People say our country needs new leadership or that Wisconsin needs new leadership. Those statements are true now more that ever but my focus is narrower. It is Wisconsin government itself that desperately needs new leadership. I am not a libertarian; the absence of government invariably produces anarchy. On the other hand free enterprise has produced the greatest prosperity the world has ever known.

But many in state government view the private sector as the enemy. Not just front line employees but unfortunately many managers as well. When I transferred to a different supervisory position in DMV years ago “crooks” was not an uncommon term used by a few staff to describe heavy vehicle truck owners. My efforts to change the culture lead to a staff rebellion and almost forced me out of my supervisory position in 1994. Fortunately my career survived and even prospered after that unpleasant experience.

I’ve always had pride in my customer service attitude. I still remember a lady telling me on the phone that I was the only DMV employee she had ever talked to that didn’t talk down to her. Every time I see a Schneider National semi (company headquarters in Green Bay) with Illinois IRP plates I feel like it is a traveling advertisement of Wisconsin’s bad business climate. In the early 1990’s when I mentioned to my boss that we should try to encourage Schneider back into Wisconsin IRP he gave me the “you must be nuts look.” Doing so would have added a little more work and left revenues unchanged but I felt it was the right thing to do for the state.

At my level of the organization I have seen little difference in attitude regardless of who has been governor. State government has been on autopilot. It is my belief that that Mark Neumann is different than previous governors and candidates. He’s not a life long politician. He is a man of faith, who except for 4 years in congress has spent his life in the private sector. The antagonistic confrontation with government employees that another candidate from the Milwaukee area has specialized in is not the answer. Republican Governor Dreyfus in the early 1980’s tried that and failed miserably. Mark is a leader that will focus on how state government as an organization is run.

Add in Mark’s pro-life views, his involvement in school choice program and his personal integrity and you have a candidate that I’m willing devote a large portion of my free time during the next year to help get elected as our next governor.

Sanctity of Life, 2nd Amendment Rights, Faith / Religion, Government Accountability

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