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| 1/15/2008 11:18:00 AM | Email this article • Print this article |
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John Waelti, D-Monroe |
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Waelti to make bid for Assembly
Resigns from Monroe school board; will run in 80th District as Democrat
Mary Jane Grenzow
MONROE - John Waelti resigned from the Monroe school board Monday to begin his bid to win the 80th Assembly District seat away from Rep. Brett Davis.
Waelti said today he plans to make a formal announcement of his candidacy at a public event at 3 p.m. Jan. 27 at Turner Hall. A retired economics professor, he will run as a Democrat and face at least one other challenger, Kris Wisnefske, a Monroe nurse, in a September primary. Davis, R-Oregon, has not yet announced a re-election bid.
"I've been critical of politicians. Now it's time to put myself on the line. It's time to walk the walk," Waelti said.
In his letter of resignation to the school board, Waelti wrote he hoped to be able to address the state revenue caps imposed on school districts at the legislative level. These spending limits force school districts to turn to referendums in order to keep programs and staff.
A "more stable formula" is needed for school funding, Waelti said today. "I don't have the answer, but it needs to be addressed."
He also wants to see the Legislature take a closer look at health care. It should be addressed at the federal level, he said, but in the meantime states should be looking at health care.
"If handled right, it could be an economic development tool," Waelti said, explaining it could be an incentive to small businesses not to have to provide health insurance.
He also mentioned campaign finance reform as an issue he would like to address if elected.
One of his strengths, Waelti said, is his variety of experiences, ranging from being a "78-buck-a-month teenage Marine private" to being a Ph.D. student at the University of California-Berkeley to teaching agricultural economics to working with state-level government.
"I can talk with a variety of people," he said.
He grew up on a 220-acre dairy farm just north of Monroe, the grandson of Swiss immigrants. He graduated from Monroe High School, and after three years in the Marine Corps, the University of Wisconsin-Madison. After earning advanced degrees in Arizona and Berkeley, he spent more than 30 years as an economist at the University of Minnesota and New Mexico State University. He also served as visiting professor at the University of Nairobi and Sultan Qaboos University in Oman.
After retiring, Waelti returned to Monroe in June 2005. He was appointed to fill a vacancy on the school board that December, and ran for election when that term was up the following April. His term is set to expire in 2009.
School district business administrator Ron Olson said the district is checking with the State Elections Board to determine if it should begin the process of appointing someone to replace Waelti, or wait until the after the spring election, in which three other school board seats will be up for election. Waelti's replacement will serve until his term expires in 2009.
Waelti also has been an unpaid freelance columnist for The Monroe Times.
Gov. Jim Doyle appointed Waelti to the Southwest Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission. Waelti also is a member of the New Glarus chapter of AmVets.
Daphne Newman Stassin of Brodhead will serve as Waelti's campaign manager. Former Evansville mayor and 2006 candidate for the 80th Assembly District Janis Ringhand will be his campaign treasurer.
Waelti lives in Monroe with his wife Sherry. He has two adult children: Kara is a registered nurse in Madison and John Jr. is a corporate communications professional.
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Reader Comments
Posted: Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Article comment by:
John Smart
Living far from Monroe, I don't check in on this website too often, but I am not surprised to learn that Mr. Condon is against WEAC and thinks that socialism is "a catastrophic failure." [He might check with the Swedes, the Danes, the Norwegians and many others in socialist democracies who are thriving, thank you very much!]
Mr. Condon is reciting the standard, familiar script of the right wing: anti-union, anti-teacher, anti-everything!
Fortunately the world is turning, and a new, progressive day is dawning. The right-wing zealots in the state and the nation are about to get pitched out of office in November's election.
Sorry, Mr. Condon -
Posted: Friday, January 18, 2008
Article comment by:
Peter J. Condon
Other than my own posting, I can see that the other postings are from the left. There is of course that old adage: those can do, do those that can't: teach. Those that can't teach, teach: teachers. I know that is going to raise a few eyebrows and perhaps some venom from WEAC. Fact is you can't pay a truly good or excellent teacher enough in dollars/benefits. Then again a really excellent teacher may not be a teacher in the traditional sense, and likely not a member of WEAC.
A problem with persons coming from the public work sector is that they haven't contributed to the "real" economy. They are like saprophytes drawing down on the vibrant life of others. Now, perhaps if we had a economist coming from a real business or corporation that has been successful throughout a career long run, then maybe Jean is onto something.
Having said that; I realize that there is a need for those that work for the public, in one form or another. Although; I have never met a bureaucrat that wants to work themselves out of a job. No, far more likely that bureaucrats build more bureaucracy ad infinity.
Socialism is a failure, one only needs to look at the former Soviet block countries of Eastern Europe, to understand the catastrophic failure of Socialism.
Posted: Friday, January 18, 2008
Article comment by:
Jean Adler
"Long winded college professor"....now there's a stereotype. Have you watched the news lately to see what the stock market is doing...just this morning the President held a press-conference to discuss this country's declining economy. It's about time, Mr. Bush. Perhaps a long-winded college professor as Mr. Condon called Mr. Waelti is exactly what we need in the Assembly. Polls show that the economy is the most important issue in national politics today. Who better than an economist to make sense of this complex issue?
Posted: Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Article comment by:
Tom
And yet, Rep. Davis has done nothing except author legislation to deal with the funding for about 3,000 children in virtual "schools" while 800,000 others -- including those in the 80th -- suffer with the present system (which Mr. Condon criticizes. Hhm, not much action in Madison.
Posted: Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Article comment by:
John Smart
As a school board member in Park Falls, a small town in the northwoods, I welcome Mr. Waelti's entrance into the race for the 80th AD. We can use all the friends of schools we can get in the assembly! Brett Davis is not such a friend.
In Mr. Condon's opinion, "Revenue caps have worked for the property taxpayer in keeping school tax levies down." That is certainly true. What they are not doing, however, is allowing us to educate our kids to the degree needed in the 21st Century.
Schools are the primary engine of economic growth, and we let them deteriorate at our peril.
There are answers out there for the school funding problems, and they need to be studied and acted upon. Rep. Davis doesn't seem inclined to do so. I believe that Mr. Waelti will.
Posted: Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Article comment by:
Peter J. Condon
Waelti said, "I don't have the answer, but it needs to be addressed."
We sure don't need a long winded college Professor using a lot of words to say nothing as Representive of our 80th District.
Revenue caps have worked for the property tax payer in keeping school tax levies down. Although; the State does need to increase it's committment to public education. The promise was to fund at least 2/3 of the cost of our schools. Special Education funding from the State needs to be increased as well as transportation aids.
Prioritizing at the State level must include a better funding mechanism.
I have respect an admiration for Brett Davis our 80th District Representative and have confidance he is doing a great job as Chair of the Assembly Education Committee.
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