Michels brings campaign to Shawano

Gubernatorial candidate cites election integrity, crime, education as important
By: 
Luke Reimer
Reporter

Republican gubernatorial candidate Tim Michels visited the Shawano County Republican Headquarters on June 16 to campaign in anticipation of the Aug. 9 GOP primary, detailing points of election integrity, crime and education.

“My wife and I said that we can’t just stand by,” said Michels. “I have been supporting candidates — I have been involved in Republican politics for over 20 years now. We said that if we have the ability, skills and opportunity to make a difference, then we have to do it or shame on us.”

If he wins, Michels stated that the first thing he will do is address election integrity.

“Our entire constitutional system is based upon fair, open, honest and transparent elections,” said Michels. “I don’t care if you are a Republican, independent or Democrat, we should not be having conversations 18 months after an election asking questions like, was the election fair or rigged? We are not some third-world country, we are not some banana republic. This is America, everybody deserves to have fair and honest elections.”

According to Michels, crime is running rampant in southeast Wisconsin. He stated that crime all over the state was something that he wants to address if he wins.

“Statewide, crime is at a 30-year high in Wisconsin — that includes violent crimes like assault and murder,” said Michels. “We had this whole defund the police movement that went on. The bad guys said that we can get away with anything. We need to back the blue and we need to stand by law enforcement officers. Every law enforcement officer in Wisconsin will know that the governor has their back in a Michels administration.”

He also pointed to removing “catch and release” district attorneys as a way to keep people who break the law from being immediately released.

“In Wisconsin, the governor has the ability to remove a DA if they are not holding their end of the deal,” said Michels. “Gov. (Tony) Evers is letting them get away with it.”

Michels spoke on how important education is to him.

“The kids that are in school right now are our future,” said Michels. “We are failing them right now. Today, public schools are not what they used to be, in fact, they continue to decline.”

According to Michels, there is a school in inner-city Milwaukee where the reading comprehension skills are zero.

“You can’t get worse than that,” said Michels. “We can say, up here in Shawano that that is not our problem, but you know what, the state of Wisconsin is sending $1.8 billion per year to Milwaukee Public Schools. That is your hard-earned tax dollars. All of our hard earned tax dollars are going down the drain, and we are getting no value out of it.”

He said that to combat this, he will bring parents in and let them decide where tuition dollars go.

“Parents will have the ability to say that I want to send my kids somewhere else,” said Michels. “Competition is a great motivator.”

Earlier in his life, Michels attended St. Norbert College in De Pere, before enrolling and graduating from the ROTC program. He was sworn in as a second lieutenant in the infantry in the United States Army.

After leaving the military, Michels went and worked with his brothers at their family business, Michels Corporation. He said that when his father passed away, Michels Corporation had about 200 employees working there.

“Today we employ over 8,000 people,” said Michels. “We have done that with governments standing in our way. I know how to make a plan, execute that plan, solve problems — from being a commanding officer to a successful businessman — that is what is going to make a difference in the race and that is what separates me from my primary opponents.”

Michels proclaimed that, due to his faith, he is pro-life.

“Somebody has to protect the unborn,” said Michels. “There are two victims when there is an abortion. There is the unborn that was murdered and then the would-have-been mother who has to carry the emotional baggage for the rest of her life.”

Along with being pro-life, Michels added that is in favor of Wisconsin citizens owning guns.

“I am a strong supporter of the second amendment,” said Michels. “If the government takes all of our guns away — number one, only the bad guys will have guns — and number two, I really fear for what will happen in America.”

Talking about the COVID-19 pandemic, Michels slammed the United States government’s response to keeping the economy afloat.

“What were these liberals thinking when they threw trillions of dollars of stimulus into the American economy after COVID?” said Michels, noting that when former President Donald Trump’s administration added stimulus that it was probably necessary to keep the economy from crashing. “Biden gets in there and said that he was going to do more — $1.9 trillion here, another trillion there. What happens? We flooded the economy with money and now we have inflation.”

Michels is one of five Republican candidates for governor. The winner in August will face Evers in the Nov. 8 general election.


lreimer@newmedia-wi.com