Former Representative Mark Neumann has filed his campaign registration papers that makes him a candidate for the Republican nomination for governor last year. His reason for getting in, as told to WTMJ-AM’s Charlie Sykes – “10 years (have) gone by. I’ve gone back to the private sector. We build a bunch of different businesses. I’m on the front line in the business world, and I understand that when government passes new rules and regulations and raises taxes, that it is very anti-business. We’ve seen 133,000 jobs leave the state of Wisconsin in the last 12 months alone. That’s the reason for getting in.” In an interview with WISN-AM’s Jay Weber, he made the case that it is “very important” that those who govern have private-sector experience.
Neumann also touted his experience as part of the Congress that created the first “balanced” budget in my lifetime. He said that he can’t see how to fix things nationally, as the feds have put things too far out of whack.
While Neumann has not yet made detailed platform positions, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel story linked above notes that the overriding theme is to make Wisconsin globally competitive. The main item that is known at this point is that Neumann would propose budgets that would limit yearly spending growth to 1% below inflation, with tax cuts following when state revenues begin rising again.
Another item where Neumann would be expected to be a leader is education. He is co-chairman of HOPE Christian Schools, which has 3 private choice schools in Milwaukee and a public charter school in Phoenix. He and Weber had a rather lengthy discussion on that near the end of their interview.
There is a rather significant problem that Weber found in his interview with Neumann – ethanol, specifically Neumann’s support for it. He said that’s part of the “global” environmental package, and specifically that it is part of making Wisconsin energy-independent with “clean, renewable” energy.
Flashback – my short interview with Neumann at the RPW Convention two months ago.
Hmmmm.
Neumann has lots of interest in “green” projects–see his green-home development, e.g.
As to ethanol–that’s enough to make me very unhappy with him. It’s NOT part of any “solution” at this time, and unless he knows of some miracle upcoming in the next 12 months, it won’t be for quite some time to come.
I wasn’t going to dump all over Neumann’s “100% energy-independent Wisconsin with green-renewable energy in a generation” idea, but you just reminded me of a couple of massive roadblocks. Give me a moment to whip out some numbers.
If elected would Mark get more gov. money for his biz? It get’s to the point you have to be cynical about every candidate. Then we have canidates that tell us one thing before the election and do the oppisite after they are in office.
What to do, what to think? It will be an interesting for the upcoming election