperation might be possible onuse of jail space and prisoner transport.From the conversations, it seems likelythat some of the candidates, if they areelected or re-elected, will be staring morediscussions across county lines. Mental health issue: Many persons are

in local jails because they have mentalhealth issues. This issue was first men-tioned as a side comment but turned outto be a major concern in each county. Per-sons with mental health problems break alaw and are arrested. In jail they receivesome of the care and medications theyneed to be stable. When released, they gooff their meds and end up back in jail. Thisis an issue that is now getting some recog-nition (Sheriff Dryden is a member of amental health study set up by the statecourt system) but needs more discussion.One candidate said, “We have become amental health and medical facility.” The Leader will follow up on many of

these issues of common concern after theelection.

Other local contests on theNov. 2 ballot

by Gregg WestigardLeader staff writer

NORTHWEST WISCONSIN – It’s timefor area voters to decide if some depart-ment heads are doing a good job runningtheir offices. While most county depart-ment heads report to and are evaluated bygoverning committees and administra-tors, elected officials report to the votersevery four years. The voters (you) decideif these people are meeting expectationsand should keep their jobs.This year the voters are reviewing the

past performance of clerks of court and inWashburn County, the coroner. (Sheriffsare also on the ballot, but that office has re-ceived some publicity.) Up for re-electionare three clerks of court, Karen Nord (De-mocrat) in Washburn County, TrudySchmidt (Democrat) in Burnett Countyand Lois Hoff (Republican) in PolkCounty. Karen Baker (Republican) is run-ning for re-election as Washburn Countycoroner [Burnett and Polk have replacedthe position with an appointed medical

examiner]. All four are running unop-posed.Clerks of court run the offices that sup-

port the district courts. Each manages alarge budget and staff ($900,000 a year and13 employees in Polk, for instance). Each isrunning for a four-year term. Each earns asalary of about $50,000 per year plus ben-efits. Their salaries are set for the next fouryears and can not be changed during theirterms of office.The coroner investigates unusually

deaths and signs cremation permits.All four want to continue doing their

jobs.

Who are Karen Nord, Trudy Schmidt,Lois Hoff and Karen Baker?

Salaries of the four offices (set by thecounty boards for the four-year term)

2011 2012 2013 2014

Clerks of CourtBurnett49,742 50,737 51,498 52,271

Polk52,738 53,529 54,332 55,147

Washburn50,306 50,306 51,312 51,312

Washburn Coroner8,457 8,457 8,627 8,627

N O V E M B E R 2 E L E C T I O N

Kauther running as Independent inCongressional race

by Gary KingLeader editor

NORTHWEST WISCONSIN -Gary Kauther is on the ballot asan Independent in Tuesday’s gen-eral election - seeking the seatbeing vacated by longtime 7thDistrict Congressman Dave Obey.His opponents - Democrat Julie

Lassa and Republican Sean Duffy- were profiled in last week’s Leader.Kauther, 50, is a retired small-business

owner from Poplar, near Superior. He at-tended WITC and UW-Superior aftergraduating from Northwestern HighSchool. He graduated from UWS withhonors in 1981. He’s married with threechildren - two grown sons and a daughterin law school.His experience includes jobs as a farmer,

nightclub manager, bartender, state graininspector, railroad welder and U.S. AirForce aircraft mechanic. In 1999 he estab-lished G & T Sanitation and sold it 10 yearslater to Waste Management.“I decided to enter the race because I feel

I’m the only candidate with the real worldexperience needed to handle the job,”Kauther stated. “I’m also the only militaryveteran in the race and only candidate thathas actually signed both sides of a pay-check.”

The Fair TaxKauther said he supports the Fair Tax

legislation.“The 54 co-sponsors, myself, 80 of

America’s top academic and private-sec-tor economists, as well as many informedvoters all feel the Fair Tax can erase the na-tional deficit without raising taxes,” hesaid. “That’s because, for the first time,everyone but the truly poor will be payingtaxes. It’s like insurance, the premiums godown when the group gets bigger. Youmust remember, the Fair Tax replaces theentire U.S. tax code. That’s over 35 othertaxes people won’t be paying. Over 36 - 60months the revenue generated from a truenational sales tax on all new goods andservices will balance the budget and erasethe national debt if we can keep spendingin line with growth.”

Obama’s health care plan“Nobody read the ObamaCare legisla-

tion,” Kauther said. “I’d break it into sec-tions, have my staff work overtime, writeme an overview, and go forward fromthere.”

Kauther said he could sup-port repeal of ObamaCare. “I’d like to see a 36-month in-

vestigation by 2,000 qualifedpeople in each state concerningfraud, waste, duplication ofservices, double and triplebilling, collusion between insur-ers and health-care providers,scam artists, Internet rip-offs

etc.,” Kauther noted. “If we take severaltrillion dollars of those costs out of thesystem we may find affordable premiumsfor most people would result. ObamaCarewas insurance reform, not health care re-form.”

Business climateKauther said if the U.S. enacted the Fair

Tax, 100 of the largest Fortune 500 compa-nies said they’d relocate their factories,$11.2 trillion of offshore profits, plus mil-lions of jobs back to America. “That’s because the current tax code

says they can keep all profits from off-shore operations and not pay taxes on thatmoney, unless it’s returned to the U.S.,” hesaid. “Think Coca-Cola - its internationalbusinesses far outweigh domestic opera-tions. When Coca-Cola needs money forexpansion it goes to Wall Street or interna-tional bond markets to finance growth ordebt. Why? Interest on the bonds is 4.5percent. Corporate and capital gains taxesare 39 percent. It really doesn’t take arocket scientist to tell you that taxing in-come versus spending is a dumb idea inthis day and age. That’s true of individualsand corporations. We’d all be better off ifAmerica’s largest companies did businessand hired people in the United Statesagain.”Although it’s more of a state than fed-

eral issue, Kauther said he would supportconsolidation and efficiency in publicschools.“I also believe we should make much

greater use of the world’s largest library -the Internet,” Kauther noted. “E-booksshould replace costly and old-fashionedtextbooks. We need to get away from theidea that fancy campuses educate chil-dren. As for funding, I think schoolsshould be allowed large latitude to fundthemselves. As a federal officeholder I canonly do so much but I would certainly en-courage wide latitude for local school dis-tricts to innovate without federalpenalties.”

STATEWIDE - Wisconsin Public Televi-sion will present the final televised debatewith the two major candidates for thestate’s governor’s office. The We the Peo-ple: 2010 Gubernatorial Debate will fea-ture Democrat Tom Barrett andRepublican Scott Walker. It will air at 7p.m. Friday, Oct. 29, and will be co-an-chored by WPT’s Frederica Freyberg andEric Franke from WISC-TV.Wisconsin Public Radio’s statewide

Ideas Network and MPTV in Milwaukeewill also air the debate live. The debatewill be streamed live atWisconsinVote.org.Freyberg will be joined by a panel of

Wisconsin citizens in the Madison studioand in remote studios in La Crosse andWausau to question the two candidatesabout the important issues in the race,which will be settled in an election onNov. 2.Barrett is currently the mayor of Mil-

waukee and previously served in the Wis-consin state Legislature and United StatesCongress.

Walker is currently the MilwaukeeCounty executive and previously servedin the Wisconsin state Legislature.Earlier, individual conversations with

Barrett and Walker from Here and Nowand their five-minute Candidate State-ments can be found on WisconsinVote.orgon the Web.We the People/Wisconsin is a multime-

dia partnership that provides timely fo-rums so that citizens can question politicalcandidates, public officials – and them-selves. The We the People/Wisconsinmedia partners are WISC-TV, WisPoli-tics.com, Wisconsin Public Radio, Wiscon-sin Public Television and the WisconsinState Journal.WPT is a service of the Educational

Communications Board and University ofWisconsin-Extension.Wisconsin Public Television is a place to

grow through learning on WHA-TV,Madison; WPNE-TV, Green Bay; WHRM-TV, Wausau; WLEF-TV, Park Falls;WHLA-TV, La Crosse; and WHWC-TV,Menomonie-Eau Claire. - from WPT

WPT to present final Wisconsin gubernatorial debate

Hraychuck, Seversondisagree on budgetnumbers, approaches

by Greg MarstenLeader staff writer

BALSAM LAKE – There has been a dis-tinct lack of face-to-face debates betweenthe two candidates for the 28th DistrictAssembly seat race between incumbentDemocrat Ann Hraychuck of Balsam Lakeand Republican challenger Dr. Eric Sever-son of Osceola. The Polk County Towns Association

sponsored a debate/forum on Monday,Oct. 25, at the Polk County GovernmentCenter. While the event was well-at-tended, it also focused on several issuesspecific to rural areas, towns and localgovernment, where the two seemed toagree on many issues, but disagreed dra-matically on several statewide issues, aswell as how they see the existing budgets,jobs outlooks and even the issue of job re-sponsibilities and duties.Both candidates gave their qualifica-

tions and past experience, with Seversontalking about his extensive background inmedicine and health care, but said he was“a lot like everyone, I see my taxes goingup, and see a deficit,” he said. “So I asked,‘where is this money going?’”Severson noted several times his con-

cerns over state budget issues, stating thathe was concerned over state budgets,which he said had increased from $60 bil-lion to $66 billion under Hraychuck’swatch, including a $1.5 billion increase inproperty taxes.“We need to create an atmosphere that

encourages business here,” he said.Hraychuck outlined her law enforce-

ment background in the region, how shemoved her way up through the ranks, andultimately was elected sheriff of PolkCounty for two terms, where she notedher approach to tackling the metham-phetamine issues of the time.“Within two years, we had taken down

27 meth labs,” she said. Hraychuck also noted what she said

were deep cuts in the state budget sinceshe’s been in office, including furloughs ofstate workers, across-the-board cuts of 6percent, closing corporate loopholes intaxation, and how she had worked to off-set issues like the Polaris plant closure inOsceola, with worker training and the so-called Vision 600 Task Force to address fu-ture business expansion in the Osceolaarea to offset the job losses.“I personally gave back 16 days of pay,”

she added, citing several ways she hasdisagreed with her party in the past term,including with the governor’s move to ap-point the Department of Natural Re-sources chief. The two candidates spent a lot of time

on the budget, and whether it had trulyincreased or decreased under 20 monthsof Democratic control, with Severson stat-ing he had his numbers from the stateLegislative Fiscal Bureau.

Hraychuck countered that she had dis-cussion with a top Legislative Fiscal Bu-reau officials, confirming the cuts theyhad passed.“He said you absolutely did (cut spend-

ing),” she said. “This is a good place to dobusiness,”Severson was not convinced and said it

was an example of the problems withingovernment, citing Polaris’ departure,Harley-Davidson and Mercury Marinethreats of leaving the state and other areaswhere taxes forced business closures.“We do these funny numbers,” he said.

“Which is exactly what irritates me.”Hraychuck did not agree, and cited sta-

tistics showing the state’s business climatehad improved in recent years, with thestate tax ranking dropping “to its lowestpoint since 1961, and countered that “Po-laris left for Mexico for cheap labor, notbecause of the tax climate...they gave nowarning at all, none whatsoever.”The duo also disagreed on what had

and had not been done to address budgetconcerns, as Severson concentrated on thebudget increases he noted earlier, whichHraychuck explained partially as deceiv-ing, that they were essentially federal gov-ernment funds for so-called pass-throughpayments for various aids, constructionand federal funding for various programs.“You’re saying exactly what the prob-

lem is!” Severson countered.“I don’t expect Dr. Severson to under-

stand the budget, because he hasn’t beenthere,” Hraychuck said, noting audits,and various savings she has supported toreduce insurance costs to schools and mu-nicipalities, as well as “horrible inefficien-cies in the Medicaid system ... we’ve madegreat strides.“ Severson disagreed with Hraychuck on

the cuts, but agreed that “We do need torun more efficiently.”The duo did agree that towns and other

municipalities are not where the stateshould balance their budgets, eitherthrough raiding transportation funding ordelayed payments on state aids, with Sev-erson saying he would support an effortto make it illegal.“It’s been proven that legislators can’t

keep their hands out of that (pot of trans-portation aid money),” Severson said.The two disagreed dramatically on

what counts as support of a bill or pro-posal, with Severson citing Hraychuck’srecord, with her counter that it was polit-ical game playing, and gamesmanshipwithin Madison that she had no controlover to weigh polling motions with actualsupport or floor votes.“I say if it’s a good bill, you should sup-

port it,” he said.Both agreed on maintaining fair trans-

portation aids, and Hraychuck noted herwork with local legislators to establish arural caucus to counter urban legislativeefforts to partially balance the budget ontowns and decreased road maintenance,with Severson concurring.“If not (fully funded) some roads would

have been reverted to gravel aroundhere,” Hraychuck said. “I agree, one area that is vital is our

roads,” Severson said.The two also agreed that prevailing

wage laws have the potential to seriouslyharm small units of local government, andHraychuck noted her lack of support forthe change, but said she sometimes had tovote for things in the budget that werepart of a compromise.“It sounds like you’re just saying that,”

Severson said.“This is certainly silly season!” Hray-

chuck said, citing a press release Seversonquoted about whether Hraychuck had infact been kicked off an Assembly commit-tee that dealt with expanding renewableenergy costs, which Hraychuck said was

“not ready for prime time.”Severson said her story had changed

about her being kicked off, while Hray-chuck said it was the Republicans that is-sued a release that Democrats had kickedher off the committee.“I can tell you what happened, because

I was there!” she said.Both candidates agreed to support busi-

ness-owner rights on smoking laws, aswell as on the so-called raw milk issue, al-lowing people to purchase unpasteurizedmilk, in spite of health concerns.They also both said they supported

carry/conceal weapons efforts, withHraychuck saying she split with her partyon the issue, and worked to get the youthmentoring hunting bill, and authored abill to allow retired law enforcement offi-cials to carry a concealed weapon.There was also a contentious moment

when an audience question noted Sever-son’s print ads showing him carrying ahunting rifle, but that he had never held ahunting license. Severson admitted asmuch, but noted you don’t need a hunt-ing license to shoot a weapon.“The ad was also a way to show my

support for hunting,” he said.The two also disagreed on the need for

outside advertisement and campaignfunds, with both candidates accusing theother of taking money from outside thestate to support their campaigns. “Special-interest groups in Washington,

D.C, want to get control back,” she said.“We need to get tax fairness!”Severson thought that was ridiculous,

and said Hraychuck had taken “Milwau-kee money,” but later admitted to makingsome commercials paid for by variousoutside groups.“You’ve got to get your name out

there,” he said with a shrug. “Special-in-terest groups run their own campaigns.”Severson also noted Hraychucks’ exten-

sive use of per diem reimbursements, ontop of her salary, and accused her of “lis-tening to special-interest groups” with allher extra days in Madison.“(Dr. Severson) is sadly misinformed on

what this job entails,” she countered,which elicited chortles from some Sever-son supporters, as the two debatedwhether the legislative pay and reim-bursements were appropriate, andwhether the job was truly part time toallow Severson to continue his medicalpractice on weekends.“This is a job people should do for the

needs of the community,” he countered. “Idon’t need this job.”Hraychuck stated much the same thing,

but added that the Assembly position was“not a job to be taken lightly...it’s not ahobby.”The two have only had two face-to-face

debates, with another on radio, and it wasobvious they disagreed vehemently onseveral issues, but did agree on many ofthe issues facing town government andrural areas. The debate is likely the last time the two

will appear at the same debate venueprior to the Nov. 2 general election.

28th Assembly candidates spar in rare debateN O V E M B E R 2 E L E C T I O N

The two candidates for the 28th Assembly District seat squared off in a rare debate Mondayat the quarterly Polk County Towns Association meeting. Incumbent Democrat Ann Hraychuck(left) and Republican candidate Dr. Eric Severson addressed issues ranging from budget pri-orities to job creation to state aids for municipalities and towns. They’ve had only a handful offace-to-face debates this season, and the meeting at the Polk County Government Center waswell-attended. - Photo by Greg Marsten

BURNETT/POLK COUNTIES - TheLeader will provide unofficial results oflocal races in the Nov. 2 election on itsWeb site as soon as they become available.Both Burnett and Polk counties offer

election returns on their respective Websites - www.burnettcounty.com andwww.co.polk.wi.us/.Wisconsinvote.org offers video profiles

of state candidates and will also be pro-viding election returns from across thestate.

Wisconsin Public Radio (wpr.org) willbe offering complete election results cov-erage including regular updates on theWisconsin races for U.S. Senate, Congress,governor and the Legislature. It’s radiobroadcasts can be heard on 88.7 FM and88.3 WHWC/ Menomonie-Eau Claire and88.7 WRFW/River Falls.Beginning at 7 p.m., Wisconsin Public

Radio will carry National Public Radio’scoverage of national races as polls close onthe East Coast. Starting at 8 p.m., Ben

Merens, host of the Ideas Network pro-gram At Issue, and Shawn Johnson, WPRstate government reporter, will anchorWisconsin’s statewide general electioncoverage. Throughout the evening,Merens and Johnson will be joined by theaward-winning WPR news team fromaround the state to give updates and ana-lyze the statewide and local races. Regular updates of western Wisconsin

legislative races will be provided byDean Kallenbach, host/producer of “The

West Side,” and political scientist Mort Si-press.From 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Wisconsin Public

Radio will continue to broadcast the elec-tion results for governor, U.S. Senate andother statewide and local elections untilthe election results are finalized. - with in-formation from wpr.org

Leader will provide election results on Web site

TToollll rrooaaddss ddeebbaatteedd bbeettwweeeenn gguubbeerrnnaattoorriiaall ccoonntteennddeerrssby Chuck QuirmbachWisconsin Public Radio

STATEWIDE - Democrat Tom Barrett istrying to steer toll lanes into the mainroute of the governor’s race.Republican candidate Scott Walker gen-

erally says government takes in too muchrevenue, but last week, he came out infavor of adding express lanes on freewayson which drivers could pay a toll, in hopesof escaping traffic congestion.The Democrat running for governor,

Milwaukee mayor Barrett, says Walkerhas changed his tune from when Walkerran for Milwaukee County executive in2004.Barrett says he’d take on the crunch in

transportation funding, by having the

state transportation commission meetmore often and not allow pet projects togo into the state budget.Walker argues that it’s not a toll road if

you have options on whether to drive theexpress lane and pay extra for it.

Four seek governor’s positionFour candidates are on the ballot for Wisconsin governor Nov. 2. Wisconsinvote.org provided the following profiles of each candidate with their Web sites for further

information. Full profiles are available at wisconsinvote.org.

Scott Walker Tom Barrett

James JamesJim Langer

Candidate:Scott WalkerOffice:GovernorParty:RepublicanAddress:P.O. Box 100828,Milwaukee, WI 53210Phone:(414) 453-2010E-mail:info@scottwalker.orgRelated Web sites:

Campaign FinanceOpponents:Tom BarrettJames JamesJim Langer

Campaign Web site:www.scottwalker.org

Candidate:Tom BarrettOffice:GovernorParty:DemocratAddress:P.O. Box 510796Milwaukee, WI 53202Phone:(414) 271-8050E-mail:info@barrettforwiscon-sin.com

Related Web sites:Campaign FinanceOpponents:Scott WalkerJames JamesJim Langer

Campaign Web site:www.barrettforwiscon-sin.com

Candidate:James JamesOffice:GovernorParty:IndependentAddress:331 North Main,Markesan WI 53946Phone:(608) 588-5194

E-mail:jamesjamesforgover-nor@gmail.comRelated Web sites:Campaign FinanceOpponents:Scott WalkerTom BarrettJim Langer

Campaign Web site:www.jamesjamesforgovernor.com

Candidate:Jim LangerOffice:GovernorParty:IndependentAddress:W165n11555 Abbey Ct.Germantown WI 53022

E-mail:jdlanger@wi.rr.comRelated Web sites:Campaign FinanceOpponents:Scott WalkerTom BarrettJames James

Campaign Web site:www.jimlangerforgovernor.com

N O V E M B E R 2 E L E C T I O N

Editor’s note: In keeping with our long-standing policy, candidates are offered an op-portunity in our final issue prior to the electionto clarify or respond to statements that havebeen published in previous issues of the Leaderand/or the Leader’s Web site.

SShheerriiffff ooffffeerrssrreesstt ooff tthhee ssttoorryy

“Do your homework in voting for thesheriff”This letter to the editor is a rebuttal to

the letter written by Amye Mangen in lastweek’s edition. In the words of Paul Har-vey, “and now, the rest of the story.”Amye Mangen is the wife of a current

sheriff’s department employee who re-ceived disciplinary action, agreed upon byhis union, for jeopardizing both the safetyof officers and the public. Additional sanc-tions against this employee are in effect foran additional nine months, thus the toneof her letter. It was suggested to me thatdiscipline in this matter be withheld untilafter the election to avoid the potential ofpolitical backlash. I chose to exercise lead-ership, not avoid it, putting officer andpublic safety before politics. “But waitthere’s more.” In any organization there will be indi-

viduals who do not like the boss, but I canassure the readers that more of the sher-iff’s department staff want me to return assheriff than want my opponent elected.For months I have sat by while my op-

ponents and a few disgruntled employeeshave stated “The sheriff fails to communi-cate.” The fact is that I have communi-cated, but there are some that do not wantto listen. This “lack of communication”seems to be politically motivated, stem-ming from the issue of mutual aid. Afterconsulting with Burnett County’s attorney,I communicated how we all could con-tinue to work together when needed andbe in compliance with the law. Three ofthe village police chiefs did not want tohear what the law states in regard to juris-diction; thus jeopardizing their cases andcausing a potential liability. In an attemptto circumvent this, my opponent met withGrantsburg, Siren and Webb Lake policedepartments to enter into mutual aidagreements. It should be noted that thelaw clearly states that tribal law enforce-ment agencies can only enter into agree-ments with jurisdictions, for the purpose

of mutual aid, with agencies that they bor-der. The last time I looked there are notribal lands that directly border these ju-risdictions. I am not a politician, I am a cop. My

record or history speaks for itself. Mrs.Mangen claims I have used mutual aid forpolitical gain. I assure you I would neverput politics before public safety or thesafety of any law enforcement officerI do agree with Amye Mangen that the

history of each candidate needs to be thor-oughly examined. My record of service isopen for all to review. Who will be the next sheriff? That ques-

tion will be answered by you, the voter onNov. 2. Whatever is decided, your choicewill be in place for the next four years. Ithas been an honor to serve Burnett Countyas sheriff for the past eight years and Itrust that the wise voter will consider allaspects of the job and the history of thecandidates when making their choice forsheriff.

Dean RolandSiren

2288tthh AAsssseemmbbllyy DDiissttrriicctt::RReepp.. AAnnnn HHrraayycchhuucckk

I want to thank the editors for giving methis chance to reply to some of the thingsthat have been said about me and aboutmy record as your state representative.Many of you have heard the old saying“Everyone is entitled to his own opinion,but not his own facts.” I respect people’sright to disagree with me and with mychoices, but that does not give them theright to make things up. Here are the real“facts.”Reducing spending: In the budget my

colleagues and I passed this session, stateagency budgets were cut by 6 percent. Forthe first time in Wisconsin history, stateGPR spending was cut, cut by 2.6 percent.Compare that with the fact that state taxgenerated spending rose by 18 percentduring the previous six years when the Re-publicans controlled the Assembly. In theAssembly we took the fiscally responsibleroute and made the deepest cuts in gov-ernment spending in the entire Midwest. Polaris Corporation: The decision to

close their Osceola plant had absolutelynothing to do with state taxes. In fact, theU.S. Department of Labor just announcedthat Polaris employees are eligible for ben-

efits under the Trade Act Petition Program,which can only happen when employeeslose their jobs due to foreign competitionor the company leaves the country. CEOScott Wine has said repeatedly that the de-cision to move operations to Mexico wasmade to be closer to high-demand marketsin the southern United States and otherpotential global markets.I am bipartisan and always will be. I’m

not afraid to disagree with and voteagainst my party. I stood my ground andvoted against Gov. Doyle when hechanged his mind and said he wanted toretain that authority to appoint the head ofthe DNR. I voted against the smoking banand was kicked off a committee by myown party when I expressed concernsabout the Clean Energy Jobs Act that couldhave increased your monthly electricbills. When my opponent was asked at Mon-

day [Oct. 25] evening’s forum why hedressed up like a hunter holding a gun fora campaign flyer when he has never pur-chased a Wisconsin hunting license, his re-sponse was “I did that to show mysupport for hunting.” I have hunted,fished and trapped in Wisconsin most ofmy life. My lifestyle and voting record areproof of this fact.The people’s agency. I fought to have

the Department of Natural Resources Sec-retary appointed by the board, not thegovernor. I voted to override the gover-nor’s veto. Why was the veto not overrid-den? Republicans in the Assembly playedpolitics and voted with Jim Doyle. This isour agency. I will fight to make sure it isappointed by the board, not politicians.I’ll finish this off with an opinion, an

opinion I hope that many of you share.You can predict the future by looking atthe past. As your sheriff and your staterepresentative, I have devoted myself topublic service, listening to and helping thepeople of northwestern Wisconsin. If I amre-elected, I will continue to work fulltime, fighting for you and your neighbors.Please think carefully about who will dothe best job as your representative andplease vote on Nov. 2.

Respectfully submitted,Ann HraychuckState Representative28th Assembly DistrictBalsam Lake

2288tthh AAsssseemmbbllyy DDiissttrriicctt::EErriikk SSeevveerrssoonn

Next week, the voters of the 28th As-sembly District have a clear choice for whois going to represent them in Madison. Idecided to run for office because I, like somany others, cannot stand the directionour elected officials were taking this state. Increased spending, taxes and regula-

tions are crippling our state and drivingemployers out. Names synonymous withWisconsin, such as Harley-Davidson, Mer-cury Marine and Polaris, are either leavingor threatening to leave our state forgreener pastures. I am not the kind of per-son that waits for someone else to act, andthat is why I have rolled up my sleevesand jumped head first into this race.There has been a lot of confusing talk

over the last couple of months about ex-actly what happened in Madison duringthe last budget. But the numbers are clear.In the last budget, the state spent a total of$60 billion. In the current budget, the statespent a total of $66 billion. That is $6 bil-lion in increased spending during one ofthe worst recessions our state has everseen. The budget also included $5 billionin tax increases. These taxes included a phone tax, a hos-

pital tax, a nursing home tax, a job-creatortax and a property tax increase that is cost-ing home owners $1.5 billion more in thenext two years. And if that wasn’t badenough, the budget also included $40 mil-lion in pork projects, a provision that in-creased your auto insurance and aprovision that increases the cost to repairroads.My opponent can explain away votes

with Madison talk all she wants, but shevoted yes on all of this. During a sessionwhen she was in Madison more than anyother legislator, she voted with DemocraticParty leaders 97 percent of the time. We need new leadership in Madison

and a representative that will be honestwith the voters here at home. I believe Iam that person and I would be honored tohave your vote on Nov. 2.

Erik SeversonOsceola

• Letters to the editor •

Candidates respond, clarify issues

NOTICE OF GENERAL ELECTION AND SAMPLE BALLOTS NOVEMBER 2, 2010

OFFICE OF THE POLK COUNTY CLERK

TO THE ELECTORS OF POLK COUNTY

Notice is hereby given of a general election to be held in the several wards in Polk County, on the 2nd Day of November, 2010, at which the officers named below shall be chosen. The names of the can - didates for each office to be voted for, whose nominations have been certified to or filed in this o ffice, are given under the title of the office and under the appropriate party or other designation, each i n its proper column, together with the questions submitted to a vote, in the sample ballot below.

INFORMATION TO ELECTORS

Upon entering the polling place, an elector shall state his or her name and address before being per - mitted to vote. Where ballots are distributed to electors, the initials of two inspectors must appea r on the ballot. Upon being permitted to vote, the elector shall retire alone to a voting booth or machin e and cast his or her ballot except that an elector who is a parent or guardian may be accompanied by the elector’s minor child or minor ward. An election official may inform the elector of the proper manne r for casting a vote, but the official may not in any manner advise or indicate a particular voting choice . A straight party vote is a vote for all the party’s candidates listed on the ballot, unless the elec tor casts

a vote for a candidate of another party, writes in the name of a candidate or applies a sticker. A s traight party vote cannot be cast for Independent candidates. At the general election, if an elector wishes to cast a straight party vote for all candidates nominated by any party, the elector shall select the p arty of his or her choice and: Where paper ballots are used, make a cross (X) in the circle under the party designation. Where an

optical scan system is used, connect the arrow or fill in the oval next to the party designation. Wh ere touch screen voting systems are used, the elector shall select the button next to the party designat ion. To vote for individual candidates, where paper ballots are used, make a cross (X) in the square at t he

right of the candidate’s name for whom he or she intends to vote. Where an optical scan system is used, connect the arrow or fill in the oval next to the candidate’s name for whom he or she intends to vote. Where touch screen voting systems are used, the elector shall select the button next to the ca n - didates’ names for whom he or she intends to vote. To vote for a person whose name does not appear on the ballot, where paper ballots or an optical

scan voting system are used, the elector shall write the name of the candidate of his or her choice in the space provided for a write-in vote. Where touch screen voting systems are used, the elector shall ty pe in the name of the person of his or her choice in the space provided for a write-in vote. An elector must vote for Governor and Lieutenant Governor jointly on one ticket. A vote for Governor

is also a vote for Lieutenant Governor. To vote for persons whose names do not appear on the ballot, write the names of individuals for both offices on the lines provided. On referenda questions, where paper ballots are used, the elector shall make a cross (X) in the squa re

at the right of “yes” if in favor of the question, or the elector shall make a cross (X) in the squa re at the right of “no” if opposed to the question.

On referenda questions, where marksense voting is used, the elector shall connect the arrow or fill in the oval next to “yes” if in favor of the question, or the elector shall connect the arrow or fill i n the oval next to “no” if opposed to the question. On referenda questions, where touch screen voting systems are used, the elector shall select the but -

ton next to “yes” if in favor of the question, or the elector shall select the button next to “no” i f opposed to the question. The vote should not be cast in any other manner. If an elector spoils a paper or marksense ballot, h e

or she shall return it to an election official who shall issue another ballot in its place, but not more than three ballots shall be issued to any one elector. If the ballot has not been initialed by two inspec tors or is defective in any other way, the elector shall return it to the election official who shall issue a p roper bal - lot in its place. The elector may spoil a touch screen ballot at the voting station, but not more th an three ballots shall be issued to any one elector. Not more than five minutes’ time shall be allowed inside a vot - ing booth. Sample ballots or other materials to assist the elector in marking his or her ballot may be taken into the booth and copied. The sample ballot shall not be shown to anyone so as to reveal how the ballot is marked. After casting his or her vote, the elector shall leave the voting booth, properly deposit the ballot , and

promptly leave the polling place. After an official paper ballot is marked, it shall be folded so that the inside marks do not show, b ut so

the printed endorsements and inspectors’ initials on the outside do show. The elector shall then dep osit his or her folded ballot in the proper ballot box or deliver the ballot to an inspector for deposit. After an official marksense ballot is marked, it shall be inserted in the security sleeve so the mar ks do

not show. The elector shall then insert the ballot in the voting device and discard the sleeve, or d eliver the ballot to an inspector for deposit. If a central count system is used, the elector shall insert the ballot in the ballot box and discard the sleeve, or deliver the ballot to an inspector for deposit. After an official touch screen ballot is marked, the elector shall leave the polling place promptly. An elector may select an individual to assist in casting his or her vote if the elector declares to the pre -

siding official that he or she is unable to read, has difficulty reading, writing, or understanding English, or that due to disability is unable to cast his or her ballot. The selected individual rendering assist ance may not be the elector’s employer or an agent of that employer or an officer or agent of a labor organiz ation which represents the elector. The following is a sample of the official ballot:

523393 10L 52a,d WNAXLP

Carole T. Wondra, County Clerk

THIS IS THE OFFICIAL PAPER BALLOT FOR: Town of Alden Town of Farmington Town of Garfield Town of Georgetown Town of Laketown Town of Lincoln Town of Osceola Village of Osceola City of Amery SA

MPL

E

NOTICE OF GENERAL ELECTION AND SAMPLE BALLOTS NOVEMBER 2, 2010

OFFICE OF THE BURNETT COUNTY CLERK TO THE ELECTORS OF BURNETT COUNTY: Notice is hereby given of a general election to be held in the several wards in Burnett County, on t he

2nd day of November, 2010, at which the officers named below shall be chosen. The names of the candidates for each office to be voted for, whose nominations have been certified to or filed in thi s office, are given under the title of the office and under the appropriate party or other designation , each in its proper column, together with the questions submitted to a vote, in the sample ballot below.

INFORMATION TO ELECTORS Upon entering the polling place, an elector shall state his or her name and address before being per -

mitted to vote. Where ballots are distributed to electors, the initials of two inspectors must appe ar on the ballot. Upon being permitted to vote, the elector shall retire alone to a voting booth or machi ne and cast his or her ballot except that an elector who is a parent or guardian may be accompanied by the elector’s minor child or minor ward. An election official may inform the elector of the proper m an - ner for casting a vote, but the official may not in any manner advise or indicate a particular votin g choice. A straight party vote is a vote for all the party’s candidates listed on the ballot, unless the elector

casts a vote for a candidate of another party, writes in the name of a candidate or applies a sticke r. A straight party vote cannot be cast for Independent candidates. At the general election, if an elector wishes to cast a straight party vote for all candidates nominated by any party, the elector shall select the party of his or her choice and: Where paper ballots are used, make a cross (X) in the circle under the party designation. Where

touch screen voting systems are used, the elector shall select the button next to the party designat ion. To vote for individual candidates, where paper ballots are used, make a cross (X) in the square at t he

right of the candidate’s name for whom he or she intends to vote. Where touch screen voting systems are used, the elector shall select the button next to the candidates names for whom he or she intend s to vote. To vote for a person whose name does not appear on the ballot, where paper ballots are used, the

elector shall write the name of the candidate of his or her choice in the space provided for a write -in vote. Where touch screen voting systems are used, the elector shall type in the name of the person o f his or her choice in the space provided for a write-in vote.

An elector must vote for Governor and Lieutenant Governor jointly on one ticket. A vote for Governor is also a vote for Lieutenant Governor. To vote for persons whose names do not appear on the ballot, write the names of individuals for both offices on the lines provided. On referenda questions, where paper ballots are used, the elector shall make a cross (X) in the

square at the right of “yes” if in favor of the question, or the elector shall make a cross (X) in t he square at the right of “no” if opposed to the question. On referenda questions, where touch screen voting systems are used, the elector shall select the

button next to “yes” if in favor of the question, or the elector shall select the button next to “no ” if opposed to the question. The vote should not be cast in any other manner. If an elector spoils a paper ballot, he or she shal l

return it to an election official who shall issue another ballot in its place, but not more than thr ee bal - lots shall be issued to any one elector. If the ballot has not been initialed by two inspectors or i s defec - tive in any other way, the elector shall return it to the election official who shall issue a proper ballot in its place. The elector may spoil a touch screen ballot at the voting station, but not more than thr ee ballots shall be issued to any one elector. Not more than five minutes’ time shall be allowed inside a voting booth. Sample ballots or other materials to assist the elector in marking his or her ballot may be taken into the booth and copied. The sample ballot shall not be shown to anyone so as to reveal how the ballot is marked. After casting his or her vote, the elector shall leave the voting booth, properly deposit the ballot , and

promptly leave the polling place. After an official paper ballot is marked, it shall be folded so that the inside marks do not show, b ut so

the printed endorsements and inspectors’ initials on the outside do show. The elector shall then deposit his or her folded ballot in the proper ballot box or deliver the ballot to an inspector for deposit. After an official touch screen ballot is marked, the elector shall leave the polling place promptly. An elector may select an individual to assist in casting his or her vote if the elector declares to the

presiding official that he or she is unable to read, has difficulty reading, writing, or understandi ng English, or that due to disability is unable to cast his or her ballot. The selected individual rend ering assistance may not be the elector’s employer or an agent of that employer or an officer or agent of a labor organization which represents the elector. The following is a sample of the official ballot:

cont. on next page 524504 10L

NOTICE OF GENERAL ELECTION AND SAMPLE BALLOTS NOVEMBER 2, 2010

Wanda Hinrichs, Burnett County Clerk

524505 10L

NOTICE OF REFERENDA BURNETT COUNTY NOVEMBER 2, 2010

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that at an election to be held in the County of Burnett, on Novem- ber 2, 2010, the following proposed advisory referenda will be submitted to a vote of the people: RESOLUTION 2010-24 PLACING TRANSPORTATION FUND ADVISORY REFERENDUM QUES-

TION ON NOVEMBER 2010 BALLOT WHEREAS, Wisconsin’s transportation infrastructure is a fundamental component in its ability to attract and retain business and produce jobs; and WHEREAS, according to the Legislative Fiscal Bureau, over the past decade, the state of Wis-

consin has transferred approximately $1.2 Billion from the State’s segregated transportation fund to the state’s general fund and replaced it with approximately $800 million in General Obligation (GO) bonds; thereby reducing the amount available for transportation purposes by approximately $400 million; and WHEREAS, Wisconsin’s practice of replacing the dollars transferred from the state’s segregated

transportation fund with GO bonds puts our state in the precarious position of bonding to fund ongoing operations; and WHEREAS, Wisconsin’s practice of transferring money from the segregated transportation fund

to the general fund has eroded the public’s confidence that the “user fees” they pay through the state gasoline tax and vehicle registration fees will be used for their intended purpose; and WHEREAS, the Pew Center on the States recently released a report that included Wisconsin as

having one of the ten worst budget situations in the country and specifically cited transferring money from the transportation fund to fund ongoing operations as an example of a practice that has put Wisconsin in such an untenable position; and WHEREAS, the debt service for these bonds will have to be paid for out of the state’s general

fund which hinders its ability to fund other programs liked Shared Revenue, Youth Aids, Community Aids and courts in the future; and WHEREAS, using the state’s general obligation (GO) bonds in this way has hurt the state’s bond

rating. A report issued by CNN in 2009 listed Wisconsin as having the second worst GO bond rating in the country; and WHEREAS, gas tax and vehicle registration fees comprise over 90% of the state’s segregated

transportation account. Revenues from these two sources have been declining and are inadequate to meet the existing transportation needs in this state; and WHEREAS, the citizens of Burnett County deserve the right to have their voices heard on this

important issue; and WHEREAS, providing constitutional protection, much like our neighbors in Minnesota, Iowa,

Michigan and Ohio, is the only way to ensure that this practice will not continue. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the following question will be put to the voters of

Burnett County, Wisconsin, in an advisory referendum during the November 2010 election, to wit: Should the Wisconsin Constitution be amended to prohibit any further transfers or lapses from the segregated transportation fund? BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the County Clerk is directed to cause a copy of the Notice of

Referendum to be published in the county’s official newspaper as required by law. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the County Clerk is directed to provide a copy of this resolu-

tion and a copy of the results of the advisory referendum to the Wisconsin Counties Association. The question will appear on the ballot as follows: Should the Wisconsin Constitution be amended to prohibit any further transfers or lapses from the

segregated transportation fund? EXPLANATION

This is an advisory referenda only. A “yes” vote indicates that you support a constitutional amendment to prohibit using transportation user fees (i.e., state gas tax and vehicle registration fees) for any purpose other than funding transportation in Wisconsin. A “no” vote indicates that you do not support such a constitutional amendment. Your vote on this question will not directly result in the passage or nonpassage of a constitutional amendment. The purpose of the question is to advise your representatives of the amount of support for and against a constitutional amendment limiting the use of transportation user fees for transportation purposes only.

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NOTICE OF REFERENDUM Polk County November 2, 2010 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that at an election to be held in the County of Polk, on November 2, 2010, the following proposed Advisory Referendum will be submitted to a vote of the people: WHEREAS, according to the Legislative Fiscal Bureau, over the past decade, the state of Wisconsin has transferred approximately $1.2 billion from the state’s segregated transportation fund to the state’s general fund and replaced it with approximately $800 million in General Obligation (GO) bonds. Thereby, reducing the amount available for transportation purposes by approximately $400 million; and WHEREAS, Wisconsin’s practice of transferring money from the segregated transportation fund to the general fund has eroded the public’s confidence that the “user fees” they pay through the state gasoline tax and vehicle registration fees will be used for their intended purpose; and WHEREAS, Wisconsin’s practice of replacing the dollars transferred from the state’s segregated transportation fund with GO bonds puts our state in the precarious position of bonding to fund ongoing opera - tions; and WHEREAS, the Pew Center on the States recently released a report that included Wisconsin as having one of the ten worst budget situations in the country and specifically cited transferring money from the transportation fund to fund ongoing operations as an example of one of the prac - tices that has put Wisconsin in such an untenable position; and WHEREAS, the debt service for these bonds will have to be paid for out of the state’s general fund which hinders its ability to fund other programs like Shared Revenue, Youth Aids, Community Aids and courts in the future; and WHEREAS, using the states general obligation (GO) bonds in this way has hurt the states bond rating. A report issued by CNN in 2009 listed Wisconsin as having the second worst GO bond rating in the country; and WHEREAS, gas tax and vehicle registration fees comprise over 90% of the state’s segregated transportation account. Revenues from these two sources have been declining and are inadequate to meet the existing transportation needs in this state; and WHEREAS, Wisconsin’s transportation infrastructure is a fundamental component in its ability to attract and retain business and produce jobs; and WHEREAS, the citizens of Polk County deserve the right to have their voices heard on this impor - tant issue; and WHEREAS, providing constitutional protection much like our neighbors in Minnesota, Iowa, Michigan and Ohio already have is the only way to ensure that this practice will not continue. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Polk County Board of Supervisors that the following question will be put to the voters of Polk County in an advisory referendum during the November 2010 election. The question will appear on the ballot as follows:

Should the Wisconsin Constitution be amended to prohibit any further transfers or lapses from the segregated transportation fund?

EXPLANATION This is an advisory referendum only. A “yes” vote indicates that you support a constitutional amendment to prohibit using transportation user fees (i.e., state gas tax and vehicle registration fees) for any purpose other than funding transportation in Wisconsin. A “no” vote indicates that you do not support such a constitutional amendment. Your vote on this question will not directly result in the passage or nonpassage of a constitutional amendment. The purpose of the question is to advise your representatives of the amount of support for and against a constitutional amendment limiting the use of transportation user fees for transportation purposes only.

Done in the Village of Balsam Lake, On SEPTEMBER 29, 2010 Carole T. Wondra, Polk County Clerk 523396 10L 52a,d WNAXLP

SAMPLE

NOTICE OF GENERAL ELECTION At the General Election to be held on November 2, 2010, in Polk County, Wisconsin, the following pol ling

place locations will be used for the municipalities indicated. Polling places will open at 7 a.m. and will close at 8 p.m. Voters must be registered before they may vote. You may already be registered. If you have any questions concerning your polling place, or registering, contact the municipal clerk prior to

the election. All polling places are accessible to elderly and disabled voters.

523871 51a,d 10L WNAXLP

City of St. Croix Falls Voting at: City Hall (Located at 710 Hwy. 35 South, intersection of U.S. Hwy. 8 & Hwy. 35 S.)

Bonita Leggitt, Clerk - 715-483-3929, ext. 11

Town of Alden Voting at: Alden Town Hall (Located 1 mile east of Hwy. 65 on Cty. Rd. C & CC) Judy Demulling, Clerk - 715-248-7859

Town of Apple River Voting at: Apple River Town Hall 612 U.S. Hwy. 8, Range Tom Sykes - Clerk, 715-268-2534

Town of Balsam Lake Voting at: Balsam Lake Town Hall & Shop (Located at 1494 150th Ave., intersection of 150th Ave. & 150th St.)

Brian Masters, Clerk - 715-554-2091

Town of Bone Lake Voting at: Bone Lake Lutheran Church (1/2 mile S. of Hwy. 48, corner of Cty. Rd. I & 255th Ave.)

Darrell Frandsen, Clerk - 715-472-8212

Town of Clam Falls Voting at: Clam Falls Town Hall (County Road I to 320th Avenue, east to 80th Street, then south 1/4 mile - hall on east side of street)

Betty L. Knutson, Clerk - 715-653-4206

Town of Eureka Voting at: Eureka Town Hall (Located at 2111 State Rd. 87 Approx. 4 miles south of Cushing on Hwy. 87)

Michelle Tonnar, Clerk - 715-646-2985

Town of Farmington Voting at: Farmington Town Hall (Located 1/4 mile west of Hwy. 35 on 30th Ave.) Debbie Swanson, Clerk - 715-294-2370

Town of Garfield Voting at: Garfield Town Hall (Next to Fire Hall, in Wanderoos) Sue Knutson, Clerk - 715-268-4857

Town of Georgetown Voting at: Town Hall (Located corner of Cty. Rds. H & I) Kristine Lindgren, Clerk - 715-857-5788

Town of Laketown Voting at: Cushing Community Center (Located at 2410 241st St., Cushing School) Patsy Gustafson, Clerk - 715-648-5569

Town of Lorain Voting at: Lorain Town Hall (Located at the intersection of 20th St. & 345th Ave., next to fire hall)

Susan Hughes, Clerk - 715-653-2629 Alex Till, Deputy Clerk Town of Luck Voting at: Luck Town Hall ( Located at St. Rd. 48, next to Luck Medical Clinic)

Lloyd Nelson, Clerk - 715-472-2037 Town of McKinley Voting at: McKinley Town Hall ( Located at Corner of Hwy. 48 and 15th St.) Deborah Grover, Clerk - 715-822-3864 Town of Milltown Voting at: Milltown Fire Hall ( Located at 127 Eider St., on Hwy. 35 north of Milltown)

Virgil Hansen, Clerk - 715-825-2494 Town of Osceola Voting at: Town Hall (516 East Ave. N, Dresser) Lorraine Rugroden, Clerk/Treas. - 715-755-3060 Town of St. Croix Falls Voting at: St. Croix Falls Town Hall (Intersection of U.S. Hwy. 8 and 200th St.) Janet Krueger, Clerk - 715-483-1851 Town of Sterling Voting at: Cushing Community Center (From Hwy. 87 turn by Holiday (Cty. Rd. N), go straight onto 241st St.)

Julie Peterson, Clerk - 715-488-2735 Town of West Sweden Voting at: West Sweden Town Hall (Located in Frederic, off Hwy. 48 W., on (N.) 3rd Ave.)

Andrea Lundquist, Clerk - 715-327-8650 Village of Dresser Voting at: Municipal Office (Located on the corner of Main St. and Central Ave., 2 blocks off of State Rd. 35)

Jodi A. Gilbert, Clerk - 715-755-2940 Village of Frederic Voting at: Frederic Village Hall (107 Hope Road West , 1/2 block west of Hwy. 35) Kristi Swanson, Clerk - 715-327-4294 Village of Osceola Voting at: Osceola High School Auditorium Neil J. Soltis, Clerk - 715-294-3498

NOTICE OF GENERAL ELECTION

TOWN OF EUREKA Tues., Nov. 2, 2010

7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eureka Town Hall

524202 51-52a,d 10L

VOTE!