DIVERSITY OF THOUGHT
By John Jacobson, Government & Member Relations Director
Wisconsin Property Taxpayers, Inc.
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A few weeks back, WPT ran an opinion piece that I wrote wherein I expressed my concerns with the language being used by local governments to grant themselves more power.
A longtime member from Viroqua e-mailed me the following day to say that while she agreed with much of what was written, the tone of my article only served to identify problems and rile emotions, but never offered any real solutions. She was absolutely right.
The result was a lengthy afternoon phone call, and a meaningful conversation between two people who might not have otherwise spoken to one another or who might not personally agree on many other things. What a wonderful thing conversation can be.
In another instance earlier this year, a member called me directly to ask why we featured a guest article from Governor Tony Evers in the WPT Freehold. He said Madison liberals do not understand the challenges that small business owners in rural Wisconsin face every day.
Similarly, a member reached out to me this past month to express their displeasure with our decision to include a guest article from Assembly Speaker Robin Vos. This member told me she felt that the legislature’s lawsuit that ultimately resulted in Evers’ shelter-in-place order being struck down left her with no protection.
So, why do we share the breadth of opinion that we do?
One of our roles as an association of property taxpayers is to keep you, our members, informed of what is taking place in Madison and around the state- things that might impact your family, business, or community. To that end, we believe unequivocally that part of this role is a responsibility to provide to you varying perspectives from people who might eventually make those wide-reaching decisions.
For 35 years, we have had the tremendous opportunity to be a nonpartisan voice for countless small businesses, farmers, and property owners on both large matters and small. Our members routinely hold on to their WPT memberships for decades because they have learned through the years that our staff is honest, passionate about their work, and willing to listen to members with every opinion imaginable.
In addition to including guest articles, we also invite you each week to share your views with us through the Weekly Member Poll. We do this because dialogue and discourse are two fundamentally American traditions that seem to be overshadowed by identity politics and the rhetoric of agitation and control that accompany those forms of "belief."
We believe that hearing and recognizing all perspectives is important for charting the best possible course for the future, and we sincerely thank you for each time you have taken a moment from your day to read our publications and share your thoughts with us.
John Jacobson is Government & Member Relations Director at Wisconsin Property Taxpayers, Inc. Share your thoughts by e-mailing jjacobson@wptonline.org or by calling 608-255-7473.
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NEWS FROM THE CAPITOL AND AROUND WISCONSIN
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TEACHERS UNIONS PUSHING GOV. EVERS INTO VIRTUAL SCHOOL YEAR
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The five largest teachers unions in Wisconsin called on Gov. Tony Evers to order a virtual reopening of the state's K-12 schools, effectively prohibiting children from physically returning to classrooms.
The teachers unions from the school districts of Green Bay, Kenosha, Madison, Milwaukee, and Racine sent the letter to Evers, saying the "fates as Wisconsinites are linked together," and that "strong and immediate action to keep Wisconsin students safe is needed" from the Governor.
Gov. Evers last week told the media he would not orders schools closed and that he believed schools could be re-opened in the fall. School districts in Wisconsin are permitted to make decisions on their individual districts' needs and safety, and are not required to wait for authorization from the governor. Additionally, the state's Department of Public Instruction already released guidance documents to school districts on various methods and phases for re-opening.
Senator Alberta Darling (R-River Hills) also chimed in on the issues of schools today, joining various area school administrators and elected officials in her district.
"There is no one-size fits all plan for our schools," she said. "I strongly believe this decision should be made by local officials," she later added.
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LEGISLATIVE AUDIT BUREAU: OVERPAYMENT OF UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS
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Last week, the nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau (LAB) released its
report on the overpayment of certain Unemployment Insurance program benefits.
The report says that over the two-day period of April 28 and 29, the Department of Workforce Development may have overpaid an estimated $21.2 million in program benefits, while underpaying other applicants. "Although DWD recovered $19.6 million in duplicate payments made on April 29, LAB reports that DWD has not attempted to recover all overpayments it likely made on April 28 and 29."
"The actual payment processing should be the least difficult part of getting claimants their benefits," said Representative Samantha Kerkman (R-Salem Lakes), Co-Chair of the Joint Audit Committee. "It is alarming to find that there were either no process controls to ensure that payments do not process twice or that they were ignored."
According to a statement, DWD has developed new written policies after the errors were identified.
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DESPITE UNCERTAIN ECONOMIC TIMES, OSHKOSH REFERENDUM WILL ASK PROPERTY TAXPAYERS FOR MORE MONEY
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The Oshkosh school board last week unanimously gave the go-ahead to put two questions on the ballot in November, despite ongoing economic fallout from COVID-19 that is expected to last well beyond 2021.
One question will ask property taxpayers to fund $8 million in operations costs, which was most recently approved in 2016. Since that portion would be a continuation of a past referendum, there would be no further fiscal impact to property taxpayers.
The big ask comes in the form of a $107 million, 20-year capital referendum question, which would ultimately cost property taxpayers an additional $85 per $100,000 of property value. That massive dollar amount would fund a new elementary school and a new middle school.
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DWD: WISCONSIN UNEMPLOYMENT RATE DROPS
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The Department of Workforce Development last week released the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics preliminary employment and unemployment estimates for June.
The data showed that Wisconsin added 104,600 total non-farm and 99,300 private-sector jobs in the month, helping lower the state's unemployment rate to 8.5 percent, a decline of 3.6 percentage points from May's rate of 12.1 percent.
"Another month of strong job growth and a declining unemployment rate tells us that more Wisconsinites are getting back to work," Gov. Evers-appointed DWD Secretary Caleb Frostman said. "The road to full economic recovery will be long and challenging, but the continued month-over-month progress is encouraging for Wisconsin's workers and employers."
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GOV. EVERS GRANTS EIGHTEEN PARDONS
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Gov. Tony Evers last week granted pardons to
eighteen individuals after the Governor's Pardon Advisory Board heard from applicants virtually on June 23. Applicants who the Board recommended for pardon were forwarded to Gov. Evers for final consideration.
"A pardon won't fix the challenges facing our criminal justice system, but it can have a tremendous impact on a person's life," Gov. Evers said. "Each of these people earned a pardon by serving their sentence and making positive contributions to society."
Eighteen is the largest number of pardons granted so far by the governor.
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DWD WEEKLY UI CLAIM FIGURES
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"The Department of Workforce Development (DWD) today announced that by significantly adding staff, it has markedly improved its customer service to unemployment insurance (UI) claimants, increased the rate at which UI-related calls are answered and the number of outbound/scheduled calls that are made, and is steadily processing and adjudicating more claims each week."
Sunday, 3,559 (2020) vs. 536 (2019)
Monday, 6,160 (2020) vs. 946 (2019)
Tuesday 3,901 (2020) vs. 646 (2019)
Wednesday 3,312 (2020) vs. 506 (2019)
Thursday 2,901 (2020) vs. 575 (2019)
Friday 2,743 (2020) vs. 473 (2019)
Saturday 820 (2020) vs. 136 (2019)
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By clicking the link, you acknowledge that it is the policy of WPT, Inc. to publish all comments that are submitted by members each week, often including broad differences of opinion within the weekly responses. Our organization values our role in fostering dialogue within our membership, but does not take responsibility for the individual views and opinions expressed herein. It is the right of WPT to remove responses that what the organization deems to be vulgar, hateful, or inflammatory language.
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WEEKLY MEMBER POLL RESULTS
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What did you think of Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann's article?
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Big, ineffective government, there needs to be a complete overhaul of the bureaucrats both at the state a federal levels, too many people not doing their jobs.
A great read and sad example of big government
I feel that the projects should be delay because of lower tax collects
get projects rolling that are routine in nature - should never have been held up to begin with. isn't that why engineers approve plans to begin with?
It will reduce the costs and building timeframes. What's not to like.
We have too many State regulations.
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Have you filed your 2019 income taxes yet?
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What do you think of local governments mandating masks?
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Remember that mask weaken our immune system, prevents good oxygen to breathe, and fabric won't prevent it to go through and spread it in the air.
I have never worn a mask, do not own a mask, do not patronize businesses that require them and even if we have some sort of mandate in a city...I still will not wear a mask!
Rarely. I feel that use of hand gel in car is a better overall protection for me.
I shouldn’t be forced to wear something that has no proven effectiveness
I wear a mask only if I am required. I have heard they aren't required, then they are so necessary, quite honestly, once the Presidential election is over, the media hype will quiet right down, feel like we are being "had"
Some people cannot wear the mask. I have problems breathing with a mask. I try to wear it.
I wear a mask whenever I leave my home
I wear a mask when in stores or enclosed businesses. It cuts down on the transfer of all diseases. People need to stop arguing about this, its a different world and we should help each other to stay well.
To be clear, I support the idea of local governments making this decision, not the state. I largely and wholeheartedly disagree with mandating masks.
While i wear a mask in many businesses by choice, it should l not be a mandate
My Body, My Choice!!
yes, I wear a mask in public. Am not one of the selfish @#%$ that do not care of the welfare of others.
Masks DO help. Social distancing DOES help. Hand washing HELPS. Is it really that bad to wear a mask to go into a store? I hear people coughing and sneezing and just pray I don't get sick. I also pray for people to understand that we need to reduce the number of cases that keeps going up.
Get over it this summer and come winter, consider it your civic duty. "Pandemic" means "this us a bigger deal" than the flu. Besides, I would rather wear a mask than have another full shutdown.
Yes Menards, Walmart, Hardware stores, grocery and post office
may be helpful but are unproven with the wide variety of masks being worn. so far i feel healthcare workers should get the best masks
no,only when mandated to get into a hospital
Yes, i wear a mask in public places where social distancing is difficult.
I choose to wear a mask around others.
The use of common sense can guide this.
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On this day in 1936, the hottest temperature ever in Wisconsin was recorded. The mercury sizzled at 114 degrees in the Wisconsin Dells, Columbia County. (Source: Wisconsin Historical Society)
What are some ways you cool down when it gets too hot? A cold shower? Sitting in front of a fan? A cold beverage? Do you ever get to a point in the dog days of summer when you wish it was 25 degrees and snowing?
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This makes me appreciate winter and winter makes me appreciate summer. Over all this beats Arizona weather that I grew up in at least drive on a hot day here and you get cool air coming in due to humidity. Drive in AZ weather at 110 degrees and roll you car window down and you get a hot furnace air coming at you. I love WI because you get to see the seasons change- I was deprived as a child. Seasons changing is beautiful in the state of WI.
Refrigeration is a wonderful invention
Sit in the a/c inside! I will always prefer the hot over the cold WI days :)
Fan, central air is good. I visited Wisconsin River at Castle Rock Lake, water was pleasant. Drinking lots of water and mint iced tea.
I like the heat, prefer it hot much more than colder. If I keep hydrated, I'm good. The thing I don't like about summer is the bugs, the deer fly have been terrible!
I have air conditioner, 3 ceiling fans and 2 small ones going. I like cold ice water and taking it easy. I can handle the heat better than the cold.
Turn up the air conditioning. The only time I would wish it was 25 degrees is when it's colder than that!!!
Air conditioning and cool drinks help a person to cool down.
AC
Oh my god there was global warming way back in 1936!!!
get in the water! pool. river. all helps, and yes I will be looking for winter!
Stay in the air conditioning or go swimming. Never wish for 20 degree weather, but don't mind the snow at all.
put a cool towel or rag only neck!
Having suffered a heat stroke in the past, when the temp goes up I slow down. I must stay cool or I am ill.
A simple way to overcome heat is to occasionally wash water over your forearms and wrists. A more extreme example would be to sit in a bathtub and do the same. Water takes away heat 30 times faster than air.
Never hope for 25 degrees and snow.
Air conditioning and a good Root Beer float!
The dog days of summer still beat winter cold.
YES" YES" YES""
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Please note: Members wishing to take advantage of benefits must be referred by WPT. Click below to learn more and begin the process today.
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LRB-6249
Memo
Wage Thresholds (Bowen, David) Wage thresholds for receipt of unemployment insurance benefits. Deadline: Monday, July 20, 5 pm
LRB-6257
Memo
Unemployment Waiting Period (Shankland, Katrina) The unemployment insurance waiting period. Deadline: Monday, July 20, 5 pm
LRB-6256
Memo
Work Searches (Erpenbach, Jon) Work registration and work search requirements for unemployment insurance and granting rule-making authority. Deadline: Monday, July 20, 5 pm
LRB-6246
Memo
UI Benefits (Larson, Chris) Allowing participants in extended occupational training to receive unemployment insurance benefits. Deadline: Monday, July 20, 5 pm
LRB-6244
Memo
UI Benefits (Neubauer, Greta) Allowing social security disability recipients to receive concurrent unemployment insurance benefits. Deadline: Monday, July 20, 5 pm
LRB-6265
Memo
Work Searches (Smith, Jeff) Work search requirement for unemployment insurance. Deadline: Monday, July 20, 5 pm
LRB-6362
Memo
UI Insurance (Larson, Chris) Substantial fault for the purposes of unemployment insurance. Deadline: Monday, July 20, 5 pm
LRB-6254
Memo
Work Requirements (Stubbs, Shelia) Suitable work requirements for the purpose of unemployment insurance and granting rule-making authority. Deadline: Monday, July 20, 5 pm
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