No democratic challenger in November General Election
By Tracy Ouellette
SLN Staff
Without a democratic challenger in the Nov. 8 General Election for the 83rd State Assembly District, Tuesday’s primary election is the only chance area voters have to choose between the four GOP candidates running for the seat.
On the ballot for the Republican primary are Jordan Karweik, Karen Schuh, Steve Whittow and Chuck Wichgers.
The 83rd Assembly District includes portions of Muskego, Hales Corners, Big Bend, Vernon, East Troy, Waterford and Town of Waukesha.
The candidates have been busy campaigning and visiting with district residents over the past few months to introduce themselves and present their platforms.
The candidates recently took time to interview with Southern Lakes Newspapers about their campaigns and the issues facing the district.
No more taxes
By and far, the candidates all said the issue weighing the most heavily on voters minds is taxes.
“The district is so wide and varied, but the prevailing issue is to do everything possible to lower taxes. That’s the issue I’m hearing over and over again, from business, single moms, homeowners, just everybody,” Schuh said.
“As I’m talking to people, it’s simple – it’s taxes,” Karweik said. “Everyone is saying we’re paying too many taxes, which makes sense as we’re the fifth highest taxed state in the nation.”
Wichgers said he was concerned about Gov. Scott Walker’s proposed budget and how the district needed the right person to work with legislators on keeping taxes down.
“It will be one of the tightest budgets ever proposed,” Wichgers said. “We need to hold the line on taxes, limit government and reduce fees. It’s is going to be very difficult and it takes a special type of candidate to stand up against those in Madison who are looking to spend beyond our means.”
Whittow said he had heard a lot from the voters about how hard it is to get by and their concerns about taxes, terrorism and student loans.
“They tell me, ‘don’t raise my taxes, no more fees and no more gas tax,’” Whittow said. “There certainly isn’t a big appetite for raising taxes right now, I can tell you that.”
The candidate all agreed the only way to keep spending in line and taxes low was for legislators to work together.
“It’s such a complex issues,” Whittow said. “It took this long to screw it up, it’s going to take a long time to fix it. But when the revenues aren’t there, you have to make cuts.”
Schuh said her experience in working for nonprofits and in the private sector have shown her that the way to start is to research the issue and discuss the options to find a common ground.
“When I’ve done this I’ve always found ways to lower the burden,” she said. “I know with enough research and working with colleagues I’m sure there are ways to find to lower taxes. I can’t do it alone, but I know there are a lot of people who feel as I do and we can do it together.”
Wichgers offered specific areas where he thought spending should be cut.
“Most of the money being spent in Madison is on Medicaid and on failing schools,” he said. “We need to rein in the spending there so we can look at how we can address the increase in crime and the road conditions.”
Karweik said one of his goals was to shrink the size of government at the state level. “We need to look at the individual agencies. The Republicans have done a great job, but government is still growing and we need to be more responsible with taxpayer’s money.”
What sets them apart?
While Schuh, Whittow and Wichgers all touted their varied experiences as what sets them apart from the other candidates, Karweik said it was his libertarian views that offered a real difference.
“I am the most liberty-minded candidate,” Karweik said. “As long as you’re not hurting, affecting or costing someone money, I think people can do what they want. With others, sometimes there are strings attached to liberty, I don’t believe in that.”
Wichgers, who has served as an alderman in Muskego and on the Waukesha County Board of Supervisors, said he was the candidate who was evolving into a “true citizen legislator, who has knocked on doors consistently throughout the entire campaign to be able to know what the concerns are of the people in the district.
“And, as an independent conservative, I’m the only 100 percent pro-life candidate.”
Whittow, a Waukesha County Board supervisor, said his 28 years of experience in the private sector and as a supervisor has earned him multiple endorsements from inside the district and that was what set him apart.
“That’s the difference,” Whittow said. “I don’t talk; I get things done. I just want to get up there and work hard for the people. It’s who I am.”
Schuh said her experience at the local government level and in the private sector “gives me a lot of insight into what people are dealing with.
“As a small business owner, combined with my community service work, I think I’m one of the best candidates for our district.”
The candidates said they were available to anyone who wanted to talk more about the race and the issues.
Whittow can be reached at (262) 424-5128.
Wichgers can be reached at (414) 507-3140.
Karweik can be reached at (262) 758-7356.
Schuh can be reached at (262) 662-2333.
For more information about the candidates, see this week’s edition of the East Troy Times.
