Where do I stand on the issues?
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Jobs and the Economy
RICK RICHARD WILL MAKE WISCONSIN JOBS HIS PRIORITY.
Wisconsin has lost over 130,000 jobs in the last 12 months, the single largest one-year job loss in state history. Of those jobs lost, 61,000 came from the high-wage, high-benefit, family-sustaining manufacturing sector. Almost everyone now has a friend, neighbor, or relative out of work, or they personally have been laid off.
Our state government must make Wisconsin competitive in attracting and retaining jobs. Instead, in 2009, Madison politicians voted for more than $5 billion in tax and fee increases. These new taxes are hitting job providers in the Rock County and Whitewater area with millions in new costs, during a recession. Local employers are trying to break even, and these new taxes are reducing their ability to expand and add jobs.
Wisconsin is not only competing against Midwest states, but every state in the U.S. for employers. We need to use proven solutions in the form of competitive tax rates on job providers and business location incentives, and streamline regulatory and permitting hurdles. These economic development tools can be available if the right public servants are elected and make them a priority. I'll work to recruit employers and jobs to our area, and I'll vote NO on job-killing legislation.
As a business owner, I know the checklist for attracting employers to our communities. We already have a talented workforce and world-class schools, now we need to bring a pro-business attitude to Madison.
For more information, please see my Jobs Plan on this website.
Taxes
RICK RICHARD WILL FIGHT FOR LOW TAXES.
A recent study by the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance reported that Wisconsin income taxes rank among highest in the nation.1 When combining the average state and federal tax bills, a typical taxpayer pays half of his or her annual salary in taxes, and receives declining services in return.
Most citizens want to choose how to spend their hard earned money, not have the state choose for them. I pledge to vote no on increases in income and sales taxes. I support tax exemptions on retirement plan income. I also support an education tax credit for employers who invest in the continuing education of their employees.
The private sector creates jobs and prosperity, not the government. I believe that for Wisconsin to be competitive, tax rates must be lower to spur private sector jobs creation. Lower rates leads to economic growth, a larger tax base, and a stronger Wisconsin.
1 http://www.taxfoundation.org/research/topic/67.html
State Spending
RICK RICHARD WILL BRING FISCAL SANITY BACK TO OUR DISTRICT.
I hope you’ll agree with me that the 2009-10 state budget, which increases state spending by over 6%, is inexcusable during a recession. State government positions and spending increased, yet school funding aid to local districts was cut! This is resulting in property tax increases statewide.2
The taxpayers of Wisconsin can no longer afford the Enron-style accounting practices of our state government. We have unbalanced budgets and structural deficits that continually keep us in debt, increase our interest payments and lowers our bond rating. That is why I will support zero-based budgeting and will vote for legislation that makes generally accepted accounting practices (GAAP) for state government the law in Wisconsin.
As in previous budgets, Madison leadership raided the Transportation Fund (a segregated fund that is financed with your gas tax dollars) using hundreds of millions of dollars to fund other programs. This was not only wrong on principle -- the tens of millions in interest payments alone on borrowing for transportation spending will burden you and your children for years to come. I will work to have the Transportation Fund pay for our I90/39 Interstate improvement, not more big government programs.
2http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/42695362.html
Accountability and Transparency
RICK RICHARD WILL HAVE OPEN CONSTITUENT DISCUSSION CONTINUALLY, NOT JUST AROUND ELECTION TIME.
I will continue to regularly visit our districts' cities, villages and towns, from Beloit to Edgerton, from Brodhead to Whitewater, on a regular basis. I will not make media appearances to hand out oversized government checks, but rather be there and respond to the concerns of individuals and communities.
For accountability, if elected, I will publish the state senate voting agenda online ahead of time to encourage comments. And to show I've read the bills, I will explain the reasoning behind my votes online, and post my final vote online in real time. I will also personally respond to questions and comments about all votes.
For transparency, I will support the creation of a database/website of all state expenditures. I will vote to require all Joint Finance Committee meetings to be available in real time on the Legislature's website. I want to require all 'earmark' provisions of the budget to be disclosed.
I will vote YES on any legislation what will bring sunshine to the legislative process, including ending inappropriate closed door meetings. I will support legislation that requires party caucus meetings to be open to the public. I will also vote to stop the revolving door between Wisconsin government and special interests by supporting legislation that would prohibit Wisconsin lawmakers from becoming lobbyists within 12 months of leaving office.
Education
RICK RICHARD WILL WORK FOR HIGHER STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT BY CHALLENGING THE STATUS QUO.
Parents and teachers must demand accountability as part of K-12 education reform. It’s been status quo long preparing our children for their future. Wisconsin is witnessing flat or declining test scores while per student costs skyrocket. Costs for education are up 50% just in the last 10 years, outpacing inflation every year.3
We all know competition creates innovation, improvement, and success. That’s why I support parent choice in education and want to allow parents to spend their tax money on the school of their choice, public, private, charter, or home. Parent choice in education is good for parents and teachers, but most of all, it’s best for every child. A University of Arkansas study found that the Milwaukee School Choice Program saved Wisconsin taxpayers over $37 million.4 Expanding school choice and competition is the best policy available to substantially lower per pupil costs and at the same time improving the level of education.
I’ll work for improved school accountability, cost transparency, zero based budgeting, alternative teacher certification, and competition. Our children deserve a better opportunity to learn.
3 http://www.wistax.org/focus/2009/2009schoolfacts2340.htm
4http://dailyheadlines.uark.edu/14665.htm
Healthcare
RICK RICHARD HAS A PLAN FOR HEALTHCARE REFORM THAT DOESN'T BREAK THE BANK.
The quality of the U.S. healthcare system is second to none. It’s the cost that is out of control. Putting people in charge of their healthcare decision while reducing costly mandates will help to expand access and reduce costs. I support patient-centered healthcare and patient freedom of choice for their doctor and plan.
We should know how much we pay at our hospitals. Price transparency, which encourages patient choice, is a step in the right direction. I support a tax credit for individuals and families to cover the cost of their private health insurance premiums. By increasing choice and competition, and reducing insurance company control, we will lower costs.
Firearms for Law Abiding Citizens
RICK RICHARD WANTS CRIMINALS PUNISHED, NOT LAW-ABIDING CITIZENS.
As a hunter and gun owner, I support the legal use of firearms both in the rich family tradition of hunting in Wisconsin, and by the average citizen who wants to protect his or her family. I will support our U.S. and State constitutions in the use of firearms by law-abiding citizens.
Criminals love gun-control laws. Laws that take guns out of the hands of law-abiding citizens only leave them in the hands of criminals who perpetrate violent crimes and property crimes against the general population. Where law-abiding citizens are allowed to protect themselves with a firearm, crime is deterred without a single shot having to be fired.
When a criminal does use a gun in a crime, whether it is gang related, robbery, or other, the convicted individual should be penalized to the fullest extent of the law. We need to enforce the laws on the books, and reduce the deal making, not create more regulations.
Party Politics
RICK RICHARD WANTS TO REDUCE DIVISIVE PARTY POLITICS.
The divisive political atmosphere in Madison is good for politicians, but not for taxpayers. Special interest groups write and support legislation as a reward for their campaign donations, and voters end up paying for taxes and regulation for which we never asked. I believe shedding light on the legislative process, regardless of what party is in control, will decrease the power grabbing. That is why I support the Open Government Act, which would allow the public more access to drafts of legislative bills, especially after a bill is already released to a third-party lobbying group. I also support open caucus meetings to help reduce instances of party members blindly following party leaders.
Money in Politics. As Wisconsin state government has grown, and power and influence has been centralized over the last few decades in Madison, special interest money has gravitated to Madison, hoping to sway influence. So, political parties fight to hold power, to retain special interest funding, resulting in lack of cooperation between parties. A key to reducing political party obstructiveness is to decentralize Madison power, return control to local government, more accountable to Wisconsin citizens.
Wisconsin is one of 11 states with a full-time, professional legislature. Full time salaries and capitol staff encourages legislators to spend more time in Madison adhering to political agendas and less time in their districts. I support reform in the state legislature to part time, including part time salary and reduced benefits.
I also support changes in candidate nomination, balloting, and campaign finance to provide equality to independent and 3rd party candidates.
Common ground can be found on almost every issue, and I'll sit down and talk with any legislator, regardless of party, who places principles over party politics.
Veterans' Assistance
RICK RICHARD IS LISTENING TO VETERANS.
While I was going door to door last year listening to citizens, a veteran shared with me an issue often facing Iraq and Afghanistan vets: not knowing where to find available resources or whom to ask for help. It turns out this is a serious statewide problem for all veterans. Returning veterans are coming home with a wide range of physical injuries and record-high post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) cases.
Increasing Awareness of Available Benefits for Veterans
I will sponsor legislation for the state of Wisconsin to add a box on our state income tax form for ALL vets to check. The vet would then confidentially receive notice of all available resources.
There's a need for better outreach, particularly to the newest veterans in Wisconsin, to educate them about the benefits available to them from our state. This legislation will place a check-off box on Wisconsin resident or part-time resident tax forms for veterans to self-identify their participation in Operation Iraqi Freedom or Enduring Freedom, or previous service. The information would be kept confidential, but used to reach out to individuals who are not getting the benefits to which they are entitled due to lack of awareness about these resources.
DNR
RICK RICHARD WILL SUPPORT SIGNIFICANT REFORM OF THE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES (DNR)
As Wisconsin citizens, we have the right to have our shared resources protected. Our Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is tasked with protecting our air, water, and ground.
Until a couple of decades ago, the DNR was generally regarded as a department which balanced environmental protection and economic growth opportunities. Now, however, the DNR has become a bureaucratic and politicized fiefdom, mismanaging natural and financial resources, and gaining the disapproval of environmentalists, hunters, and job providers alike. Unelected DNR regulators are creating and policing overreaching laws, taking away representation by the people in local and state government.
The DNR's statewide land grab is neither sustainable nor desirable for long-term economic stability. As the DNR is appropriating thousands of acres of private property, the land comes off local tax rolls. Especially for less affluent counties, this loss of revenue results in higher taxes, cutting of services, fewer jobs, and loss of private homes and property.
The DNR's mismanagement of the deer herd, chronic wasting disease (CWD), and the wolf population are quickly becoming the worst practices in natural resource management. Extreme shoreline zoning proposals, trampling of landowners' rights, and alignment with extremist groups like the Humane Society of the U.S. (HSUS) are all in a day's work for the DNR. The Sierra Club is planning to sue the DNR this year over air-quality permitting.
The DNR is crippling business expansion and job creation with extraordinary permit delays. The department has misused license fee revenue for purposes other than benefiting hunters and anglers. We have the worst of both worlds with the DNR. That is why I support major DNR reform which will, in part, return control to the people through our elected local and state governments. I support removing zoning determination from the DNR and placing it under local jurisdiction. I also support splitting off part of the DNR into a separate agency. I support a plan to create a Department of Environmental Quality to deal with pollution and permits, while retaining a governor-appointed head.
The remaining Department of Natural Resources will focus on hunting and fishing, wildlife habitat, and conservation law enforcement. The new DNR will have a board comprised of a representative group from around the state and appoint its secretary. It's time for change, for the benefit of our resources, and for job creation in Wisconsin.
Backyard Responsibility
RICK RICHARD BELIEVES THAT RESPONSIBILITY MATTERS
Personal responsibility is key to our personal freedoms. Preserving our personal freedoms requires personal responsibility. A government must reward responsibility and hard work, not punish it while rewarding complacency.
Our family is lucky enough to have some space in the country to raise a few chickens. So, to help teach our children personal responsibility, we got them involved in raising backyard chickens for eggs, thus, "backyard responsibility". It's a small but important lesson for our children in daily duties, discipline and responsibility.
Environment
RICK RICHARD KNOWS WE CAN PROTECT OUR ENVIRONMENT WITHOUT KILLING JOBS
Because I believe government's primary role is to protect our rights, I see government's role in protecting our natural resources and the environment that we all share as critical.
Corporations that break laws and cause damage to our natural resources should be heavily fined, and, if necessary, criminally prosecuted, to the extent that a clear message is sent to all corporate and individual polluters: "Don't degrade our air, water, or earth, or you will be fined out of business."
As my wife and I teach sustainable living to our small children with examples of vegetable gardens, recycling, rain barrels, conservation, and organic practices, we are also inspired by our children to do more for future generations.
Continuing environmental education and individual choice is best both for our environment and our economic prosperity. We must leave our next generation a better environment than the one we were given, while not crippling Wisconsin's business climate with massive costs such as cap and trade.
Farming and Agriculture
RICK RICHARD BELIEVES IT IS CRITICAL TO PROTECT OUR FAMILY FARMS
Agriculture in the Rock County/Whitewater area is directly responsible for approximately 8,500 jobs and provides a $1.2 billion economic impact to the area. There are 500,000 agricultural jobs in the state of Wisconsin. Our state needs to do more to protect and strengthen the strong rural farming and agricultural economy.
I support continuing use/value assessment to allow farmers affordable property taxes. I will work to protect farmers' land rights and fight against unneeded and costly regulation which makes farming cost-prohibitive. Protecting the family farm is important for our economy, preserving our farmland, and providing our meals!
Train
RICK RICHARD IS READY TO "DE-RAIL" THE TRAIN
Our roads are crumbling; our state cannot afford to subsidize a Madison-Milwaukee Amtrak train. I support infrastructure investment. But not infrastructure that duplicates an existing bus route and highway when the state is facing a $2.7B structural budget deficit. Currently, Badger bus handles 120,000 riders per year with 6 round trips per day between Madison and Milwaukee - At no cost to taxpayers. Badger bus creates private sector jobs, unless the train puts them out of business. Buses are flexible in their routes. If ridership patterns change, they change the routes. Finally, on the competitive list of taxes, labor, real estate costs, utilities costs that businesses look at when deciding to what state to locate, commuter rail isn't on there. This train is being planned for a political agenda and for elitists who won't ride the bus.
Also, please see my views on intrastate rail from August 2009.
Common ground can be found on almost every issue, and I’ll sit down and talk with any legislator who places principles over party politics.
