Boots & Sabers

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Tag: Glenn Grothman

Rep. Grothman Voted Against Funding Deal

by | 0822, 15 Feb 1919 | , | 1 Comment

I’m with Glenn. This is a bad deal. My rep, Congressman Sensenbrenner, also voted “no.”

“Due to the short amount of time we had to read the bill, it would be impossible to know all of the provisions within it. New, bad provisions seem to be uncovered every hour. I can confidently say, knowing what I already do, I cannot, in good conscience, vote for such a bill. I am aware that this bill is a compromise and I can’t expect all I want, but this is ridiculous.

While most public attention will focus on immigration provisions, that is actually a small section of the bill. One of my main concerns is that this bill spends too much money. America just exceeded $22 trillion in debt and we are borrowing about 22 percent of our budget. President Trump tried to bring some fiscal discipline to Congress, but they decided to spend 19 percent more than what the President proposed in this bill and overall two percent more than last year.

Since we must secure our border, one would hope this portion of the bill would make up for the spending described above. Actually, it makes things worse. According to President Trump’s border patrol expert, we need a minimum of $8 billion to build a wall that will make a meaningful, positive impact. The Democrats initially proposed $1.6 billion for wall funding and actually reduced that amount in the final draft of this bill to just under $1.4 billion. There are also provisions allowing local units of government along the border to drag out the process of building a wall.

Worst of all, gang members and criminals can stay in the U.S. if they find a child, any child, to accompany them. How immoral. I voted no because this is not a compromise, it’s a surrender.”

Grothman Votes to Reauthorize Export Import Bank

by | 1655, 28 Oct 1515 | , | 9 Comments

This is a very frustrating flip flop from someone who should know better (and apparently used to know better).

There is no getting around this one. Rep. Glenn Grothman did a full flip-flop on the Export-Import Bank, voting for the successful re-authorization in the House on Tuesday.

“While some opponents may claim the Bank only helps larger corporations, the truth is for every job created at a larger company, many more are created at local suppliers, manufacturers and small businesses. This bank is necessary for companies like Caterpillar, Pierce, Rockwell Automation and Manitowoc Crane to create jobs, spur innovation and lead America forward,” said Grothman.

But this wasn’t the tune Grothman was singing just over a year ago when running in a competitive Republican primary in the sixth congressional district. At a debate in July 2014, Grothman was asked by Charlie Sykes if he would support the re-authorization of the Export-Import Bank.

“No,” said Grothman. “Just as in the state of Wisconsin, over time we’re heading more and more to the idea that business success relies on public-private partnerships, the same is happening big time on the federal level. It’s a dangerous step down which to go.”

Mailman Convicted After Throwing Away Republicans’ Mailers

by | 0705, 18 Mar 1515 | , | 2 Comments

It’s nice to see a little accountability.

Rickey Krueger, a mail carrier for the Neenah post office, was convicted last week in U.S. District Court in Green Bay of mishandling the mail. After negotiations with prosecutors, Krueger agreed to plead guilty, quit his job and pay a fine of $750.

EARLIER: Charges filed against Krueger

The 879 mailings were sent out near the end of October, in advance of the Nov. 4 election. The flyers were candidates that court records would only identify by initials. However, a party spokesman told Press-Gazette Media this week that the mailings were for state Assembly candidate Mike Rohrkaste of Neenah and U.S. congressional candidate Glenn Grothman of Campbellsport.

Both candidates won their races with about 57 percent of available votes.

Krueger denied political motives, saying he had a sore shoulder and felt overwhelmed by the number of mailings, so he threw them in a dumpster instead of delivering them. He said he’d never done it before.

Grothman Says Single Parents are “Bribed” by Taxpayers

by | 2033, 30 Nov 1414 | | 1 Comment

Well…

In his run for Congress, the Republican state senator from Campbellsport said welfare reform would be his top priority in Washington, and in the interview broadcast Sunday, he said educating the public is a first step.

“So your viewers are aware, a single parent with a couple kids can easily get $35,000 a year in total benefits between the health care and the earned income credit and the FoodShare and the low-income housing and what have you,” Grothman said. “And that’s after taxes. How many people make $35,000 a year after taxes? Most people don’t.

“When you look at that amount of money, which is in essence a bribe not to work that hard or a bribe not to marry someone with a full-time job, people immediately realize you have a problem. Then as soon as you realize you have a problem and something has to be done, then you look at the generosity of the benefits and see what you can do to pare them back.”

Replied Gousha: “Bribe’s a pretty strong word, don’t you think?”

“Well, if you tell somebody you’re going to get $35,000 if you don’t get married and you’re not going to get anything if you marry somebody making 50 grand a year, it’s certainly a strong incentive not to raise children in wedlock,” Grothman said.

While I would not call it a “bribe,” Grothman is completely correct. As a general rule, if you subsidize something, you get more of it (see: college tuition). In this case, the taxpayers are subsidizing single parenthood.

On another note, it looks strange to see “Glenn Grothman (R – Campbellsport).”

Debating in the 6th

by | 0734, 9 Oct 1414 | | 1 Comment

This is a mistake by Grothman.

Two of the three candidates who want to represent the Sixth Wisconsin Congressional District sparred over government’s role in the economy and Social Security’s future during a forum Tuesday night.

Democrat Mark Harris, currently the Winnebago County executive, and Libertarian Gus Fahrendorf, a Neenah residential construction company owner, drew stark contrasts between each other on a variety of issues raised during a candidates forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Winnebago County, the American Democracy Project at UW-Oshkosh and Oshkosh Northwestern Media.

Harris saved his strongest words for the candidates’ Republican opponent, State. Sen. Glenn Grothman, who declined to participate in the forum. Grothman has also passed on a number of other opportunities to debate Harris.

While it is a Republican-leaning district and Grothman is likely in the lead, he should be willing to debate the opponent. I’m not saying they should debate every week, but a couple of debates would be sensible. It appears that Grothman’s campaign strategy is to try to ignore and marginalize Harris.

And the thing is… Grothman is a good debater. He really knows the issues and has strong stances. He should show that off more.

Harris Hearts Act 10

by | 0651, 10 Sep 1414 | | 0 Comments

Even Democrats running for Congress are running on the success of Act 10.

In 2005, the year Harris was elected county executive, Winnebago County’s budget was $151,236,268. On his congressional campaign website, Harris boasts that he reduced spending from that budget – created by his predecessor – to $145,150,144 in 2014. That’s a decrease of $6,086,124.

But Harris’ claim is misleading. Of the nine budgets he presided over, six of them were larger than the 2005 budget he uses as a baseline for campaign rhetoric according to county budget records. In 2009, for example, Harris’ Winnebago County budget was $174,882,422 – an increase of $23.6 million from the last budget of his predecessor.

From 2007 through 2012, Harris created annual budgets that were all bigger than the last budget of his predecessor.

In assembling his 2012 budget, Harris told the Oshkosh Northwestern that he made use of collective bargaining reforms passed by Republican lawmakers and signed into law by Gov. Scott Walker.

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