Letter: Candidate has concerns

Dear Editor,

Last week I stopped at a new small business located right on my street: the berry stand of my neighbors Emily and Megan. Visiting with these young entrepreneurs brought to mind why it’s so important for us to build a great state of Wisconsin.

How can we help kids reach adulthood ready to contribute to society? And when they are grown, what kinds of things can we do to ensure that they can find opportunities for success here in Wisconsin?

First, we need to make affordable health care available to every person in Wisconsin. As a lifelong health care professional, I know firsthand that it’s simply too expensive, too inefficient and too unfair to carry on with our current practices.

Next, we need to ensure that Wisconsin schools are the best in the nation. Educating children well is a critical investment in the long-term economic security of our state. We should arm my neighbors, and all Wisconsin kids, with the skills and knowledge they need to compete as adults.

We must find a more fair way to fund our education system. Right now both schools and taxpayers are struggling — a lose-lose situation. By asking big business to pay their fair share of taxes, we can maintain the excellence of our schools while reducing the property tax burden on Wisconsin families.

Putting a college or vocational education within the reach of everyone in Wisconsin is crucial. The number of residents with bachelor’s degrees is directly correlated with the per-capita income of a state — our neighbors in Minnesota are evidence of that. Higher per capita income is good because it leads to more revenue in income tax and less reliance on property tax. Controlling the skyrocketing costs of tuition and increasing the amount of aid that goes directly to students will enable more Wisconsin kids to get the higher education they need to succeed.

One important way to help existing small businesses is by making health care accessible to them at a reasonable cost. Inability to access health care coverage is one of the most often cited reasons for not opening a new business.

We have to invest in our infrastructure if this vision for the future is to become a reality -— not just roads and bridges, but our people. Our families will thrive, and new families, seeing our success, will come to Wisconsin and stay for a lifetime.

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