Restoring Moral Leadership. Laws should be created for the public good, not to line lawmakers' pockets. But too often our current Representative, Tyler August, and others in the state legislature take action that only benefits them. As your Assemblywoman, I will work for you, not corporate or out-of-state donors. I will put my Rotary motto of "service before self" in every vote I make. You deserve nothing less than someone who will work for you and only you.
Taxpayer Trust.Elected officials must have integrity. they must not personally take advantage of taxpayer dollars, in particular, through per diem allotments.
In order to represent you properly, your Assembly person should live in the District, visiting with constituents, and experiencing life in District 32 as much as possible. I would love to be invited to your festivals, concerts, and celebrations - please don't hesitate to reach out to me - gaulke4assembly@gmail.com. VIEW 2017 Wisconsin Assembly Per Diem Report VIEW Article on Increased Per Diems Foxconn.Government has a role in creating an environment into which businesses want to move and grow; however, the Foxconn deal, enthusiastically supported by Tyler August, was badly mismanaged. First of all, there were inadequate protections for taxpayers in the agreement, and, secondly, it was not sufficiently vetted before presentation to the public prior to the legislature's vote.
Foxconn is not building the plant or creating the jobs they promised, despite the fact that Wisconsin taxpayers shelled out over $1 billion in infrastructure costs for construction. In addition, an audit of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) has shown that it improperly verifies job creation data, which means that it incorrectly pays out funds. Despite these problems, my opponent led legislation stripping oversight of the WEDC and verification of the jobs requirements to allow Foxconn to receive undeserved tax credits. It's time for this mismanagement to change. I will promote transparency, demand fiscal responsibility, and restore oversight of the WEDC, because taxpayers deserve to know how their tax dollars are being spent. |
Checks and Balances.Checks and balances in government are key to protecting your tax dollars and our democracy. The December 2018 Extraordinary Session destroyed Wisconsin's constitutional checks and balances when Republicans curtailed the constitutionally endowed powers of Governor Evers. We must prevent overreach and other such abuses to protect democracy in Wisconsin. I will vote to have a fair, just, and sustainable balance of the three branches of government.
Unfortunately, the checks and balances of our state government have been continuously eroded for personal gain by both our representative, Tyler August, as well as the Republican-led legislature. First, they stripped and have yet to restore the State Treasurer's duties, even though, in April 2018, the voters declared they want this position maintained. Then, in another Republican-led legislature power grab, in the same Extraordinary Session in Dec. 2018, the Governor's and the Attorney General's functions were taken away, once again, against the voters' wishes. The role of the Executive Branch is to implement and enforce laws made by the state legislature. Since the Governor is the chief executive of state government, and other executive officers report to the Governor, I will vote to restore the Governor's ability to carry out his Constitutional role as its chief officer. I will also vote to remove the bureaucratic inefficiencies created by the December 2018 Extraordinary Session. The Attorney General is the chief legal advisor and chief law enforcement officer for the state government. This position should have the authority to prosecute violations of state law, represent the state in legal disputes, and issue legal advice to state agencies and the legislature. The Legislature should not control the Attorney General. Any attempt to do so is a violation of our state's Constitutional checks and balances and an intrusion on the Executive Branch's endowed powers. I will vote to restore the Attorney General position to its pre-December 2018 Extraordinary Session's rightful role. I will also work to remove outside attorneys who are not subject to open records laws, which are designed to create a functionally transparent government. In other Republican-led attempts to unconstitutionally usurp power from other branches of government, it should be noted that the Treasurer, not the Joint Finance Committee, serves as the state's chief banker. The Treasurer's role is to provide checks and balances to the legislature's spending, which ensures oversight to spending and the policing of fraud. I will vote to strengthen the State Treasurer's office, reinstating responsibilities that Wisconsinites have resoundingly requested by their votes in April, 2018. As your representative, I will respect your wishes and I promise to work toward a sustainable and fair balance of government for the good of the people, not the good of a particular party. I believe in the needs of my constituents over party. Community. I promise to support policies that strengthen District 32, policies which promote a healthy, sustainable community. In that regard, I believe local communities should be the ones who decide how to best spend their tax dollars and grow the economy. I will be vigilant in working with my constituents to support District 32's small businesses, manufacturers, and farmers, who are the drivers of job creation, the economy, and innovation within our community.
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