Jamie Aulik has no weaknesses

I've noticed that several people have found this sight through google searches for "Jamie Aulik" and "Jamie Aulik's weaknesses." I'm here to say that I don't think he has any. The complaints that I've seen are that he won't take a position on several issues. I'd like to address some of those complaints.

If Jamie refused to take a position on the gay marriage ban, then good for him. The gay marriage ban is an attempt by the State's Republicans to distract the public from the fact that Wisconsin is facing serious fiscal problems that the party in charge doesn't want to address. Where's medicare reform? Where's fixing school finance? Where's municipal aid? Where are real issues? The simple truth is that Wisconsin's Republican Party is a particularly nefarious bunch. They somehow manage to get a reputation outside of the state for being moderate. I guess that happens when the state has an ill-earned reputation as a progressive state. But the state Republicans are no different than Republicans elsewhere. I've seen Texas Republicans, Arkansas Republicans and Florida Republicans, and those in this state are just as out-of-touch as those in the south.

Jamie says that Ethanol subsidies need further study. I sat in the same room as him and heard a group of well-trained policy analysts present an analysis of some ethanol subsidy programs. They found net social benefits, but urged that further study is necessary. I didn't find their results showing net benefits convincing, but I do think that their conclusion regarding further study is right on.

Some have been critical of Jamie's statements against the Taxpayer Protection Act. Again, he was right on. The TPA is an acknowledgement by the Republican Party that they are unable to restrain spending, that they are unable to stand up to special interests. The most reprehensible thing about the TPA is that it is a statement by those advocating it that they have no respect for the wishes of Wisconsin voters. Fiscal decisions are incredibly complex. The average citizen doesn't have the time or training to review each decision. Instead, they vote for policy makers who do have the time and training to make those decisions. If the voters don't like the results of those decisions, they get to vote the policy makers out. TPA effectively reduces the ability of voters to act on their preferences. Further, the voters of Manitowac should be particularly upset with the potential impacts of TPA. It would further reduce funding for the Shared Revenue program. Manitowac has had larger cuts in aid than most municipalities in Wisconsin has a result of current changes to the aidable revenues component of Shared Revenue. Reducing the pot of money available for municipal aid will place a particularly harsh burden on the residents of municipalities like Manitowac.

I'm sure there are reasons to vote for someone other than Jamie, but his refusal to comment on political distractions, his desire for further study of a complex issue, or his opposition to a policy that will have devestating fiscal impacts, are not good reasons. Perhaps voters in that part of the state want a conservative state senator who is beholden to special interests and hostile to the interests of normal people. If that's the case, then Jamie probably isn't the right guy for you. I think most people would agree that they want a good man with a record of serving his country who has the analytical skills to fully understand the issues facing the state.