You know, people have the right to be represented!
Today, Andy Heidt demanded in a letter to Governor Scott Walker that an election to fill the seat vacated by Joe Parisi be called immediately. Heidt is a longtime community and labor activist and a candidate for the Wisconsin Assembly 48th District which includes Madison, Monona, McFarland, Dunn and Blooming Grove.
Heidt wrote to the Governor, “Representation is a fundamental right. It is wrong to delay giving the people of the 48th District the opportunity to choose their representative. As James Otis stated almost 260 years ago, ‘Taxation without representation is tyranny.’”
District resident Melanie Herzog agrees, “Like everyone else in Wisconsin, we deserve to have our representative working for us in the Assembly. I’m glad Andy’s putting pressure on the Governor to make that happen.”
Heidt noted that this is a crucial time and the people of the 48th District have effectively been silenced by Governor Walker’s apparent lack of interest in filling the seat vacated by the new Dane County Executive. “While Governor Walker can find the time for prank callers posing as billionaires, and to travel around the country raising money for campaigns in other states, he is sending a clear message that he’s just not concerned about the people of the 48th,” said Heidt.
“Right now the Assembly is working on the biennial budget, while considering legislation to support the privatization of education, to limit access to healthcare, to roll back environmental protections, to disfranchise Wisconsin voters and much more. The lobbyists are all working, but the people of the 48th have no one working for them in the Assembly.” Heidt said.
In his candidacy announcement last week Heidt previewed, “a grassroots door-to-door campaign to connect directly with the voters,” and promised to, “reclaim our democracy and make this great and once progressive state a place that respects individuals and communities above corporate interests and the power of their lobbyists.” The sooner Governor Walker calls for an election, the sooner the people of the 48th will have representation again.
Heidt is the President of AFSCME 1871, Dane County Professionals Union and the Ombudsman for the Dane County Department of Human Services. He volunteers as Co-Chair of Covering Kids and Families-Wisconsin, an organization dedicated to health care coverage of children and families in the state. Heidt is also a former member of the Madison Common Council.
Here’s the letter:
May 3, 2011
Governor Scott Walker
115 East Capitol
Madison WI 53702Dear Governor Walker,
As a citizen, taxpayer and candidate for the 48th District Assembly seat recently vacated by Representative Joe Parisi, I ask you to please schedule a special election immediately.
Representation is a fundamental right. It is wrong to delay giving the people of the 48th District the opportunity to choose their representative. As James Otis stated almost 260 years ago, “Taxation without representation is tyranny.”
I appreciate your attention toward fulfilling this request.
Sincerely,
Andrew F. Heidt
Candidate 48th Assembly District
#802 Johns Street
Madison, WI 53714
For the sake of GAB, this election should probably be scheduled on July 12 with the recall elections.