June 22, 2012
Wisconsin Moves Forward
The ads have ended; the
phones are quiet; and
Wisconsin’s most
unprecedented state recall
elections are over.
Regardless of which side you
may have fallen, the people
of Wisconsin have delivered
a clear and even stronger
vote of support and
confidence in their Governor
and the decisions made by
him and the Legislature to
fundamentally reform state
government as we know it.
It truly was what democracy
looks like.
After sixteen very long, and
at times, turbulent months
of protests, picketing,
rhetoric, and recalls, the
majority of citizens of this
great state agree that such
reforms are necessary and
appropriate in order to the
change the way in which
state government functions.
They believe the days of
high taxes, unchecked
spending, limitless
borrowing, and
over-regulation need to be a
thing of the past if
Wisconsin is ever to move
forward. As the dust
continues to settle from
this most recent election,
we are more certain than
ever that Wisconsin will, in
fact, continue forward.
As I have stated in numerous
news columns, the state’s
budget woes would seemingly
never end if we, as
legislators, did not make
the tough decisions
to approve the Governor’s
plan to reign in state
spending and allow local
governments the flexibility
they need to deal with
current and future
reductions from the state.
We were chastised,
criticized, harassed, and
even threatened not to go
forward. But we did not
waiver, and were confident
most citizens supported and
embraced the reforms we
proposed. If nothing else,
the recall elections allowed
the electorate to reaffirm
that position.
Because of those reforms,
the deficit was erased
without raising taxes, the
economy has improved and
more people are working,
local governments are
balancing their budgets with
greater ease, and those of
us in the public sector are
paying more for our health
care and retirement
benefits, just as those in
the private sector have been
doing for a very long time.
Businesses both
in and out of the state are
more confident in their
ability to create and grow
jobs here, now that
Wisconsin has taken such
bold steps to reshape the
role of state government.
Many believe Wisconsin is
back on track to economic
stability and could serve as
a model for other struggling
states to follow.
Although there may be a
temporary shift in control
of the State Senate due to
the recall elections, we
will continue to move
forward with an agenda that
focuses on jobs, the
economy, and building off
many of the successful
reforms implemented in the
previous legislative
session. With the
Legislature on hiatus until
January of next year, when
control of the Senate could
shift again, we intend to be
ready on day one to continue
our work, so Wisconsin can
continue to work.
Over the last year, many
have questioned the validity
and integrity of the recall
election process, and the
need to change things
so as not to find ourselves
in a non-stop campaign
season. While the
Constitution lays the
foundation for such
elections, it also codifies
that elected officials of
the state serve two or four
year terms, presumably
without interruption. Some
have made the argument the
recall process should only
be implemented for the most
egregious acts, and not
simply because an elected
official made a decision to
change public policy. It is
a valid argument, one which
is sure to be debated in the
coming year.
A defining moment in
Wisconsin history has come
to pass, one which reaffirms
the will of the electorate
to change the way in which
state government governs.
There is a desire for new
ideas and effective
leadership to see those
ideas through, even in the
face of extreme adversity
and repeated obstacles.
There is an understanding
that recall elections simply
for the sake of recall
elections is disruptive to
the continuity of
representative democracy,
and may harm the very
institutions that promote
democracy. But now, with
this chapter finally behind
us, we can once again turn
our attention and continue
to move our
state, forward.
-30-
Sen. Kedzie can be
reached in Madison at P.O.
Box 7882, Madison, WI
53707-7882 or by calling
toll-free 1 (800) 578-1457.
He may be reached in the
district at (262) 742-2025
or on-line at
www.senatorkedzie.com
