<p> Milwaukee County Supervisor Peggy Romo West and Sylvia Ortiz are vying to represent District 12 on the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors. The general election will be held on Tuesday, April 3. (Not sure you live in District 12? Verify your voter registration and district in the <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https://vpa.wi.gov/\">Voter Public Access</a> database.)<br /><br />Ortiz and West responded to the Shepherd\'s candidate questionnaire. Here are their answers:</p> <p><strong>SYLVIA ORTIZ</strong> </p> <p><strong>Shepherd: </strong>Tell me a bit about your background to introduce yourself to the Shepherd readers.<br /><strong><br />Ortiz:</strong> I was born and raised in the 12th District, I went to Hayes, Morgandale and Kosciuszko. I also have a B.A. degree in Political Science from UWM. I come from a large family and have 7 brothers and sisters and over 25 nephews and nieces. My father was an evangelist for more than 20 years, he is also a Marquette Alumni, and now a small business owner. My mother is a nurse at the V.A. Hospital in hospice care and has been there for over 20 years. Most importantly I have been a volunteer in the community for many years. Just in the past year, I encouraged the city to do a three day study for the neighborhood and they fixed over 67 broken alley lights. I also started the ace boxing clean up project in which youth from the neighborhood get to be volunteers and involved at a young age as positive assets to their neighborhoods. <br /><br /><strong>Shepherd: </strong>Where are you currently employed?<br /><br /><strong>Ortiz: </strong>I am a Real Estate Broker licensed in the State of Wisconsin and have been for ten years.<br /><br /><strong>Shepherd:</strong> Why are you running for office? <br /><br /><strong>Ortiz:</strong> I am running for County Supervisor District 12 because as a lifelong resident, who has volunteered in our neighborhood for many years, I have the experience and commitment to do the best job as Milwaukee County Supervisor of the 12th District. I am running because the 12th District needs someone who will stay in touch with the voters of the district, not only during election time or every 8 years. I know and understand that in order to be a true representative you must speak to the people you want to represent not only at election times. Many voters feel that my opponent is out of touch and is not listening to their concerns. I am hard working, dedicated and I am ready to get to work and continue to serve as a leader in my community.<br /><strong><br />Shepherd:</strong> What are the top three issues that you want to address?<br /><br /><strong>Ortiz: </strong>Accessibility, transit, jobs and economic development.<br /><br /><strong>Shepherd:</strong> How would you deal with them?<br /><br /><strong>Ortiz: </strong><em>Accessibility: </em>After speaking with thousands of voters in the 12th Supervisory District, I know that voters are tired of only seeing their elected officials only during election time. The first thing I will do when I get elected is to go back and talk to all the voters of the 12th District. I believe in order to be a true representative you must speak to the people you represent. I plan to do this continually while I am office, to make sure that I am on the right track by the people who matter the most the people of the 12th District. You can count on my word and what is good for one is good for all.<br /><br /><em>Transit: </em>After speaking with thousands of people in the 12th District I know that a strong transit system is necessary to improve the quality of life of the residents and improve availability for jobs and economic growth. Of course we must continue to seek a designated funding source for transit in Milwaukee County. Another concern of many residents of the 12th District is having adequate bus shelters to shelter people in the cold and rain.<br /><em><br />Jobs and Economic Development: </em>A major component in insuring availability for jobs and economic growth depends on a strong transit system. I have met many people who live in the 12th District who have had to take lower paying jobs closer to home because our routes don\'t met the needs of the working class, handicapped or elderly. Furthermore, Milwaukee County needs to encourage small business to have the ability to flourish and stop the outsourcing of jobs in Milwaukee County, we need to keep Milwaukee County jobs available to Milwaukee County Residents. We have the labor and we need to keep Milwaukeeans working so that we can all enjoy a better quality of life.<br /><strong><br />Shepherd: </strong>How would you make Milwaukee Countyand specifically, this districtmore attractive to businesses and residents?<br /><br /><strong>Ortiz: </strong>After speaking with thousands of people in the 12th District I know that a strong transit system is necessary to improve the quality of life of the residents and improve availability for jobs and economic growth. Furthermore, Milwaukee County needs to encourage small business through legislation with the ability to flourish and stop the outsourcing of jobs in Milwaukee County. We need to keep Milwaukee County jobs available to Milwaukee County Residents. We have the labor and we need to keep Milwaukeeans working so that we can all enjoy a better quality of life. I also think it is very important to keep the business districts clean and safe.<br /><br /><strong>Shepherd:</strong> How would you boost revenues and/or cut spending?<br /><br /><strong>Ortiz: </strong>I would cut spending by using common sense and prioritizing what is most important to spend our limited budget on. Making sure that the money is used wisely is lacking and many of the people who live in my district understand what it is live life with a limited budget. Wasteful government spending strips needed services from the people. <br /><strong><br />Shepherd: </strong>What are your views of Gov. Walker\'s changes to collective bargaining, specifically their effect on county employees and the county\'s budget? <br /><br /><strong>Ortiz: </strong>I believe that collective bargaining is a fundamental right for public employee union yet I do believe that public employees should contribute to their health care and pensions. <br /><br /><strong>Shepherd: </strong>Have the changes helped or hurt local governments? <br /><br /><strong>Ortiz:</strong> It hurts the employees and middle class more than it does the government. I believe that it silences the voice of the working class.<br /><br /><strong>Shepherd: </strong>Should public safety employees have been included in all of the changes?<br /><br /><strong>Ortiz: </strong>What is good for one is good for all.<br /><br /><strong>Shepherd: </strong>What sets you apart from your opponent?<br /><br /><strong>Ortiz:</strong> I know that what sets me apart from my opponent is the dedication and attentiveness to the concerns of the voters in the 12th District. We need a County Supervisor that cares enough about our district to visit the voters and pay attention at standing committee meetings rather than social networking. In my term I will create legislation that offers solutions to issues that fall under the purview of county government and affect residents through county government. I have volunteered in my neighborhood for many years, and have the experience and commitment to do the best job as Milwaukee County Supervisor of the 12th District. I am running because the 12th District needs someone who will stay in touch with the voters of the district, not only during election time or every eight years. Many voters feel that my opponent is out of touch and is not listening to their concerns. I am hard working, dedicated and I am ready to get to work and continue to serve as a leader in my community.<br /><br /><strong>Shepherd:</strong> Who has endorsed you? <br /><br /><strong>Ortiz: </strong>My neighbors, voters and local businesses are the endorsements I have and will continue to seek since these are truly the people I will be representing.<br /><br /></p> <p><strong>PEGGY ROMO WEST</strong><br /><strong><br />Shepherd: </strong>Tell me a bit about your background to introduce yourself to the Shepherd readers.<br /><br /><strong>West: </strong>I was elected to the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors in 2004 when I became the first Hispanic ever elected to the County Board. In 2008, I was elected 2nd Vice Chair of the County Board by my peers. I am currently serving my second term as a member of both the Economic & Community Development Committee and the Finance & Audit Committee. I am also in my second term as a member of Health & Human Needs Committee having served my first term as Vice Chair and this term as Chair.<br /><br /><strong>Shepherd: </strong>Where are you currently employed?<br /><br /><strong>West:</strong> Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors, District 12.<br /><br /><strong>Shepherd: </strong>Why are you running for office?<br /><strong><br />West: </strong>I am running for County Supervisor District 12 to continue the work we have started on redesigning mental health, the 10-year plan to end homelessness (we have created 450+ units of housing so far) and to continue to make county government as transparent as possible. I believe I am the best person to help continue the progress we have made in these and other areas.<br /><br /><strong>Shepherd:</strong> What are the top three issues that you want to address?<br /><br /><strong>West: </strong>Human services, public safety and transit.<br /><br /><strong>Shepherd: </strong>How would you deal with them?<br /><br /><strong>West:</strong> <em>Human Services: </em>continue the redesign of mental health, making our services more community oriented while minimizing the reliance on emergency detention and hospitalization. My goal is to create a mental health system where treatment and support takes place in your community and not in a hospital unless absolutely necessary (understanding that sometimes that is the case). <br /><br /><em>Public safety: </em>I have worked extremely hard to make public safety a priority in District 12, in 2010 working with MPD D2 and the Citywide Block Watch Council; I helped to create 80 new block watches in District 12. In 2011, I helped create 64 block watches. In addition, I have co-hosted with the Office of the Sheriff and MPD South Side National Night Out Events annually in Kosciuszko Park to enhance law enforcement/community relations as well as introduce residents to all the resources available to them. I have also made public safety a priority within the county budget by ensuring that Targeted Enforcement Unit, Paramedics, our courts and the District Attorney\'s office are always fully funded.<br /><br /><em>Transit: </em>I have been successful in adding two bus routes in District 12 that provide much needed transportation to local residents and businesses (Route 17 and Route 54). I support the expansion of Bus Rapid Transit as a way of doing more with less and will continue to seek a designated funding source for transit in Milwaukee County.<br /><br /><strong>Shepherd:</strong> How would you make Milwaukee Countyand specifically, this districtmore attractive to businesses and residents?<br /><br /><strong>West: </strong>I will continue to make District 12 attractive to businesses and residents by making public safety and transit a priority. In order to have quality businesses and neighborhoods, your residents and patrons must feel safe and have a way to get to and from their destinations. In addition, Milwaukee County in the 2012 budget created a Revolving Loan Fund to assist businesses with the capital they need to succeed in this trying economy.<br /><strong><br />Shepherd:</strong> How would you boost revenues and/or cut spending?<br /><strong><br />West: </strong>Milwaukee County has begun the important work of creating intergovernmental agreements with other municipalities, which help us to create revenue while providing a valuable service to them. We provide IT service to the city of Cudahy, autopsy services to Racine and most recently, Family Care to Racine and Kenosha, to name a few. In January 2011 we signed an intergovernmental agreement with MPS that we have yet to explore the potential of which may also provide an opportunity to cut spending. I support these partnerships & encourage the continuation of these efforts. <br /><br /><strong>Shepherd:</strong> What are your views of Gov. Walker\'s changes to collective bargaining, specifically their effect on county employees and the county\'s budget? <br /><strong><br />West: </strong>I think the governor\'s changes to collective bargaining were unnecessary. Instead of giving us the “fiscal tool” of imposing our desires on our employees vs. collectively bargaining with them, I wish he would have done more to think outside the box in regards to Youth Aids, Family Care, Child Support, etc. The cuts that Milwaukee County took in these programs were far more dramatic than the “benefit” of removing collective bargaining.<br /><br /><strong>Shepherd: </strong>Have the changes helped or hurt local governments? <br /><strong><br />West: </strong>The 2011 changes made by Gov. Walker to collective bargaining have hurt more than helped Milwaukee County and our employees in our current budget. The ability to impose changes on rather than collectively bargain with our employees didn\'t assist Milwaukee County the way it may have other counties due to the fact that we had already included appropriations in our budget to deal with our labor unions in the 2011 budget because we have not had a ratified contract with AFSCME DC 48 since 2008. Milwaukee County has a proud of history of successful negotiations with our unions, we have union participation on many county subcommittees and task force they have been a strong voice for our employees, removing collective bargaining silences that voice.<br /><br /><strong>Shepherd: </strong>Should public safety employees have been included in all of the changes? <br /><br /><strong>West: </strong>I think in the spirit of Union Brotherhood that public safety employees wanted to be included in the changes to collective bargaining. I also think that if the governor was being genuine about his desire to abolish collective bargaining for the sake of giving counties “fiscal tools” they would have been included however again in Milwaukee County, it did not make a difference because we were able to collectively bargain with our public safety employees and achieve those savings without having to impose it on them.<br /><br /><strong>Shepherd: </strong>What sets you apart from your opponent?<br /><strong><br />West: </strong>I believe what sets me apart from my opponent is service to the community, experience and relationships. Even before being elected to the Milwaukee County Board in 2004 I was named “Hispanic Woman of the Year” by UMOS, Inc. for my service to the community, as County Supervisor, I hold more than a dozen park/neighborhood clean-ups a year. In addition, I hold 20+ events per year this includes, resources fairs, South Side National Night Out, Brides Walk against Domestic Violence, numerous resource fairs and a Milwaukee County Open House to name a few. Lastly, the experience I have gained as County Supervisor over the past eight years along with the relationships I have built with my County Board colleagues, the County Executive, other elected officials, county departments, labor and local businesses put me at significant advantage for being able to accomplish goals for District 12.<br /><br /><strong>Shepherd:</strong> Who has endorsed you?<br /><br /><strong>West: </strong>Milwaukee Area Labor Council AFL-CIO, AFSCME Dist. Council 48, Wisconsin Federation of Nurses & Health Professionals, ATU Local 998, Milwaukee Deputy Sheriff\'s Association, SEIU Wisconsin Council, Voces de la Frontera, Milwaukee Building and Construction Trades Council, Milwaukee Professional Fire Fighters Local 215, Int\'l Brotherhood of Electrical Worker, Milwaukee Ironworker, Equality Wisconsin, Citizen Action of Wisconsin, Clean Wisconsin Action Fund, Cong. Gwen Moore, State Rep. JoCasta Zamarippa, and Judge Pedro Colon.<br /><br /><br /></p>
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