I have read Rep Jesse Kremer’s press release from Wednesday and I share his concerns. Although I have not yet been elected to the State Assembly, I have seen the nationally elected Republicans go soft at a critical time in this election cycle.
They are losing ground to the minority party because they are not doing what they promised they would do once they were elected. Now they expect to get re-elected because they have lost their spine much like the state party is doing right now, especially when it comes to the school safety issue. They expect to get re-elected based on what they did 8 years ago. The governor must not fall into that trap either. The old adage “what have you done for us lately” applies more than ever.
The best way to prevent the carnage that more recently occurred in Parkland, FL and to prevent most of the previous incidents is to have an armed police officer in the school building, an officer that is experienced and that has received special training to be able to deal with school shooting incidences.
The largest school district in the 59th Assembly District is Hartford Union High School and Hartford Jt1, which is where I live. This district is pro-active with a school safety program that has already spent over $150,000 on each school to prevent non-students from entering the buildings. This was just done recently and was accomplished within their current budgets without raising taxes to complete. It remains uncertain if the governor’s Special Session legislation will allow grant money to be used retroactively to pay for this construction. The cost of an additional police officer to supplement the police liaison officer will cost about another $120,000 per year to staff including salary, benefits and equipment.
Wisconsin is a local control state. The school boards, with input from the community, will decide what kind of security measures will work best for their districts. A ‘one size fits all’ approach from the State or Federal Governments will not work. Block grant money from either would help the situation but no strings should be attached. No permanent state bureaucracy needs to be created, no excessive paperwork or inspection wanted.
I am a pro-life candidate and if we can’t pass legislation that addresses the baby parts issue, we must fight harder. We can’t let the medical industry encourage abortions by putting a price tag on baby parts. We can’t continue to allow the researchers to dictate policy that has not proven to be of value.
If Rep Jesse Kremer’s experiences have caused him to go back to the private sector, I can understand that. He doesn’t want to drink any more of the Madison water and become part of the swamp. He is a principled person who has been shown by the issues and bill proposals he has offered. His experience will be a quick learn for me as I prepare to position myself to deal with the swamp dwellers. I do not want to allow this party to fall into the abyss and force me to be a representative from a conservative district that has drifted into the minority. I am a fighter and I don’t give up easily. That is my promise to you!
