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1st Assembly District Primary Candidate Questionnaire

By Door County Pulse , Peninsula Pulse – August 8th, 2014

Paul Feit

Age: 38

Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Molecular Biology, University of Wyoming, College of Agriculture, Laramie, Wyoming; Doctorate of Dental Surgery Degree, Creighton University Medical Center’s School of Dentistry, Omaha, Nebraska

Relevant experience or civic involvement: I am a small business owner and job creator. Since 2008, I have grown my small business from 4 employees to 25. Through my service record, I have shown that I care about the people in my community. My family and I attend the Sturgeon Bay Moravian Church. As a Trustee there, I support and participate in our church’s community outreach such as Habitat for Humanity, Youth Programming and our mission trips to Honduras. At Ministry’s Dental Clinic in Sturgeon Bay, I treated hundreds of families from Door and Kewaunee Counties who could not otherwise afford dental treatment. Through my position as Trustee for the Wisconsin Dental Association, I have been working on legislation in Madison to advocate for better care for the underserved.

What separates you from the other Republican candidates in the primary election, and why do you want to represent the people of the 1^st Assembly District?

All of the candidates are good republicans but I feel that I can win in November. I have knocked on over 3500 doors and have met voters from all over the district that understand my message of lower taxes and strengthening the economy. They understand that I have created local jobs in a very tough economy and I can use that experience to represent them in the State Capitol.

Do you see any way to level the playing field for the state’s equalization aid funding formula that pretty much exempts Door County school districts from state aid that most other districts in the state receive? (For example, the state average amount of aid for both rural and urban school districts is 54 percent; Sevastopol receives 3 percent of its budget from the state and Southern Door receives 19 percent.)

I will fight hard for the needs of the 1^st Assembly District and make sure we get our fair share whether it is school aids or any other state resources.

We have seen increasing assaults on the environment and local control of environmental resources across the state in the name of doing business. How do we balance industry – such as Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations, in our region – with the environment?

The way to balance industry with the environment is through sound research when problems are encountered. Too often I have seen unfounded emotional attacks brought against job creating industries. We all need a clean environment, no one more so than our farmers who depend on the land and clean water to make a living.

Partisan bickering and legislative gridlock appears to be the political legacy of our times. If elected, would you vote strictly along party lines or would you assess each piece of legislation and what it could mean to your constituency, no matter which side of the aisle the legislation might have originated?

I am asking you to elect me as your representative, not your politician. Therefore, I would absolutely assess each piece of legislation. Good ideas are not found on only one side of the aisle.

What is your opinion about the increasing amount of out-of-state money going to Wisconsin politicians? (It was $4.11 million in 2013, a non-election year, and $17.2 million in 2012.) Have you accepted or would you accept money from an out-of-state contributor?

I think we have had a unique situation here in Wisconsin the last 4 years and that is why we are seeing such high numbers of out of state money. As for any candidate, I think we all have friends or family outside of the state of Wisconsin that want to see us do well.

What do you see as the biggest challenge for Wisconsin and how would you address it?

Keeping the economy moving in the right direction. This is the only real solution to increasing wages and providing real job opportunities. I would accomplish this by supporting a fiscally responsible budget that continues to reduce taxes.

What do you see as the biggest challenge for the 1^st Assembly District and how would you address it?

Same

Brian Hackbarth

Age: 36

Education: Associate of Arts Waldorf College

Relevant experience or civic involvement: 3^rd term Gibraltar Town Board Supervisor, Gibraltar Planning Commissioner, Gibraltar Parks & Lands Committee Chair. Serve on multiple none profit boards/committees. Past president of the Fish Creek Civic Association (Business association with over 140 business members). Founder of the Fish Creek Fireworks & Fest in 2004 (I also chaired the event for many years). I chaired the 2004 Fish Creek Winter Games. I served in student government in college also. Along with many other committees various groups, none profits and government over the years.

What separates you from the other Republican candidates in the primary election, and why do you want to represent the people of the 1^st Assembly District?

The experience that I have, the things that I have done have given me the skills needed to excel at representing District 1 in the State Assembly. While being involved in all the various things I do, especially the Town Board I have seen many things in our District that need the attention of a State Representative. I continue to work to make things in Door County and the Town of Gibraltar better from the office I currently hold. I want to make our District better, on a level that can only be accomplished as a State Representative.

Most of us can agree that how we fund our schools needs to be changed. Our district is both very large and very unique one when it comes to school funding as Kewaunee, Brown, Door and Manitowoc are all uniquely different. Within Door County what may work for Southern Door, Sturgeon Bay and Sevastopol would not work for Washington Island and Gibraltar. Perhaps it is time to wipe the board clean, take a fresh look at it with no preconceived notions of how a school should be funded. Perhaps someone would come up with a new Propositional formula that had never been thought of, or a different funding mechanism altogether.

Let the facts and the science guide our decisions, while refraining from making assumptions and finger pointing. We are all neighbors and co-inhabitants of District 1, working together will lead us to the best future for all. My neighbors and friends are farmers, they are among the hardest working & best people I know. They take the land & livestock and turn it into the products we buy at the store to feed and cloth ourselves.

Unfortunately to often the press propagates partisan bickering and gridlock, so they can sell TV ads and news papers. I would invite the press to lead from the front and be part of the solution instead of part of the problem as we all look to move Wisconsin forward.

Most importantly I always have and always will act and vote in what I believe to be the best interests of the people that I represent. It’s not about what I want; it’s about what is best for everyone concerned.

What is your opinion about the increasing amount of out-of-state money going to Wisconsin politicians? (It was $4.11 million in 2013, a non-election year, and $17.2 million in 2012.) Have you accepted or would you accept money from an out-of-state contributor?

People that own homes in our District but claim their residency in other states have made contributions to the campaign. Along with former residence of Door County that have moved away and an out of State family member. So yes I have accepted “out of state money”. As for my opinion, this is a subject with a lot of grey area. I have NOT received any out of state money from someone that I don’t know.

We must all remember that campaigning is expensive, we are all expected to do all of these things, produce all of these signs and advertisements, drive thousands of miles and incure many other expenses. Many candidates at this level end up spending a lot of our own money, and/or some candidates incur debt. With the winner being elected to an office that does NOT pay that great (keep in mind a representative must have a second place to live down in Madison which is a big expense). No one runs for State Representative to get rich, all of us that do it or have done it want to make a difference in some way, change something, give back in some way and have something that gives us a passion inside to do this.

Whether you like or dislike, agree with or disagree with anyone of the 5 of us running for office. Please respect all of the candidates for the time and money invested, and most importantly for giving you the voter a selection of people to choose from when you go to vote on August 12^th.

What do you see as the biggest challenge for Wisconsin and how would you address it?

The economy. I would support legislation, and legislative actions that foster an environment that promotes growth and prosperity for Wisconsin.

What do you see as the biggest challenge for the 1^st Assembly District and how would you address it?

The local needs that are very targeted and very important to our day to day lives. These needs are spread across a wide spectrum of issues and agencies. These targeted issues vary from community to community and need to each be addressed individually. A just a few examples would be Bulk Head Lines, High Water Mark, Shore land Zoning, Water Quality, retaining the money our state parks bring in and keep those dollars here instead of sending them to Madison, and many more DNR related issues. There are a lot of targeted Highway issues with the DOT that a representative needs to work on such as, highway reconstruction issues, giving local veto authority of roundabouts, allowing necessary crosswalks in communities that the local governments want. There are also a number of very specific regulatory issues affecting our district with other departments such as the Department of Health Services, Department of Revenue, and the Bureau of Aeronautics. If elected the heads of these departments and a few other departments will come to know me well within a short time, and so will the oversight committee members. As I will be staying on top of them regarding the targeted issues under their control within District 1. By working closely with the elected municipal and county officials, and other community leaders throughout the district together as a team we will accomplish many great things for our entire District!

Joel Kitchens

Age: 56

Education: Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Ohio State University; Bachelor of Science in Dairy Science, Ohio State University

Experience: Founder, Door County Veterinary Associates, Ltd.; President, Sturgeon Bay Board of Education for 13 years, member for 15 years; Member, Sturgeon Bay Moravian Church; Youth baseball and softball coach; Member, Wisconsin Veterinary Medical Association; and Member, Northeast Wisconsin Veterinary Medical Association.

What separates you from the other Republican candidates in the primary election, and why do you want to represent the people of the 1^st Assembly District?

The most important thing that I will bring to this office is leadership. I joined the Sturgeon Bay School Board at a time of financial crisis and have helped lead our district to an extended period of stability and prosperity. The enactment of Act 10 strained relationships in our schools and tested my leadership but through all of the turmoil, we did not allow it to affect the education of our children. I have proven that I have the ability to work with both sides and keep the focus on our common goal.

The unfair equalization aid is merely one aspect of a flawed state school funding system. Though well intentioned, it was misguided of our legislators to think that they could devise a formula in 1992 that would be fair for all school districts in our state in perpetuity. Unfortunately, it is extremely difficult to regain local control once the state or federal government has taken it. I promise to fight relentlessly to return that control and bring basic fairness to the state funding system to benefit our local schools.

It is vital for the tourism industry as well as for the health of our citizens that we protect the fragile environment of our area. It will always be a balancing act between job growth and environmental protection but we must develop clear, science based standards and not allow them to be violated. While local control is important, there are times when local governments lack the resources to deal with these issues. It is crucial that we have a strong representative in Madison advocating for our concerns.

I have demonstrated repeatedly on the School Board that I have the ability to work with people of differing political persuasions. If elected, I intend to maintain good relations with all legislators from both parties and to work together whenever it is possible. I will always vote for what is best for the First Assembly District.

The large amount of campaign money coming from special interest groups and single-issue donors can clearly be a corrupting force in our political system, whether they be in-state or out-of-state sources. These groups or individuals expect a specific action in return for their investment and often have little concern for the overall well-being of our state. The most important thing when considering political donations, no matter where they come from, is that the candidate receiving them does not become beholden to the donor. I have not accepted any such donations and when elected, I will always hold the interests of the voters of this district as my guide.

What do you see as the biggest challenge for Wisconsin and how would you address it?

The biggest challenge facing Wisconsin will be to continue growing our economy. If people have good paying, stable jobs most of our other problems take care of themselves. To do this, we must concentrate on creating a business friendly atmosphere where businesses know that they will not be overburdened with excessive taxes and unfair regulations. Businesses must look at their government as an ally in overcoming challenges, rather than as a roadblock.

What do you see as the biggest challenge for the 1^st Assembly District and how would you address it?

Similarly, the biggest challenge facing the First Assembly District is to create year-round, high paying jobs while preserving the things that make it such a special place. Our economy is dependent on tourism, agriculture and manufacturing and it is vital that all three remain strong for us to thrive. I will be the friend that our businesses can count on to help them navigate the red tape that comes out of Madison.

Terry McNulty

Age: 45

Education: Associate Degree in Aeronautics-Pilot Training; Associate Degree in Public Works Technologies; And Bachelor of Science in Business Administration

Relevant experience or civic involvement: Served over 20 years in the Army Reserves (Retired First Sergeant), 5 years on the Village Board in Forestville (President 3 years), 3 years on Southern Door County Schools Board of Education (2 years Treasurer) 2 term Commander of Forestville American Legion, Chairman of Forestville Flag Day committee, A small businessman, Member of Holy Name of Mary Church, and Coached girls little league for 4 years.

What separates you from the other Republican candidates in the primary election, and why do you want to represent the people of the 1^st Assembly District?

Experience, with a 14 year established representative stepping away from this position I have been preparing to take the next step in public office. I believe we don’t need any more restrictive regulation and don’t have a hidden agenda. I don’t like some recent legislation and I hope most republicans would agree limited government intervention is the catalyst for prosperity. I believe each individual is responsible for his or her place in life and when I talk about economic development it is one person at a time promoting all the great small businesses we have.

Terry McNulty is the candidate that says funding for our schools is not fair. I carry an example of one such “general school aid distribution.” Also the idea of common core and everyone getting the same education is great but if they are not equally funded having the same resources is unlikely.

I support local control and believe it is constitutional for the smaller government always to be able to be more restrictive. We have to be honest about Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations or the big scary CAFO’s and issues being little about the feeding operations. The Department of Natural Resources regulates waste facilities and do have regulations on these large farms. Is everyone following the regulation and being responsible? We all need clean safe water. We all have a part to play and even corporations have a social responsibility and interest to protect our environment so that there is a future.

I am awfully independent and do not accept the status quo. I am also opinionated and what is right is right. If elected it will be my duty to represent all the people of this huge district. I don’t see a great need for a lot more legislation. Our area is diverse and legislation could affect parts of our district differently. The economy is still a priority and getting people to work. Kewaunee County has lost a major employer and revenues across the County. We have to figure out how to help in everyone’s best interest.

I have not received any out of state dollars for my campaign and we do have limits on the Assembly and State Senate positions. This question seems more in line with gubernatorial dollars and really the Governor does have interests of the State versus Federal issues. This process has been a learning experience in campaign finance.

What do you see as the biggest challenge for Wisconsin and how would you address it?

The economy is still fragile and the main issue to me. Getting people to work or do something to help themselves. Many of our other issues would be improved if everyone had revenues.

What do you see as the biggest challenge for the 1^st Assembly District and how would you address it?

Again, there is a huge disparity in the economies of Door and Kewaunee Counties. Kewaunee County needs help executing their economic development plan, the loss of a major employer of good paying jobs. We have great restaurants, shops and attractions. We have to continue to promote them and encourage more businesses to start for people to help themselves. One of the best things I’ve seen on this campaign is the Door County Buy Local events promoting some of the areas great businesses. I want to promote small businesses and will propose tax breaks for start-ups and new hires.

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