Here's the Labor Council release:
Press Release
Winnebago County Labor Council AFL-CIO
Contact: Stephen Dedow
Email: winnebagolabor@hotmail.com
Winnebago County Labor Council Endorses Candidates for April Elections
The Winnebago County Labor Council, the local AFL-CIO chapter, held its annual candidate forum on Thursday, February 23rd for the purpose of endorsing individuals running for local offices.
The following candidates were endorsed by the WCLC:
City Council: Mark Madison
Oshkosh School Board: Dennis Kavanaugh, Lee Wilson and Amy Weinsheim.
Winnebago County Board District 17: Jef Hall
The forum questions included individual positions on the Tax Payers Bill of Rights (TABOR), tax incentive accountability and economic development, new ideas for attracting and maintaining good paying jobs, the right to organize, shared revenue reductions, privatization, gender equity, and prevailing wage laws.
Candidates in attendance included: Burk Tower, Amy Weinsheim, Wayne Traska, Kent Monte, Dennis Kavanaugh, Brian Poeschl, and Mark Madison. Michelle Monte and Jef Hall requested and submitted questionnaires for consideration, while Paul Esslinger and Dan Becker respectfully declined the invitation to attend.
Council President Stephen Dedow stated that "All the candidates in attendance gave thoughtful, honest and considerate answers to our questions. I believe that the intentionally loose format of the forum created an atmosphere of openness which allowed all those who participated to exchange ideas freely. Most of the
candidates had similar view points such as the nearly unanimous opposition to TABOR. The individuals we ended up endorsing simply were closer philosophically to our overall position as organized labor and as such would represent our concerns effectively".
The current endorsements follow earlier recommendations in support of Peg Lautenschlager for Attorney General and Karen Siefert for Judge in Branch 4.
Here was my statement and request for endorsement:
Mr. Dedow,
As you know, I am a candidate for the Winnebago County Board in District 17. This letter is to request the Winnebago County Labor Council endorsement.
I have enjoyed working with the Winnebago County Labor Council over the past years, and look forward to continuing to in the future. I am pleased that through co-operation with the Labor Council, Winnebago County was the 2nd County in Wisconsin to endorse the Wisconsin Health Care Plan. As a County Supervisor, I will work to continue such co-operation.
I am running for this seat because I feel that we need to ensure fairness and balance in the funding and delivery of services to the residents of Winnebago County. I also believe that we can do this while still upholding a quality of life for both the taxpayers and the hard-working county employees that they fund.
To often people demand a cut in their taxes on the backs of county and municipal workers. To often people turn to privatization schemes to save money simply by hollowing out the pay of workers.
I believe that Winnebago needs to fund the services on which working people rely, and provide a fair wage for those county workers that provide these services.
This is not to say that there will not be cuts and funding decisions to make in the upcoming budgets. I pledge to work in the best interest of Winnebago County when we look at what services we will provide. And in the same token, fight to ensure that these services are funded through a fair and progressive system.
I believe that the greatest statement of the morals of an organization is where it chooses to expend its resources. I will not balance the budget on the backs of workers and the poor. I will not add to the misery of the vulnerable to fund breaks for the comfortable.
I will also continue to be a voice for our issues at a local, county and state level.
These are the reasons I respectfully request the Winnebago County Labor Council endorsement for Winnebago County Board. Please feel free to contact me anytime at 920.203.6883 or jef@jefhall.com with any questions.
Thank you,
Jef Hall
Candidate for
Winnebago County Board
District 17
224 A Scott Ave
Oshkosh, WI 54901
920.203.6883
jef@jefhall.com
http://www.jefhall.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment