Candidates in the News

• Lt. Tammy Sternard, Democratic candidate for Door County Sheriff, issued a statement on safe community and crime prevention:

“The world is constantly changing and we are faced with new challenges in law enforcement every day. I believe in staying proactive and being open to new ideas on how to deal with the issues. I also believe with today’s technology it’s important we stay current with technology trends. Working together with the community will help ensure Door County remains a safe community.

“I will continue to work proactively on Internet-based crimes against children and seniors, by allotting more time to this area.

“Our department added an additional drug investigator early this year, which I agree with and will keep in place. Drug-related incidents are on the rise. Heroin-related overdoses and deaths are becoming a major issue for communities, and Door County is no different.

“Operating while intoxicated continues to be an issue. The effects on a community can be far reaching and I feel as a sheriff we need to continue with strict enforcement and work to effectively educate and inform the public of the dangers of driving while impaired.”

• Joe Majeski, Democratic candidate for the 1st Assembly District, issued a statement on a recent report by the state Department of Public Instruction:

“I was troubled to see new data released by the state Department of Public Instruction showing that 9 out of 11 school districts in the 1st Assembly District experienced cuts to general state aid over the past four years. Sturgeon Bay, Kewaunee and Luxemburg-Casco were among the districts subjected to this defunding.

“It is no wonder that school districts in our area are continuously resorting to referendum just to keep basic programs and services in our schools. The Republican majority in Madison would rather see local property taxpayers bear the burden of inadequate funding than commit to fully funding our public schools, the most tried and true foundation of educating the working class of the future.

“In the 2011-2013 state budget, Republicans voted to take $1.6 billion away from Wisconsin’s public schools, leading to teacher and staff layoffs, larger class sizes and even higher property taxes in many school districts.

“Public school districts impacted by these damaging cuts include:

Denmark: $1,470,521 CUT

Gibraltar Area: $4,669 CUT

Kewaunee: $890,996 CUT

Luxemburg-Casco: $1,137,212 CUT

Mishicot: $1,192,271 CUT

Sevastopol: $30,323 CUT

Southern Door County: $759,937 CUT

Sturgeon Bay: $828,258 CUT

Washington: $2,766 CUT

“Instead of relieving property taxes and the concerns of public school parents, our state legislature continues to funnel taxpayer dollars from the 1st Assembly District to unaccountable voucher schools in Milwaukee and Racine. I have clearly committed to ending the voucher program and returning these lost resources to our local schools. My opponent, Joel Kitchens, refuses to make that commitment.”

• The Associated Press reported that thousands of emails prosecutors collected during the first secret investigation into Gov. Scott Walker’s former aides and associates when he was a county executive were released Oct. 21, prompting allegations from Walker that the timing two weeks before the election was politically motivated. Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele’s office made public the nearly 16,000 emails and attachments that prosecutors seized from county and personal computers during the investigation that ended in 2013. Walker was never charged but six of his aides and associates were convicted on charges ranging from theft to misconduct in office. Burke released a new campaign ad two hours before the emails were made public that mentions the convictions and says the state can’t afford four more years of Walker. Burke told reporters before she voted early in Madison on Tuesday morning that the timing of the ad wasn’t based on the emails’ release. “The timing is about that people when they go to the polls need to consider his entire record over the last four years when looking at the next four years,” Burke said. “Part of that, not only a lagging economy and historic cuts to education, but certainly the scandal around his administration.”