Deschler, 52, ran in 2002, 2004 and 2008 for the 62nd District Assembly seat now held by Rep. Cory Mason. On Sunday he announced his candidacy for the 13th District Aldermanic seat on the City Council, a seat now held by James Spangenberg. One of Deschler's issues is the now-dead Tom Tousis plan for a West Racine grocery/gas station/restaurant that was opposed by Spangenberg. But mostly he seems to be running against Mayor John Dickert's budgets and job creation efforts and aldermen who have "marched happily along with the mayor."
Here's Deschler's campaign statement:
I am announcing my candidacy for the 13th District Aldermanic seat in the City of Racine.
Having watched the past year as one business after another has found obstacles provided by the City Council, it has become clear to me the best way to improve the City Council is run for the seat. The lack of a business-friendly attitude and bureaucracy committed to satisfying its own appetite for greater control and manipulation over the citizens of Racine is neither good for our citizens nor is it good for the potential businesses, jobs and future citizens waiting to come and become part of our community.
Many issues can and should be addressed in the upcoming election: how best to treat investors on the West Boulevard and Washington Avenue corner and the potential of attracting new business to our town not by throwing piles of money for a handful of jobs, but rather by reducing the tax burden and freeing the investors to bring jobs and opportunity to our city. Racine needs a City Council and leadership that is taxpayer friendly, and doesn’t rely on grants and gifts bestowed upon us by crawling before federal and state government.
The American people and especially the people of southeast Wisconsin spoke in huge numbers and in a dramatic voice demanding less invasive government and lower tax burdens for all.
I have watched now for two years in a row, as Racine’s current mayor has presented budgets with no cuts in jobs, no cuts in benefits, and an increase in tax burden on the citizenry. In each case the aldermen marched happily along with the mayor. This must stop and the time is now.
I am asking my fellow Racine taxpayers to contact all of their aldermen before Tuesday night and tell them "no" on the budget being proposed. We must demand that they get our message that enough is enough.
If the city alderman aren't listening when the people have spoken louder than ever, when will they listen? There are alternatives to the budgets proposed and tens of thousands of dollars in savings to the taxpayers can be found. Making Racine the lowest taxed "island" in the Midwest will bring business and citizens to our great city.
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At least he'll still be able to peddle his ugly coffee tables. Maybe.
ReplyDeleteThis level of ignorance is dangerous.
ReplyDeleteAnon 7:06 you are making a reference to your comment I hope.
ReplyDeletespangy has done nothing for west racine. he sys businesses are full yet there is a closed business next to johnson furniture. it has dead flies in the window and has never been open in the 12 years we have lived here.
ReplyDeletespangy has got to go. there is no place in an economically dying town for a city council that cannot find businesses to come here.
Spanky didn't go for the gas station, how about a large furniture store on the corner of Grove, West Blvd., and Wash.?
ReplyDeleteMr. Deschler is a nice enough man and sincerely believes in his Libertarian perspective. With the current flirtation with Libertarian ideas it might prove useful to elect someone like him and put their theories to the test.
ReplyDeleteEveryone loves the idea of lower property taxes, but if you ask those same people about cutting services as a result, they don't like it so much. Beyond the basics like police and fireman, people are fond of libraries, health departments, zoo's, parks, universities and city sports. Are they necessary? Maybe not, but they are what makes city government a community.
When times are tough people look to elected officials and local government to assist in making things better, create jobs, lure companies to the area, facilitate job retraining. A Libertarian perspective doesn't see this as the job of government at all, in fact quite the opposite. Someone like Mr. Deschler believes the free market will take care of itself, less government interference will create a lure all it's own. An interesting idea, but short sighted.
Companies looking to relocate want a location that has education opportunities to attract a smart workforce. They want good transportation options, updated infrastructure and community amenities that make their location attractive.
This is the kind of balance our elected officials must weigh and is not accomplished by simply voting 'no' to everything that costs money.
The last comment by "anonymous' is thoughtful, and raises some good points about what a "libertarian" on the council will seek to accomplish. However, I think that this person assumes that I will basically try to ram a "radical downsizing" of city government, in accordance with what they think libertarian dogma is. That is not what I, or Eric Marcus, or George Meyers, or Ken Brown, or any other prominent fiscal conservatives in Racine are proposing. Please refer to Eric Marcus' article in the Journal Times (Sunday, 11/14). The main focus on the budget is to not increase taxes, limit the amount taken from the reserve fund, and erase the deficit through cuts in wasteful or low-priority spending. We're not talking about privatizing scores of services, or disregarding state mandates on local governments, or abolishing job training programs or government loans to businesses. We are talking about zero-base budgeting, and not assuming any increases in spending. Each program must be judged on its merits, via careful cost/benefit analysis, and by establishing priorities as to "wants" versus "needs". This is what our households have to do each pay period, with all the layoffs and deferred pay increases. Why can't government play by those same rules, and make some REAL sacrifices? Government isn't supposed to be the primary source of our "quality of life" and "economic stimulus". The citizens of a freedom-loving culture and society are! That's why the city council needs to vote NO on this bloated behemoth of a budget, and start over from scratch this Tuesday at 7:30 PM.
ReplyDeleteWhere does he stand on Urban Chickens
ReplyDeleteWell said Keith. I hope you get elected.
ReplyDeletePlease - anyone but Mason!
ReplyDeleteI don't think we need a libertarian who doesn't believe in government. What do you all want to give up? Your roads, clean water, police or fire departments? If people don't want government they should go live in Haiti, they don't have any gov't there or there are many other countries with failing gov'ts you can choose from.
ReplyDelete