LA CROSSE, Wisconsin (WXOW) – The primary election between the two Republicans running for the 94th Assembly seat is about two weeks away.
Both Kevin Hintz, an electrical technician, and Bruce Evers, a businessman of more than 40 years, say they would push for job creation if elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly.
Both also say the way to create jobs is less government regulation.
"It takes so long to get things done," Evers says. "That's the red tape role of government. We need to stop that process."
"If it takes the government six months to issue a permit for something, why not speed that process up?" he says. "Do it in 30 days.
"Government doesn't create jobs," Hintz says. "Innovative people create jobs. So when government gets out of the way, we can create an environment in Wisconsin where businesses will want to do business here."
Hintz adds he would like to see federal regulations on Wisconsin's gun industry removed, and does not believe firearms manufactured and sold in Wisconsin should be subject to red tape slapped on by the U.S. Government.
"Allowing more innovative people, people who might be working out of the shop in their yard but people who know what they're doing to manufacture (guns)," Hintz says, "but there's just so much red tape and regulations that to start up a gun manufacturing company you have to be a major corporation."
Meanwhile Evers, a financial analyst, is more focused on banks and the private sector.
"The debt, the borrowing, all those things begin to compound our future economic growth," Evers says. "So we need to start taking the experience of people like myself, and saying, 'how can we make this better?'"
But Steve Doyle, the current 94th Assembly incumbent who has held the position since May, 2011, is critical of both his challengers – neither of whom has ever held public office.
Doyle, a Democrat, says his experience both in Madison and with the La Crosse County Board, which he says he's served on for more than 20 years, will make him the best candidate on the ballot this fall.
"In Madison there's a lot to learn and it's more than just the issues," Doyle says. "It's the personalities, the process and it's a lot different than coming out of the private sector where you can snap your fingers and, if you're the CEO of a business, you can make things happen."
"It doesn't work like that in government at any level," Doyle says. "Unless you have experience working in government and working together across party lines, there's a long learning curve."
