My column for the Washington County Daily News is online and in print. I take a look down ballot. Here’s a sample:
With two weeks until the election, most people have made their choices at the top of the ballot. Unfortunately, with the big races, like for governor and senator, rightfully dominating the news and advertising space, the races and issues further down the ballot are often overlooked. For most Wisconsinites, they will also be voting on a series of binding and non-binding referenda. Some of these referenda have sweeping consequences and should be carefully considered. I highly encourage every voter to go to myvote.wi.gov to see what is on their ballot as it will be different based on location.
To pick one of my favorite communities, voters in West Bend have three referenda on their ballots. Two of them are binding and will increase taxes. One of them is nonbinding. Let us take a look.
[…]
The second binding referendum is entitled, “Moraine Park Technical College General Obligation Bonds Referendum.” This referendum asks the voters to allow MPTC to borrow $55 million for four projects. These projects are to add and improve an advanced manufacturing and trades facilities to the Fond du Lac campus; expand the West Bend campus for manufacturing, automation, and a robotics lab; purchase land and build a fire training facility to certify fire fighters; and add and improve facilities for a health and human services education at the Fond du Lac campus.
Hell may be getting frosty, but this is a tax increasing referendum I would seriously consider supporting.
Looking at their web site, they already have a firefighting program along with EMT and paramedic training.
So, if they don’t have the facilities to train firefighters, how can they certify them?
Or do they just want more fancy equipment?
As I understand it, they currently have a mobile equipment that is near end of life. They want a permanent facility. I do think that’s probably unnecessary, but I like the other four projects.
It’s very important to vote wisely… Lest you end up with a criminal like this ruling over you law abiding citizens.
https://mobile.twitter.com/avsternator/status/1585776402796023808?cxt=HHwWgMDU3ZHP54EsAAAA