<p>Milwaukee County Supervisor Theo Lipscomb and Andrew Cigielski are vying to represent District 1 on the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors. The general election will be held on Tuesday, April 3. (Not sure you live in District 1? Verify your voter registration and district in the <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https://vpa.wi.gov/\">Voter Public Access</a> database.)<br /> </p> <p>Here are Cigielski\'s and Lipscomb\'s answers to the Shepherd\'s candidate questionnaire: <br /></p> <p><strong>ANDREW CEGIELSKI</strong> </p> <p><strong>Website:</strong> <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http://www.andrewcegielski.info/\">www.andrewcegielski.info</a><br /><br /><strong>Shepherd: </strong>Tell us a bit about your background to introduce yourself to the Shepherd readers.<br /><br /><strong>Cegielski:</strong> I\'m 28 years old. I live and work in the city of Glendale. My mother and father live in the city of Waukesha. Shortly after I was born, my family moved to Milwaukee during the early \'80s because the recession made it hard to find work up North. Most of my immediate family is still up north in the Mosinee area. My parents made sure to visit as much as possible to stay close. We lived in Milwaukee till I was five, and then moved to Waukesha because my father worked out there. I spent the rest of my youth in the city of Waukesha.<br /><br />I was an honor roll student at Waukesha South with only 2 credits to graduate when I decided to drop out. I spent the summer before my senior year in the Arkansas wilderness volunteering with an organization called the Student Conservation Association. I learned a lot of things about myself and my place in the world during that trip. Then, only a month into my senior year, 9-11 happened. I didn\'t see two falling towers. I saw a veil being lifted. I needed time to think after that, and for me school was actually a very hard place to think. I told my parents I was leaving school and they supported me. All they asked was that I get a full time job, which I did.<br /><br />A lot happened after that but the highlights are: 1) I decided to pursue a career in the water industry after reading an article in the Waukesha Freeman and touring the Waukesha wastewater plant. 2) Got my High School diploma from the Wisconsin Department of Education. 3) Found the only water treatment specific program in the state was offered by Moraine Park Tech College. 4) Found a job on a farm that allowed me to make enough to pay for college (I did not take out loans). I was able to work full time on the farm while going to school because the courses were offered online. I\'m a BIG fan of online education. 5) I got a job, moved to Milwaukee, worked.<br /><br />I ran for Nicolet School Board last spring and applied for a position on the North Shore Library Board. I\'m a BIG fan of libraries.<br /><br /><strong>Shepherd: </strong>Where are you currently employed?<br /><br /><strong>Cegielski:</strong> I\'ve worked for the North Shore Water Commission for a little over five years as a Operator / Technician.<br /><br /><strong>Shepherd: </strong>Why are you running for office?<br /><strong><br />Cegielski: </strong>I think I have a better vision for this county than my opponent. Most importantly, I think I understand economic growth better than my opponent.<br /><br />I knew first hand that nobody was going to run against Theo. So, I felt it was my duty, as a citizen, to offer myself as an alternative choice. I think it\'s terrible for our democracy to have uncontested races. This general malaise, I believe, is why our government seems so arrogant sometimes.<br /><br /><strong>Shepherd: </strong>What are the top three issues that you want to address? How would you deal with them?<br /><br /><strong>Cegielski: </strong>1) Implementing pro-growth policy at the county level. I would personally like to see the board actively promote and work with the Milwaukee Water Council. It\'s a an industry group dedicated to growth and I feel it\'s an issue that can bring a lot of stakeholders together because water touches on everything we do. I also see the water council as a conduit by which outside dollars will funnel into our region, which by the way is the only way an economy grows. Everybody talks about jobs and the economy but nobody actually talks about how economic growth really happens. I would also like to see us fostering entrepreneurial efforts in much the same way as we foster the arts.<br /><br />I also see high tech innovation having a positive effect on our economy. For example, I see a huge paradigm shift coming with regard to transportation. We don\'t have flying cars yet, but we are starting to see the advent of cars that can drive themselves. The cities and states that embrace this new mode of transportation and properly prepare for it will reap the benefits. I believe telecommuting has a similar potential to improve our standard of living.<br /><br />2) Infrastructure (this includes the parks). We can no longer defer maintenance to our War Memorial Center. I think we dishonor ourselves and the memory of our veterans by letting that building fall into disrepair. I can\'t for the life of me figure out how the board can find millions to repair/rebuild the Estabrook Dam, and spend millions more on its inevitable upkeep but can\'t seem to find the money to repair one of the county\'s most valuable assets on the lakefront.<br /><br />I also believe our sanitary and storm sewers need to be separated. We MUST stop dumping waste water in the lake with out proper treatment. Water infrastructure is a huge issue up here in my district and even outside the district. For example, Shorewood is looking to join the North Shore Water Commission. All the communities are beginning the process of replacing much of their aging water distribution system. Flooding continues to be an issue as well. The county should ensure that cities continue to move forward with improvements to their infrastructure.<br /><br />In regards to the parks, saying I support them is kind of besides the point. Having a plan to maintain them is what matters. I see a big role for young entrepreneurs here. I also think that the county could sponsor community run competitions that result in the implementation of ideas about how to use our parks. These ideas would be voted on by the community. <br /><br />3) Access to health care. I hesitate to put this in my top three, but only because I\'m usually more likely to talk about education or veterans affairs. This is a huge issue though and a relevant one as we see with the recent announcements about Aurora Sinai Medical Center potentially closing. I\'m also hesitant because I don\'t claim to have a specific plan of my own to address access, but this is definitely going to be a daily consideration for me and I want see improvement in access and services provided.<br /><br /><strong>Shepherd:</strong> How would you make Milwaukee County and specifically, this district more attractive to businesses and residents?<br /><br /><strong>Cegielski: </strong>In regards to businesses being attracted, I want to address something in particular. There is an economic collapse going on in the village of Brown Deer and nobody is talking about it. We have to address this situation before it becomes a blighted area. Businesses are not going to be attracted to a community that doesn\'t deal with its problems. Businesses are members of the community too, and as such, rightly demand redress from their government. <br /><br />In regards to residents, it\'s about keeping our environment clean, keeping our schools performing ABOVE average, and keeping our government accountable. <br /><br /><strong>Shepherd: </strong>How would you boost revenues and/or cut spending?<br /><br /><strong>Cegielski: </strong>You\'ll definitely see me working to trim a lot of contracted services. This is consistent with my belief that the board can operate on a part-time basis. Beyond that I\'ll only say that everything is on the table, and believe it is time to really start justifying our expenditures. <br /><br />In regards to revenues, we need to prioritize expanding the tax base by growing our economy. This is the only way to avoid the big cuts to services that will otherwise be necessary, and that I will vote for if we don\'t have the money.<br /><br /><strong>Shepherd: </strong>What are your views of Gov. Walker\'s changes to collective bargaining, specifically their affect on count employees and the county\'s budget? Have the changes helped or hurt local governments? Should public safety employees have been included in all of the changes?<br /><br /><strong>Cegielski: </strong>I am in a union and the changes to state law affected me directly. That being said, I don\'t believe collective bargaining is some kind of panacea for public employees. In fact, I think it results in sometimes nonsensical policy: like seniority rules, which is age discrimination.<br /><br />The public unions themselves have it all wrong. This is not about collective bargaining. This is about global economic competition. If democratic union members want to be mad at someone, they should be mad at the men and woman who created the integrated circuit, automated manufacturing, global telecommunications, the internet, global logistics, global financial institutions. <br /><br />This is not about trampling on "workers rights." It\'s about trying to hand our children a world where they can compete. I realize we don\'t like to think about stuff like that, but it\'s necessary if we want to keep our standard of living high. We can\'t just protest our way to a better life.<br /><br />I\'ve always thought the term "bargaining" was misleading too. There was no real bargaining going on. I\'ve sat in negotiating meetings. The taxpayer (like my father) has no voice. It was taxation without representation. Local governments are better off now because the taxpayers had their voices heard.<br /><br />In regards to public safety employees, I think we\'re dealing with a different dynamic. These are high-risk positions that require a stronger voice when dealing with their working conditions. So one could argue that they should be insulated a bit from political considerations. This is consistent with my belief that unions DO SERVE A PURPOSE for certain occupations. This doesn\'t give those unions a "get out of jail free" card though. They need to be accountable too.<br /><br /><strong>Shepherd: </strong>What sets you apart from your opponent?<br /><br /><strong>Cegielski: </strong>I trust the people in my community. He doesn\'t. If you think that is a bombastic thing to say, I\'ll only cite that when the Glendale Common Council was considering whether to put the two advisory questions on our ballot, Theo was the only person there advocating for them to be kept off. Myself and three other individuals were there demanding that the people have a voice. I\'ll ask again: What kind of politician openly advocates that a vote not be taken in our democracy? An arrogant one.<br /><br />Also, Theo has a four-year track record of going along to get along, and I see myself more likely to take a leadership role on issues.<br /><br />Our political differences, as I see them, really embody the political dialectic of our time: It\'s no longer about man\'s own personal responsibilities to his neighbor and to his God, which I believe is the kind of society the founding fathers were trying to set up. Today political life is about man\'s relationship to the government in whatever form it manifests itself. <br /><br />It seems to me that Theo believes politicians can leverage government to pick winners and losers based on that politician\'s own version of fairness. Here I\'ll cite his "Ready to Work" resolution. I, on the other hand, believe it is up to the government to ensure equality under the law and a level playing field whereby a individual can leverage his or her own God given talents to accomplish his or her own ends.<br /><strong><br />Shepherd: </strong>Who has endorsed you?<br /><br /><strong>Cegielski: </strong>I\'ve asked for endorsements from a few select individuals, but I have no official endorsements as of yet. In the mean time, I\'m out knocking on doors every day and the feedback has been positive. The people like my message, and that\'s all that really matters.<br /></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p><strong>THEODORE LIPSCOMB<br /></strong></p> <p><strong>Website:</strong> <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http://www.votersforlipscomb.com\">www.votersforlipscomb.com</a><br /><br /><br /><strong>Shepherd: </strong>Tell us a bit about your background to introduce yourself to the Shepherd readers.<br /><br /><strong>Lipscomb: </strong>I am a lifelong resident of Milwaukee County, married for 7 years (Nicole), and have 3 children (5, 3, and 9 months). I attended Marquette University High School and graduated with honors from the UW-Milwaukee School of Architecture and Urban Planning. My work experience includes nearly 5 years at a leading Milwaukee architectural firm, over 2 years of self-employment, and 8 years working in the not for profit sectorwith a focus on community development and affordable housing.<br /><br /><strong>Shepherd: </strong>Where are you currently employed?<br /><br /><strong>Lipscomb:</strong> Since 2008, I have served full-time as the Milwaukee County Supervisor in the 1st District. My election was very unique in that I defeated a 12-year incumbent via a write-in campaign.<br /><br /><strong>Shepherd:</strong> Why are you running for office?<br /><br /><strong>Lipscomb:</strong> I am running for re-election to continue the work I have started in terms of adapting county government to current demands and improving the quality of life in Milwaukee through appropriate investments in public services and important infrastructure.<br /><br /><strong>Shepherd: </strong>What are the top three issues that you want to address?<br /><br /><strong>Lipscomb: </strong>The top issues that I want to address are: 1) responsible budgeting 2) maintaining quality of life services and 3) economic development.<br /><br /><strong>Shepherd: </strong>How would you deal with them?<br /><br /><strong>Lipscomb: </strong>Responsible budgeting in the context of Milwaukee County government means taking a balanced approach that includes revenue enhancement, improved efficiency and necessary cuts. In terms of quality of life services, I continue to advocate for the 1% sales tax that voters approved in the November 2008 referendum; it is clear that most citizens support adequately funding parks, recreation and culture; transit; and emergency medical services. Our long-term success depends on economic development. I have helped to led Milwaukee County in the right direction by successfully proposing a return to a 50% resident contracting standard on public works projects, the creation of an Economic Development Fund, and a $1 million investment in workforce development in 2012 (Biddle-Lipscomb “Ready to Work” Initiative). All of these areas require greater attention and follow through and I want to help lead those efforts.<br /><br /><strong>Shepherd: </strong>How would you make Milwaukee Countyand specifically, this districtmore attractive to businesses and residents?<br /><br /><strong>Lipscomb: </strong>The 1st District is already attractive to businesses and residents; it includes northeast Milwaukee along with five of the north shore suburbs. It is important that we better utilize public transit and infrastructure investment to effectively connect more people with school and work opportunities. The Ready to Work Initiative will provide custom training and placement to connect qualified people, who are ready to work, to open positions. Quality of life services and public amenities are critical to attract and retain residents.<br /><br /><strong>Shepherd:</strong> How would you boost revenues and/or cut spending?<br /><br /><strong>Lipscomb: </strong>The state has imposed strict limits on the ability to raise additional revenue through the property tax levy which leaves the county with few options. My preference is a 1% sales tax as endorsed my a majority of voters in November 2008, an estimated 1/3 of the funds would be from citizens from outside of Milwaukee County, but this requires authorization from the state. Everyone should be honest about the fact that our ability to cut spending, outside of some limited efficiency measures, has really reached the point where we are cutting services. These service cuts should be a last resort, but they are necessary in the face of insufficient funding.<br /><strong><br />Shepherd: </strong>What are your views of Gov. Walker\'s changes to collective bargaining, specifically their affect on county employees and the county budget? Have the changes helped or hurt local governments? Should public safety employees have been included in all of the changes? <br /><br /><strong>Lipscomb: </strong>I am opposed to Walker\'s changes to collective bargaining which I believe go too far. In Milwaukee County the changes had less effect financially in the short-term because much of the “savings” from higher pension and benefit contributions were already budgeted and assumed, but the changes will artificially push down labor costs. Long term, there is a very real danger that the changes will hurt local government because we will be less competitive in attracting and retaining quality talent through competitive compensation and benefits. There is no reasonable rationale for singling out certain public safety employees. Why is a nurse in the jail treated as less critical than a deputy who is working in the same space?<br /><br /><strong>Shepherd:</strong> What sets you apart from your opponent?<br /><br /><strong>Lipscomb:</strong> I have a broader understanding and deeper commitment to the important issues and services addressed by county government. As a husband, father and citizen, raised in the district that I represent, I am committed to building a stronger and more sustainable Milwaukee County. On the issue of representation, I believe that the newly drawn 2012 supervisory districts in Milwaukee County are large enough (18 districts with an average of 54,000 residents) and that county supervisors should serve full time; my opponent supports moving to half the representation (9 districts of 108,000 or more) and part-time service. <br /><br /><strong>Shepherd: </strong>Who has endorsed you?<br /><br /><strong>Lipscomb: </strong>I am endorsed by a broad array of public officials and organizations including: Congresswoman Gwen Moore; state Sen. Chris Larson; state Rep. Sandy Pasch; Milwaukee Area Labor Council, AFL-CIO; AFSME, DC-48; Amalgamated Transit Union, Local 998; Milwaukee Deputy Sheriffs Association; Wisconsin Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals; Milwaukee Professional Fire Fighters Association; American Federation of Teachers, Local 212; SEIU, Wisconsin State Council; Equality Wisconsin.<br /><strong><br /></strong><br /> </p>
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