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Candidates for Assembly District 92:
Rep. Clint Moses (Republican - Incumbent)
Website
Social Media
Joseph Plouff (Democrat)
Website
Social Media

Chamber candidate video sit-downs 

Clint Moses

Joseph Plouff

Good Government Council Questionnaire
The Good Government Council (GGC) is a committee of the Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce dedicated to encouraging voter participation and providing members of the business community with non-biased information about candidates’ positions on important issues. Although the Chamber is active in policy issues, it is non-partisan and does not endorse political candidates.

Candidate Responses:

1. Why are you running for this office, and what are the top three priorities you will emphasize if elected to the next session of the legislature?

Clint Moses
"I am running for re-election because I know more can be done to support hardworking families in Western Wisconsin. Owning and running a small business in Menomonie, I can tell what challenges Wisconsinites are facing. My top three priorities in the next session will be tax relief to help the middle class and seniors who are dealing with rising costs, supporting law enforcement in their efforts to reduce crime, and lowering healthcare and childcare costs for families."

Joseph Plouff
"I decided to renter public life early this year. I saw a state being held hostage by a small group of individuals that have begun using blackmail as an operational tactic RE: University pay raises held up until the UW system backs off on diversity. A governor that when he proposes qualified people to help run this state is ignored.

In my life I have served on the BOD of Menomonie Food Co-op, as a Scoutmaster, Library boards, WI state historical society board. I have served on Menomonie's City Council, four terms in the state legislature then several years on the Dunn County Bd. of Supervisors. I have been comfortably retired for 15 years. Why would I run for the state legislature? Kindly see above. Wisconsin should never go through such a gerrymandered power grabbing and concentrated governing phase again. My top three priorities are. 1, 2 and 3 - A nonpartisan commission to decide legislative and congressional districts. This will return WI to a purple state it is."

2. Businesses today face several significant workforce challenges, with more jobs open than individuals available to fill them. Among these issues are demographics related to the size of the workforce; state support to recruit and retain employees to the area; housing supply and affordability; and a crisis in childcare availability for working parents. What legislature’s role in addressing these issues?

Clint Moses
"As a business owner, I understand the struggles our employers face. Their employees are struggling with out of control childcare costs and quality, affordable housing that’s almost impossible to find. Not to mention our aging workforce. In the Assembly, I worked with colleagues to address each of these issues. I supported a series of bills focused on getting individuals off the sidelines and back into the workforce as quickly as possible and requiring WEDC to spend $4 million on talent attraction and recruitment initiatives to draw more workers to Wisconsin. We dedicated $525 million to reducing Wisconsin’s workforce housing shortage, including funds to incentivize the building of new housing stock and revitalizing old housing stock. Finally, I supported bills to expand the child and dependent care tax credit and the number of childcare slots, and increased eligibility for Wisconsin Shares, a program which helps lower income, working families afford childcare."

Joseph Plouff
"The state can't create more people. We can encourage our federal delegation to deal with immigration. We can also return the state to a high level of educational respect. I am amazed with how many people I meet every week informing me they just moved back to WI. They are coming back because of our strong work ethic, our educational system, safe communities our environment and general quality of life. What is the legislature's role? Working within the budget we must prioritize what makes the state appealing and continue supporting what works. Then, the budget must be adjusted to pay for our focused priorities. We also must look at new ways of encouraging our communities to create their own distinct look and feel. Look at Eau Claire and their accomplishments in the last 25 years. In the last decade, the legislature has taken away many local control issues. Could the state look at encouraging cooperative housing situations by focusing community-based funding and lending mechanisms."

Clint Moses
"The announcements concerning closures of hospitals and clinics in our area are disastrous for healthcare in Western Wisconsin. I worked with legislative colleagues from Northwest Wisconsin to introduce two bills that allocate $15 million to provide emergency services in the Chippewa Valley. Unfortunately, the Governor vetoed specific language within the legislation that would have guaranteed these funds to help residents in our area. His partial veto will further delay the arrival of critical funds. Going forward, I will continue to work with my colleagues to ensure we receive the resources necessary to provide emergency services to the Chippewa Valley. Additionally, I will continue my work to make sure Wisconsinites have access to quality, affordable healthcare. In the legislature I have continued to work on issues to improve rural healthcare access, once again voting for a budget to dedicate further funding to hospitals and long-term care facilities across the state."

Joseph Plouff
"Expand Badgercare to the citizens that do not have adequate access to health care. They get up every day and go to work sometimes at two jobs and they are not making it. The federal government has offered, and this legislature has refused to take funding for health care. Are we better off today? No, we must try another way. Hospitals IMHO have been competing for too long to provide the same services. We need a hospital/clinic system with great cancer care. But another hospital can develop care for the heart. We need a process, so we are not replicating the same services in the same communities. We need to look at hospitals that are overserving our most needy individuals. If some hospitals have a larger percentage of care of indigent people, they need help from the rest of us."

Clint Moses
"I have already succeeded in working on a bipartisan basis with legislators across the aisle and the Governor. I’ve had several bills signed into law this year, even though I’m a Republican and the Governor is a Democrat. While I do not support the governor on every issue, I think we can find common ground in some areas just like we did with the workforce housing initiatives and childcare. At the end of the day, I want to prioritize delivering results for Western Wisconsin and break through the political gridlock."

Joseph Plouff
"WI is a purple state. We have long been dominated by deep red policies. Fair legislative maps will allow purple policies to rise to the top and be debated. Once that happens, legislators will again have to convince people why their own red or blue policy worldviews should be moved forward. It is called honest debate."

Clint Moses
"In our difficult economic times of rising costs and workforce shortages, it is crucial for state government to understand the needs of our business community. This is why I was proud to vote to finally repeal the personal property tax. This onerous tax has haunted our business community for far too long and its repeal will come as needed relief as costs rise. As a small business owner myself, I will continue working to reduce the tax burden on Wisconsin businesses, middle class families, and retirees. I want to make sure that we continue to invest in our workforce and infrastructure, so that businesses in Western Wisconsin can thrive. My door will always be open to listen to the concerns of local business people."

Joseph Plouff
"Experience. Review item one and look at why I am running for this office. Then consider my deeply held convictions on community building and action. You will not get everything you want from me. But you will be able to make your case, and I will listen honestly and take your interests in mind.

State government has many roles to meet. It cannot meet them all every budget cycle. There are limits. Ignoring is not one of them. Therefore, balance is often needed. But we can expect our government to listen, hear and set priorities to best meet the business community. But the same is to be said for all our communities. This is a big and diverse state with large needs. It is time to begin a new era of, well, governing, to best meet those needs."

The Chamber's Business Advocacy Initiative:
Advocacy Principles
2024 Business Issues Agenda
Fall 2024 Election Resources

Where you vote and what is on your ballot:
Go to myvote.wi.gov
To register to vote, find your polling place, or request an absentee ballot.

Posted by Johnny Meagher Governmental Affairs Intern
meagher@eauclairechamber.org