Wisconsin

Thomas Michalski: Fiscal Efficiency Is Needed In Wisconsin, Wauwatosa Schools

Published

1 year ago

October 29, 2024

Thomas Michalski: Fiscal Efficiency Is Needed In Wisconsin, Wauwatosa Schools

By: Rep. Thomas A. Michalski – Wisconsin State Assembly, District 13
This is an opinion column.

Recently, I attended a Wauwatosa Senior Forum. As the lone conservative-minded person at the table, I was profoundly struck by the progressive left’s response to two seemingly unrelated items.

In the first item, Wauwatosa School District Superintendent Dr. Means briefly discussed the School District’s two referendums: a $60M Capitol Budget referendum and a $64M Operating Budget referendum. The operating referendum would increase the School district’s operating budget by 64% over four years.

I wasn’t given the opportunity to talk about the two referendums. Still, after listening to Dr. Means, I couldn’t help but notice that the School District intentionally used most of its $40 million in reserves on operating budget items, such as increasing salaries by 30% over three years. This happened while losing control of their budget and overspending somewhere between $4 and 8 million. My initial thought was, why would anyone approve of giving an additional $124 million to an organization that clearly lacks proper monetary control? My second thought was that the referendum(s) vote would be on November 5th, while the actual amount of overspending would be known only after the audit is completed in December. It would be best to wait until you’ve received that audit, allowing you to make an informed decision. The school District can revisit the referendum during the spring elections.

The second item that caught my attention was a discussion about what to do with the State’s Budget surplus. I was surprised when Senator LaTonya Johnson immediately responded, “Spend it, spend it, spend it.” At the same time, my opponent had a long list of ongoing programs for which she wanted to spend the surplus money; increasing their budgets.

Here’s the situation: Whether you refer to it as “reserves” or “surplus,” it’s a limited amount of money. Once you spend it, it’s gone. If you spend the surplus on increasing the operating budget or expanding ongoing programs, you’ll find yourself in a position where you only have two options: Either reduce the programs or raise taxes. Reducing an established program is nearly impossible, and numerous studies have consistently shown that high taxes harm economic activity within a community, ultimately leading to a decline in overall prosperity. Both options are painful, and I do not want to lead the State of Wisconsin into the same dire financial situation as Wauwatosa Schools. We must consider the long-term implications of our fiscal decisions.

Yes, spend it. Because once the rainy-day fund is full, hoarding money does no one any good. But we must be strategic in how we spend your money. I suggest using a portion of the funds for capital projects to lower the government’s operating costs and investments in workforce development to grow the economy. Then, return the rest to the taxpayers by reducing the tax rate on the middle class. As your representative, I am always mindful that the money belongs to the people I represent. Strategic spending is the key to a prosperous future for Wisconsin.

Wauwatosa residents: Your vote matters. By voting “YES” on the School referendums, especially the operating budget referendum, before you’ve received and digested the audit, you essentially indicate that fiscal responsibility is unnecessary. Yes, your vote does matter; a vote for Tom Michalski is a vote to make the State Government more efficient, grow the economy, and put more money back into your hands by decreasing taxes. I’ve already voted three times to reduce your taxes; my opponent voted against these decreases. I have many years of experience balancing budgets at home and in local and County government. A vote for Tom Michalski is a vote for a commonsense fiscal approach over reckless spending.

Rep. Thomas A. Michalski
Wisconsin State Assembly, District 13

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Wisconsin

What time, TV channel is Johns Hopkins vs Wisconsin-River Falls game on today? Live stream, preview

Published

6 hours ago

December 20, 2025

Press Room

What time, TV channel is Johns Hopkins vs Wisconsin-River Falls game on today? Live stream, preview

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The Division III Championship Semifinals feature the Johns Hopkins Blue Jays (12-1) facing off with the Wisconsin-River Falls Falcons (12-1) as they look for a chance to play for a title. Kickoff takes place on Saturday, December 20, at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET (11 a.m. MST) with a live TV broadcast only with ESPN Plus.

• You can watch Johns Hopkins vs. Wisconsin-River Falls football streaming live on ESPN+ (now called ESPN Select) today.

Is Johns Hopkins vs. Wisconsin-River Falls on TV today, or streaming only?

When: Saturday, December 20, at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET (11 a.m. MST).

Where: David Smith Stadium at Ramer Field | River Falls, WI

TV channel: This game is not available on traditional broadcast TV, and is only streaming on ESPN’s live sports streaming platforms available on the ESPN App with one of the “ESPN Select” or “ESPN Unlimited” subscription plans. (This is the streaming service formerly known as ESPN Plus. Here’s a look at the breakdown of ESPN streaming plans, what they cost and include.)

Where to watch streaming live on TV, or online: You can watch a live stream of this game for less than $12 on ESPN Select (It’s just $11.99/month or $119.99/full year subscription, and you can cancel anytime. Just choose the “ESPN Select” plan in the drop down to sign up for the cheapest version of the service.).

The best deal: If you sign up for ESPN Unlimited ($29.99/month), you will get all of the ESPN networks and services, including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, SEC Network, ACC Network, ESPN+, ESPN on ABC, SEC Network+, ACC Network Now and ESPN3.
Get promo codes, signup deals, and free bets from our Oregon Betting News home page.

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Wisconsin

Wisconsin Cattlemen’s Association, wildlife advocates react to delisting of the gray wolf

Published

18 hours ago

December 19, 2025

Press Room

Wisconsin Cattlemen’s Association, wildlife advocates react to delisting of the gray wolf

GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) – The Wisconsin Cattlemen’s Association is speaking out about the U.S. House passing the “Pet and Livestock Protection Act”.

“I’ll be honest, our cattlemen are pretty fed up. I mean, they have been dealing with this issue for a long time, so. I mean just really felt like we are finally making progress here. And that’s really exciting that we can help our producers deal with this issue,” says Brady Zuck, a cow-calf producer and the past president of the Wisconsin Cattlemen’s Association.

Brady Zuck, one of many livestock producers in Wisconsin, is responding to the U.S. House passing a bill to delist the gray wolf from the “Endangered Species Act”.

The population of gray wolves is increasing, and according to the Wisconsin DNR, from April 2024 to April 2025, there were 70 verified wolf conflicts with livestock.

“That’s what’s been the most frustrating, is that we have producers locally here in northwest Wisconsin or your area by Green Bay that are dealing with this issue, and it’s all controlled in Washington, and we have people in our state that could make those management decisions, but their hands are tied,” says Zuck.

Supporters of the bill say non-lethal methods used to keep gray wolves away, such as strobe lights and music, are only short-term solutions.

“We’re asking, saying hey, if we’re having problems with wolves on farms, we need ways to effectively deal with that, that work,” says Zuck.

The Great Lakes Wildlife Alliance shared a statement from Thursday about the delisting, saying: “We are disgusted by this reckless abandonment of science-based wildlife management. However, our advocates showed up in extraordinary numbers against overwhelming odds, and their voices were heard. This organization and our supporters are not defeated.”

“As cattlemen, we never said we want to eliminate all wolves, we don’t want any wolves, we never said that. But we just need to make sure we have the tools in place that we can, you know, if we have wolves killing calves, we need a way to deal with it, right?” Zuck says.

The bill still has to pass the Senate and reach the president’s desk before changes are made.

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Wisconsin

Watch Live: Demolition of bridge between Iowa, Wisconsin

Published

1 day ago

December 19, 2025

Press Room

Watch Live: Demolition of bridge between Iowa, Wisconsin

LANSING, Iowa (KCRG) – The Black Hawk Bridge, connecting Iowa and Wisconsin over the Mississippi River will come down Friday morning.

The Iowa DOT and Wisconsin DOT are partnering on the demolition, which is set for 9:30 am on Friday. You can watch the demolition live in this article when it happens.

The bridge has been closed since October with plans to construct a new bridge, planned to open in 2027.

The Iowa DOT laid out safety plans for the demolition:

A zone around the bridge will be blocked off to protect people from debris.
The Lansing Ferry service will not run from 6:00 p.m. on December 18 to the morning of December 22.
Highway 26 will be closed from around 8:45 a.m. on December 19 and reopen around 30 minutes after the implosion. Detour signs will be posted.
The demolition zone will be closed to recreational boat traffic on December 18 and expected to reopen during the night of December 19.
No trains will run through Lansing for four hours on the morning of December 19.

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