Grant County Herald Independent Questionnaire:

1. What previous political experience have you had? Or and Positions held?
   
   For the past two years I have had the privilege of serving the people of the 49th District in the Wisconsin State Assembly.  I have been a community voice for many years, and look forward to continuing to serve.
   
2. Why are you running? What has Motivated you to seek (or retain) this post?
   
   I’m running for re-election because I want to keep working for the changes we started in 2006.  Times are tough, and now more than ever we need to use a commonsense approach to address the important issues like keeping our great schools, lower property taxes, and more creating family supporting jobs. With your vote I will continue to be a voice for Southwestern Wisconsin in Madison.
    
3. What Qualifications do you have for the position being sought and what do you feel you have to offer to the position.
   
   I bring a commonsense view based on reality not ideology to Madison.  This is so important in this time of political spin and divisive ideologies.  In the State Assembly I have served on the Transportation Committee, Agriculture Committee and Rural Affairs and Rural Economic Development committees.  This service has provided me with the opportunity to successfully work for safer roads, sound farm policy, and economic development.  My many years as a farm radio broadcaster and as a community advocate have given me the background to make a difference for everyday, hard working folks.  
   
   
4. What do you feel is the most important issue in this election?
   
   I have spoken to literally thousands of voters over the past three years and most of them think there is more than just one important issue. People are concerned about healthcare they can afford, great schools for their kids, lower taxes on their families, jobs for the future, and lowering gas and energy costs.  It’s no secret that times are tough, and we need to work for commonsense ways lower taxes, but still provide services that we all depend on.
   
   
5. What changes do you feel need to be made in the Legislature or State Government (in any)?
   
   For Many years the Legislature has failed to tackle the hard issues that affect us all.  I have already started to bring change to Madison.  In my first term I authored and supported bills to lower property taxes, fund our local schools, create jobs, and increase access to affordable healthcare.  There is a lot left to do.  Next session I will keep writing, and supporting commonsense laws to protect our kids’ education by reforming the way we fund out schools, to lower property taxes, and get everyone healthcare they can afford. 
   
   
6. A brief family background (name of spouse, children and ages, grades in school)?
   
   I was the fifth generation to be raised on the family farm in Mt. Hope Township in rural grant county.  I have one sister (Teresa) and three brothers (Brian, Mark, and Kevin).  My parents are Dave and Shirley Garthwaite.
   
   
7. The economy is on everyone’s minds right now, what do you think is appropriate, and what do you think I possible to effect the economy if you are elected.
   
   It’s no secret that times are tough, but there are commonsense solutions we can all agree on.   In the short term we need to lessen the tax burden on everyday Wisconsinites. During my first term I introduced the HOPE plan that if passed would lover property taxes by six hundred dollars a year for most people in the 49th. I also worked with the Grant County Economic Development Corporation to expand tax credits to companies to hire more workers.
   
   In the long term we can help to build a renewable fuel economy. Farms in southwestern Wisconsin are in an excellent position to not only grow our fuel, but create jobs and grow our economy.  We need to make sure our kids are getting the education they deserve, one that will keep our communities strong and growing.
   
   
8. Education is one of the most talked about components of every state budget, with the state playing a large role in funding for each district.  What are your thoughts about the qualified economic offer, state mandated revenue caps for districts, and the increasing number of school district referendums?
   
   During the last budget the Assembly Republican Leadership proposed and voted for a plan that tried to slash more than one million dollars ($1,000,000.00) from schools in the 49th assembly district.  I fought hard against these cuts and at the end of the day successfully kept our funding in place.  If these proposed cuts had been passed, property taxes would have gone up to make up for the missing money.  I have a proven record of fighting to lower property taxes, and still fund our schools.
   
   It’s no secret that the current school funding system is broken.  First and foremost need to ease the burden on property tax payers, and stop short changing our kids at the same time.  Revenue limits and the QEO provide a knock out, one two punch to our schools.  The current formula of revenue limits and the QEO ensure that our schools will never have adequate funding, and so will need to ask the property tax payers to pay more and more, just to keep school doors open.   Referendums are divisive and harmful to our local communities.  They pit fixed income seniors who can’t afford to pay ever higher and higher property taxes, against kids who deserve a good education.  That’s a game that no one can win.    The Legislature has ignored this issue for far too long.  It’s going to take the input of a lot of different groups to fix this problem, but we can pass the reforms necessary to fund good quality schools, without costly and divisive referendums. 
   
   
9. What initiatives would you attempt to help agriculture? small business?
   
   Agriculture and small business are the life blood of our communities.  This past session I served on both the Assembly Agriculture Committee, and the Rural Economic Development Committee.  On these committees I fought for fairer farm policies, and more help for small businesses.  I helped introduce the Farmers Healthcare Access Plan (AB-24) that would have helped thousands of farm families get access to affordable healthcare, making it easier for family farmers to stay in business.   I successfully worked with the Grant County Economic Development Corporation to bring new important business tax credits to employers in Southwestern Wisconsin.  I also supported the “Buy Local” program that promotes Wisconsin Businesses.  I also supported a new border grant program that helps southwestern Wisconsin business compete with Iowa and Illinois.    
   
   As we focus more and more on growing our fuel, I believe that southwestern Wisconsin has amazing potential to grow and develop into an energy power house.  We need to look forward to a more secure and prosperous way to fuel our cars, and our communities, and I know that agriculture holds tremendous promise for us all.  I plan to continue to work to produce positive incentives to help grow small business and agriculture without resorting to overreaching mandates. 
   
   
10. Finally, please take time to say in your own words, what you want the voters of grant county to know about you, what you would do if reelected and why this election is so important.
    
    At the end of the day we need a State Representative that operates in a reasonable and efficient way.  This last session the Assembly Republican Leadership instead focused on divisive and petty issues that did little to move Wisconsin in a positive direction.  I will continue to offer a commonsense approach to the issues that matter.  We need a government focused on reality and not ideology.  After all our state’s motto is forward, not bicker and hope things get better.