Rebuilding

Building is hard. It's hard enough when you're starting from scratch, but what if you've made it halfway through and realized you built from the wrong plan all along? What if you had to start all over and do it with none of the people you were with before? It happened to Clides. He grew up under tough circumstances and turned to drugs, eventually dealing. Clides had built his life with the wrong plan. But when he realized that while he was locked up, he was determined to start all over when he got out....this time, building an admirable life. Clides wanted to open a store in an under-served area, hire people, and be a pillar in the Madison community. He quickly discovered, though, it's tough to overcome a bad reputation and find someone willing to invest in your entrepreneurship on the above-ground economy! After being rejected for a business loan 6 times, Clides found the Nehemiah Project in Madison. Motivated by faith but open to all, they provide job training and other wrap-around services to former inmates and others on the edges of life. The Nehemiah Project made Clides a loan...and have recently done two other such loans. You can hear Clides's story firsthand if you drop by Madison City Dollar, where you'll find him making an honest living in his own store and hoping to one day expand and hire others away from making poor choices... 

 Building Communities

Building a community isn't for the faint-hearted, either. It takes hundreds of big-hearted Wisconsinites to do the hard work of helping EVERYONE reach their full potential. Many of those neighbors are those who "Stand up. Step up," honoring the theme for this year's National Day of Service through AmeriCorps. I'm very proud of all the bright people who step up and help out at places like the Boys and Girls Club in Milwaukee and Fresh Start in Madison, which helps young people gain work skills for the construction industry. And I'm especially pleased that AmeriCorps is partnering with Marshfield Clinic to sponsor a team of volunteers focused on peer-to-peer recovery counseling for addiction, an idea fostered by our Taskforce on Opioids Abuse. 

Building Strength to Say "No" 

Another initiative combating our opioid and heroin problem is a pilot project through our Department of Corrections. We find inmates returning to Northeastern Wisconsin counties who have a history of opioid addiction. Once on the program, they get a monthly shot of Vivitrol, which minimizes the cravings for opioids and eases their way to recovery, and a successful reentry into society. The program also includes drug and mental health counseling. This innovative treatment program provides more than a prescription for offenders to combat opioid addiction; it creates accountability and ultimately hope for a drug-free life of prosperity and responsibility. This graduation group had 17 participants, but only a little more than half were there for the graduation because the others were working! The 2017 – 2019 Executive Budget includes $1.6 million in funding to continue the pilot program over the coming biennium. 

Just Building...Like, Actual Building

 My day Wednesday is a good example of the myriad of issues we deal with every day at state government.  I started with my dear friend Rep. Rob Hutton visiting the Madison City Dollar and Clides. From there I went to my Capitol office to meet the new president of Southwest Tech, who shares my family's love for hunting and the outdoors. Then I was down the street to talk to women leaders in the construction industry before heading back to headquarters to see my predecessor Lt. Governor Barbara Lawton to discuss international human rights. Then a meeting on opioid abuse with some national experts, followed by a discussion on clean energy alternatives that can also make money for our dairy industry, and wrapping up with hugs and high fives with my fellow colon cancer survivors and advocates. I rattle that off to say that government touches myriad aspects of our every day lives, which means we who lead have a responsibility to be curious, ask questions, and learn a lot from the experts before we make decisions on these important issues.  That's what we try to do every day in my office.

Speaking of my office, today we wish the best to Robert Schlaeger, a loyal member of my team for almost the entire time I've been here at government.  Robert is often the voice you hear when you call the office, or the man who calls you to set up an event or handle a constituent case.  He's getting a well-deserved promotion to run events and logistics for Governor Walker, and we know he'll do a great job.  

Forward,

Rebecca Kleefisch
Lt. Governor