Democratic Candidate - Wisconsin's 5th District, U.S. House of Representatives

I read with interest that Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner, a BP shareholder who sits on the House Judiciary Committee, has no intention of recusing himself from the oil-spill probe. 

More unbelievable to me is that he has made absolutely no statement to date that places any blame on BP for the disaster. Perhaps he is not yet certain that BP, or any subsidiary, agent, or employed contractor, had anything to do with the roughly 30,000 barrels of oil that are pouring into the Gulf on a daily basis? Is it really possible that he believes that the oil billowing into the Gulf is a completely natural event?

Apart from the fact that Congressman Sensenbrenner holds BP stock and has voted consistently with the oil and gas industry for the last 30 years, another reason he might refuse to acknowledge BP’s culpability could be that it would require him to reverse his position on climate change and other environmental issues.

He would have to acknowledge that human beings can adversely change the natural world through our actions and that environmental disasters like the one in the Gulf are a matter of critical concern to us all, regardless of party affiliation or ideology.

In Congressman Sensenbrenner’s world that simply is not the case, and anyone who fails to pass his black-and-white litmus test on environmental issues is a raging liberal. Climate change doesn’t exist, pollution will melt away in the future, and the oil in the Gulf will eventually disappear. He stubbornly clings to these positions on the environment despite all evidence to the contrary.

Yet Congressman Sensenbrenner remains all too happy to do a politically expedient about-face on government regulation. He joined the growing ranks of the “I was against more government before I was for it” Congressional caucus and sent President Obama a “strongly worded” letter taking the federal government to task for not doing enough to prevent or clean up the disaster in the Gulf.

Just when you think his shameless flip-flopping and rank opportunism could not get any worse, Congressman Sensenbrenner has also come out in favor of limiting BP’s ultimate liability in this mess at $75 million, or in round numbers, to 12% of BP’s profits in the first quarter of 2010 alone ($6.08 billion).

One has to wonder if he’s more concerned about the birds on the shore, the fish in the sea, or the numbers in his stock portfolio. After all, we know that every dollar is precious to this multimillionaire, three-time lottery winner who is so stingy that he kept every cent of his hundreds of thousands of dollars in lottery-money windfall.

I guess we should be heartened by the fact that on at least one of his stocks he’s taking the same bath the rest of us have been taking for months. Too bad for us it’s an oil bath.

In any event, Congressman Sensenbrenner, an attorney by training, has to ask himself if it is the wisest and most ethical course to sit in judgment of a corporation that, at best, engages in behavior he does not seem to comprehend and, at worst, engages in behavior that he profits from.

When the people of the 5th Congressional District decide that it’s time for their longtime incumbent to go and elect me to represent them in Washington, they can be confident I will honor my pledge to conduct myself according to the highest ethical standards and that I will not forsake my values and principles in the name of political expediency or profit.

You wouldn’t think it was possible considering the anti-government rhetoric coming from certain members of Congress, but in the aftermath of the BP oil spill, many of them have changed their tune and now believe that government actually does have its uses.

I was watching with interest as the “government can’t do anything right” crowd in Congress have been falling over themselves on TV trying to point out how little the administration has done in response to the oil-spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.

Never mind that many of these same individuals defended the meager response of the previous administration to the natural—as opposed to man-made—hurricane Katrina disaster. Or the fact that our current incumbent, Jim Sensenbrenner, like so many of his colleagues, voted against government funding for repair, housing, food, or anything else for the victims.

Shameless flip-flopping aside, let’s take a minute to personalize the disaster in the Gulf and imagine what might happen if a large tanker truck of oil was driving by your house and, through negligence or carelessness, happened to spill its entire payload onto your back yard.

 My guess is that most people would demand that the responsible party clean up the spill, and I would assume that the company responsible for the spill would agree to make reasonable efforts to clean it up. Not only would the company be facing a serious public relations disaster if it didn’t act, but it would also have a strong financial interest in making amends.

 One thing I am confident would not happen in this scenario is the property owner immediately demanding that the government take care of the problem. That would be both illogical and premature. If the cleanup was taking too long or was not done properly, then the government would certainly have an interest in intervening. But no one would expect the government to be first in line to accept responsibility for the cleanup.

 This is exactly what has happened in the Gulf. The administration expected BP to take appropriate responsibility for cleaning up its mess, and now that it has become clear that their efforts are ineffectual, the government is stepping in. Yet the “we need more government” converts in Congress are saying that the administration should have done more. 

More? Maybe they’re suggesting that the federal government take part ownership of BP? Or that the EPA should be expanded? Or that federal efforts should trump the states’ rights to protect their own coastline? What would the response from members of the “I was against more government before I was for it” Congressional caucus have been if the administration had stepped in with command-and-control efforts like these from the very beginning?

I highly doubt they would have given President Obama three cheers and an “A” for effort. 

To hear folks like aspiring-Congressman Rand Paul talk about it, we shouldn’t even place any blame on BP at all. Accidents happen. That oil slick in your back yard? Things are tough all over! Just put on your boots when you mow your lawn.

I was disappointed to see that Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signed legislation last week requiring police to demand identification of anyone they suspect may be in the country illegally. As an Arizona business owner, I am concerned about the costs of yet another unfunded mandate on law enforcement and local communities, which will face lawsuits from people who think their police force is not  doing enough to clear its streets of undocumented immigrants. And since my Arizona retail stores are heavily dependent on convention business, I also have concerns about the effect the inevitable boycotts will have on businesses and their employees, especially in the larger cities.

 Arizona’s law pushes the old canard that local law enforcement can solve what is in fact a federal issue. Because this law tries to tackle the issue at the point of sale, it does nothing to prevent illegal immigration or to address the structural reasons why the undocumented are here to begin with. Worse, the law opens the door to legally-sanctioned racial profiling of anyone who looks Hispanic, whether they are U.S. citizens or not–no one honestly believes that this law can be enforced any other way besides targeting people who look Hispanic. I have yet to hear a good example of what else a “reasonable suspicion” of being here illegally might look like.

My other concerns are about the opportunity costs of this law when it comes to diverting police away from dealing with more serious crimes. I know people who live in Arizon. Should they have to worry that police might be waylaid responding to serious law enforcement issues because they had to stop and check the papers of a Latino man walking to work? Because if they don’t make a habit of checking for papers, they could get sued. My guess is that the police in just about any community in Arizona have more urgent problems to spend their time on than in demanding papers from every Latino person they see.

I’m always excited to hear that someone has received an award. As a devoted baseball fan, I follow with particular interest the Cy Young and Gold Glove awards in Major League Baseball.  As a parent, I take great pleasure in seeing the ribbons and awards my daughter receives at school and at play.

So it was with initial excitement that I noticed in Congressman Sensenbrenner’s recent newsletter that he had received an award, an “A rating” from the National Taxpayer’s Union.  Truth be told, my initial excitement was probably a little overblown. It quickly dawned on me that he has basically won an award for doing absolutely nothing. Exactly that … nothing. 

It appears that if you make a career out of not bringing any of our hard-earned tax dollars back to the district, you can win an award for it. That seems a little backwards, frankly. Using this kind of rationale, I should have won at least five or six different trophies for not doing what I was supposed to be doing last year. Count among them the “Didn’t clean out the garage” plaque and the ever popular “Forgot to put away the milk” trophy.

Congressman Sensenbrenner is probably happy with his award. He shouldn’t be. He was recently “awarded” a grade of “F” by themiddleclass.org, a site that lists how our elected officials voted on issues designed to assist the middle class. I firmly believe that the middle class in our district would much rather see him work hard to meet their needs, rather than chase after meaningless awards.

As the representative for Wisconsin’s 5^th Congressional District, I’ll shoot for a different kind of award, one that will recognize my success in bringing our tax dollars back home and using them to create job opportunities and shore up struggling businesses.

Hard work towards meeting the needs of my district will be its own reward.

Recent stories in the news have got me thinking about how hypocritical it is for certain Republican politicians to oppose spending federal dollars on revitalization projects for their districts when leaders in their own party are wasting hundreds of thousands of dollars on self-indulgent, morally dubious expenditures such as private jets, five-star hotels, and strip clubs.

Unfortunately, Wisconsin’s 5^th Congressional District has not been immune to wanton expenditures. Congressman Sensenbrenner has spent hundreds of thousands of lobbyist and taxpayer dollars on “junkets” and get-aways to wealthy European countries like Lichtenstein.

Now, luxury travel to Lichtenstein and strip-club business “meetings” certainly belong on different ends of the ethical spectrum. But the underlying problem with both is the same: spending other peoples’ money in ways that most of us would consider to be extravagant, wasteful, and offensive.

When you donate to my campaign you can rest assured that your donation will be used in efficient and cost-effective ways and most certainly not on wining and dining big donors at strip clubs. And when you send me to Washington, DC, as your representative in Congress, you can count on me to use your taxpayer dollars wisely and to put the needs of our district—not the needs of lobbyists—first.

Even if it means having to turn down an all-expenses paid trip to Lichtenstein.

I had a great time on Sunday evening mingling with local Democrats at the President’s Day Dinner, which was sponsored by the Democratic Party of Jefferson County. I enjoyed chatting with the 37th District’s State Representative, Andy Jorgensen, and with Mayor Barrett, who gave one of the best speeches I’ve heard from him yet.

I must admit, though, that the highlight of the evening for me was the introduction I received from State Democratic Party Chair Mike Tate. He fired up the room when he told them that I’m running a strong campaign and that I’m the person who can beat Jim Sensenbrenner. That generated a long and loud round of applause from the crowd! I hadn’t expected such an enthusiastic reception, and it was very exciting to feel the energy in the room.

I only had one minute  to speak, which I was reminded of with a sign that said, “One more minute” on one side and “Stop now” on the other. I joked that it wouldn’t be a problem, since I see that sign all the time at home. And it actually was very easy to make the case for my candidacy in one minute because the distinction between myself and the incumbent could not be more clear. I want to bring tax dollars and development back into the district, something Jim Sensenbrenner has no intention of doing.

At the end of the evening I was approached by a gentleman whose staunch Republican parents live in the 5th Congressional District but who aren’t very happy with Sensenbrenner, something I hear a lot about Republicans in the district. He wanted to know the best way to convince his parents to vote for me. I told them it was simple—I want to bring our fair share of tax dollars back into the district and Sensenbrenner doesn’t. He was soon joined by a small group of people who also have Republican friends and relatives in the district. I feel confident that the conversation motivated them to spread our common-sense message to everyone they know who lives in the 5th Congressional District.

Many thanks to all who came out on a snowy night to show your support at my Campaign Kick-Off last week. I especially want to thank Rick Schmidt and the staff at Oakcrest Tavern for the fine food, service and hospitality. I also want to thank Keith Schmitz for giving me such a great introduction and for all he’s been doing to spread the spread the word about my campaign. 

It was a pleasure to see so many new faces and to have the opportunity to share my vision for the District’s future. The conversations were lively and intelligent and reflected concerns about affordable health care and public education. But the big topic on everyone’s mind was jobs, and it’s not hard to imagine why.

Just take a stroll down Oakland Avenue and view all of the recently vacated retail and business spaces. What has become of those small business owners? Their families and employees?

Our current representative in Congress, Jim Sensenbrenner, has refused to accept federal relief for struggling businesses in Shorewood and the rest of the 5^th District. He believes it’s fiscally irresponsible for the federal government to play a role in economic recovery.

But isn’t that exactly the kind of support we should expect back from the government in return for our tax-dollars—an investment in small businesses and the people whose future depends on them?

Every day I’m reminded of the cascade effect that can happen when a business owned by one of my tenants begins to falter. It’s not just the tenant and their employees who are affected, but all businesses in the building, which thrive best in a climate of stability.

My policy of working pro-actively with tenants to help shepherd their businesses through tough economic times is firmly rooted in my belief that short-term investments to support small businesses result in long-term dividends that benefit the entire community.

I’m often asked what makes me think I can beat a candidate who has been in office as long as Congressman Sensenbrenner and who, according to the pundits, is unbeatable. The answer is easy. It’s because I’ve had first-hand experience with the challenges facing businesses, families and every day people in the District, challenges that Congressman Sensenbrenner has never had to worry about himself. I trust in the voters to see the difference.

After nearly a week of reflection on President Obama’s State of the Union Address, and the subsequent responses of Republican opponents, I am left with the realization that the only thing both political parties agree on is that our economic conditions are grim. 

Congressman Sensenbrenner takes aim at the “problem” of the federal stimulus package.  He flat out refuses to support any federal stimulus money to the State of Wisconsin, Congressional District 5, and most importantly the largest urban area – Milwaukee. 

He says the stimulus has not worked because it has not led to new jobs, and further believes that federal buttressing of our economy is fiscally irresponsible.  As a taxpaying Wisconsinite, I respectfully disagree.  According to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act tally, over $110 million has been spent in our district, a full 69% of which has gone directly to our school districts.  This means the stimulus has had a direct positive effect on our children’s education and the infrastructure of our schools.  This also means we as taxpayers do not have to shoulder the burden of $76.5 million in additional property taxes or state income taxes in these difficult economic times.

I understand that Congressman Sensenbrenner does not believe in increasing the federal deficit, but if there is some temporary funding that could alleviate and protect current jobs or industries that might fail because of tough economic times, then as a representative he should do what is best not only for the region but the State of Wisconsin.

I know firsthand the trials and struggles of being in the private sector market. 

I am a small business owner trying to obtain credit, maintain benefits for my employees and deal in good faith with struggling tenants.  In the past year, I have offered rent abatement to many of my commercial tenants.  Small business owners are struggling to keep doors open.  I am one of them. 

Truth be told, I doubt that this comes as much of surprise to many of the citizens of the 5^th Congressional district either.  Our working families across the district personally understand what it is to worry about losing jobs or benefits.

Without immediate action by the federal government when economic problems were most acute, our problems would be far worse. 

I do not support long term federal entitlement and believe it will be imperative to create a reasonable budget when financial conditions improve.  However, “deficit spending” is a current reality for many Wisconsin families and it is not unreasonable to spend what is needed now and to recover later.  That is federal assistance that we deserve, and we should not treat it as if we don’t need it.

Job creation is a result of an improving economy, not the sole way out of a recession.  We should focus our efforts on reducing the expenses of our businesses, first allowing them to maintain the jobs they have.  Serious healthcare reform is necessary to help ease the burden on business.  Tax cuts need to go to the middle-class Americans who need them most, and need them now.  

Only someone who has not worked in the district for long time or is truly not familiar with the everyday financial problems we have to face would believe doing nothing is a proper and noble course.

Results require actually doing something, not just proposing self-serving half-measures.  Congressman Sensenbrenner says he hopes he can get started.  Why is he just starting now?

Click HERE to read Sensenbrenner’s Response to SOTU Address

Read More