TERM LIMITS

We need to have term limits for Assembly and Senate representatives in Wisconsin.

The irony is the elected officials DO NOT want term limits.  Even worse our 99 Assembly people and 33 Senators are the only ones with the ability to create term limits.  We the people cannot even petition a request for a referendum to vote for this change.  It is the fox watching the chicken coop!

And why don't they want term limits?  It's difficult to get an answer on this.  Typically I have been told that the People are already in control of term limits at the polls.  It's time we show the Parties we are serious and implement the only term limits they are willing to agree to by accepting their challenge.  Re-elect no one who has served more than 4-6 years.

Voter ID

People have asked what I think about voter ID.  My answer - I am very concerned about it and I believe it is not an imposition for anyone to show who they are.  Is it a big deal in Plymouth, Elkhart Lake, Kiel - no - but it is a concern in Milwaukee, Madison and many other places across our nation.  When I voted in the Primary election I presented my driver's license - it was really quite easy.  Try going in or out of the country without showing your passport.  Voter ID is necessary and needed.  It is needed because there is a faction of people who try to vote more than once and succeed in doing so.  If elected, I will push for Voter ID and better controls to avoid voter fraud.

Introduction Letters to Local Government Officials

When I announced my candidacy, I sent out the following information to local government officials.

July 12, 2010


Letter to:  County Board Members, City and Village Officials,
        Members of Town Government, School District Boards 
        (in the 27th Åssembly District of Wisconsin)
        
SUBJECT:   I, Jack Lechler, am Seeking Your Input and Support as a
                       Candidate for Wisconsin’s 27tth Assembly District

I am sending this letter of introduction to inform you of my candidacy for 
Assemblyman in the 27th District of Wisconsin.  My name is Jack Lechler.  I am 
67-years old and have been a lifelong resident of Kiel, Wisconsin.  I am 
conservative, practical, try to use common sense, motivated, enthusiastic, try 
to make things happen and am willing to dig for the truth.  I will not make 
false promises to you and I do not profess or pretend that I have all of the 
answers to our vast problems facing local, state and federal government.  No one 
else does either or we wouldn’t be in this mess.

My interest in serving you and our citizenry in this role has been stimulated by 
the issues that are plaguing us, and the sad financial  and economic condition 
of our state.  I have been involved in a variety of administrative and 
leadership roles throughout my life.  Over the past decade I have devoted much 
of my time observing, listening, thinking and commenting about the paths and 
routes I see our government entities taking.  I have spent many hours attending 
listening sessions and town hall meetings (held by those representatives who 
have them!), such as Petri, Feingold and Leibham.  The greatest value in 
attending these sessions is to hear the very intelligent comments and sincere 
concerns from the citizens of Eastern Wisconsin.  If the input of these citizens 
would be acted upon, we would be in much better shape than we are today.  Far 
too often these meetings are filled with statements about what bill or 
legislation the Representative proposed, and far too often the citizens had to 
listen to the sad story about being in the political minority and thus nothing 
could be done.  Sad but true.  We need results, not excuses.

Therefore, I have decided to run as an Independent candidate.  The election 
process is structured to try and re-elect an incumbent and is focused on 
maintaining or getting a party majority.  This is pure baloney sausage.  It is 
not about serving the people or doing what is best for the state or the country, 
it is all about doing what the party wants, keeping the party strong and keeping 
the incumbent in office.  

On July 7th, I attended a listening session in Howards Grove held by Tom Petri.  
I was dismayed to see less than two dozen people in attendance when just six 
months ago, when the health care issue was in high gear, the
same conference room in Howards Grove was filled and had standing room only.  I 
further found it amazing and amusing that two of Petri’s aides approached me and 
said – we heard you are throwing your hat into the political arena.  I corrected 
both of them, advising them that I was not interested in playing politics, 
rather my goal is to serve the people and help restore common sense into 
government.

In visiting at offices of Assemblymen and Senators in Madison, I was shocked at 
the inferences and outright statements that an Independent  candidate can’t win 
a seat, that an Independent cannot be effective and that if I win, I would be 
disappointed to find out that I would accomplish little because of the “system”.  
Give me a chance!  This is the “system” that passes unrealistic budgets, spends 
money they don’t have, will not institute term limits, imposes arbitration on 
local governments, etc., etc., etc.  Give me a chance!

My contact information is:    Jack Lechler
                         1334 1st Street
                         Kiel,  WI  53042
                         920-894-3081
      jacklechler@charter.net                      
I am asking for your thoughts, issues and vote.  As an independent candidate I 
can serve the people not the “machine”.  I would appreciate it if you would make 
others aware of my candidacy and encourage them to contact me for more 
information.

I am looking forward to serving the citizens of the 27th District.  Thank you.

Sincerely,



Jack Lechler

Letter of Introduction to Plymouth, Sheboygan Falls, and Town of Sheboygan

On September 20th, I addressed the following letter to the newspapers serving the communities of Plymouth and Sheboygan Falls.

Dear citizens of Plymouth, Sheboygan Falls and outlying areas,

My name is Jack Lechler.  I am from Kiel, Wisconsin.  I am running as an Independent candidate for the 27^th Assembly District.  For the last 8 weeks I have written opinion letters to the Kiel area newspaper.  Beginning this week, since the Primary Election is over, I would like to share some of my observations with you and request your consideration on November 2^nd.

IT IS ALL ABOUT THE PARTY

Each day and each week as I partake in the “candidate for state assembly office” process, I am becoming more and more aware how this process has become an entangled web.  As students, we read the words of Abraham Lincoln, who in his Gettysburg address said, “that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain – that this nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom and that government of the people, by the people and for the people shall not perish from the earth.”

Well, my dear friends, neighbors and fellow citizens, each day as I learn more about the “political” process, it has become very evident to me that the intent for a government of the people, by the people and for the people has evolved and turned into a process and government of the Party, by the Party and for the Party.  I have observed this happening increasingly over the past decades as I have seen government activities, action and common sense polarized by PARTY.  It has become like two bully kids on the playground.  The Democrats and the Republicans – serving themselves and each other to maintain the power of their party and their own position.  They are serving themselves and not the will or the good of the people. 

Now as I have become a candidate, this has become more obvious.  The Party bands together like a “good old boys club”.  It is full of cronyism and it promotes the incumbents and tries to convince the public that Party strength and the length of time a candidate serves will promote better government. 

This observation was strongly reinforced as I observed how differently a Party embraces a new candidate if that candidate is the only opponent to the opposing Party versus if the new candidate is running in the same Party opposing a current incumbent.  This became most evident as I watched the build-up to the Primary Election in the 27^th Assembly District election.

You might recall that on July 21^st, 2010, there was an article in the Sheboygan Press entitled Assembly Candidates Spar Over Debate Issue.  Mr. Kestell, who did not appear to want to have a candidate forum when approached by Randy Meyer, was recorded in the press as stating - the debate flap was “an old campaign trick”.  To the contrary, I doubt that Randy Meyer was employing an old campaign trick since he was merely attempting to publicly discuss issues.  Further, Mr. Meyer was new to the campaign circuit and probably was not aware of “old” political tricks.  Only an incumbent seeking re-election is probably familiar with “old” political tricks.  Contrarily, Mr. Kestell in one of his mailings that was intended to be warm and fuzzy, appealed to the emotions and showed a baby and a teddy bear. It stated Steve’s primary opponent “refused to respond to the Wisconsin Right to Life questionnaire”.  Now if he was addressing this to me, it would be accurate, because as you will recall, I stated that I did not plan to send back questionnaires from any of the special interest, PAC or lobby groups.  I believe, however, that this was an attempt by the incumbent to employ “an old campaign trick” against his prominent opposition.  I question how accurate his accusation was that his opponent, Mr. Meyer, “refused” to respond.

I am a positive person and I do not want to have anyone misconstrue the foregoing as negative comments.  Besides being positive, I am also a realist and I am just sharing some of my observations about the campaign prior to the Primary Election.  There were a number of other events that indicated to me that the Republican Party did not want to have another Republican candidate playing in the pool.  Randy Meyer would have been a refreshing change and brought new vision and leadership to Assembly District 27. 

Since the primary turned out as it did, it becomes imperative for me to work harder and diligently to become elected.  As you may already know, I believe in term limits.  When I have discussed this over the years with Mr. Kestell, he advised he would not be willing to introduce legislation for term limits and stated that term limits can be decided in elections.  That is why we have career politicians, who rely on a complacent public and brand recognition.

On November 2^nd it will be up to you – vote independent and get new representation or vote for the incumbent career politician and keep getting more of the same from the good old boys. 

Please feel free to call me, and thanks for listening.

Sincerely,

Jack Lechler

1334 1^st Street 

Kiel, WI  53042

jacklechler@charter.net