New Directions: Looking to the Future
Brown County Interoperability?
For almost 5 years Brown County debated plans for police and first responders to communicate with each other. Finally, Brown accepted a plan from Motorola that seems flawed from the start. Brown will pay over 10 million to set it up.
Dallas, Texas put their plan in place for less than 2 million, with more people and much more geography. Towns and villages in Brown will have to buy all new equipment. Meanwhile Detroit put their plan in place for less than 2 million, with many language and diversity issues. Even Bentonville, Arkansas put their plan in place for less than one million. All of them conformed to federal requirements.
What was the difference? These and other cities used equipment from a company called Codespear, based out of Chicago and featured, by the way, on Public TV coverage of the topic. The equipment simply translates in both directions, leaving everyone to use the hardware that works for them.
Brown County knew of this, yet never pursued it. Why pay ten times the amount in taxpayer money to Motorola? What is the answer? Millions out the window while the County Board squabbles over $30,000 for supervisor legal costs? Special thanks are due to the Brown County Taxpayers Association for its hard work on this issue.

Brown County Sales Tax?
When the proposal of a county tax of .5% was brought forward, to fund revisions to Lambeau Field, both Brown County and Packer officials, speaking for their respective organizations, gave solemn promises to County residents that they would NOT ask for extensions once the initial funding was paid off. The Brown County referendum passed at least in part because of these assurances made to the voters and taxpayers.
Retailers and businesses of Brown County have made a large sacrifice, watching folks drive to other counties to save, particularly on major purchases. This loss in revenue was to be temporary, paid by everyone for a finite period.
Somehow this has all changed. With selective amnesia, no one speaks of these commitments, and plans are in the works both locally and at the state level to keep the Brown County .5% sales tax in place and broadly expand its use for county and promotional purposes. The Packers are already using some of these funds for administrative costs, which would seem to be in contrast of the original ground rules.
This stealth movement to retain the tax should be halted. Should not this tax come before the voters as a referendum, since it is their money? The tax burden on Brown County businesses and residents is already extreme, and the current economy makes it even tougher.

Tipping fees?
The extraordinary hikes in solid waste costs and tipping fees can be traced directly to the discredited Tri-County Agreement, the centerpiece of the Nusbaum administration. Brown County is locked into hauling all of its solid waste to Oshkosh, at almost $4.00 per gallon for fuel. In the process, large trucks, overweight and relying on overweight permits, are chewing up County roads. AND, they drive past a perfectly good, new landfill site that the County paid for, as well as paying for the permits to make it usable. The Tri-County Agreement is for 25 years, with a roll-over for another 25 years built in.
Who is standing up for Brown County residents and businesses? Yes, this is Nusbaum's Folly, with blame to be shared by many of the County Board Supervisors and department heads. Yes, it is difficult to revise, but not impossible. The terms of exiting are spelled out. Another get-rich-scheme by county officials gone awry? Tipping fees, the cost for garbage going to the Transfer Station, will continue to rise. Shouldn't action be taken to prevent this excessive burden on our local businesses?

New Directions
Our goal, as Republicans, is to look to the future and craft it as best we can, in line with solid Republican values. The fundamental question is: "What kind of County do we want?" Do we want the area to be a solid American county, with the lifestyles and opportunities that implies, or do we want it to be the Las Vegas of the Midwest, which that implies? Or do we want something else?

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