Meet Mike McCabe, Democratic Candidate For Governor Of Wisconsin

WISCONSIN — Mike McCabe is a Democratic candidate for Governor of Wisconsin who will be on the ballot during the Aug. 14, 2018 primary election in Wisconsin.

McCabe is a 58-year-old self-styled independent government watchdog who has worked for the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance and Wisconsin Democracy Campaign. McCabe says Wisconsin needs to commit to a living wage for every worker, health care for all, debt-free education for everyone and high-speed Internet everywhere.

Patch.com reached out to McCabe's campaign to learn more about his political positions, accomplishements and vision for the Governor's office.

Name: Mike McCabe
Age: 58
Hometown: Curtiss, Wisconsin
Occupation: Independent government watchdog

Please characterize where you fall on the political spectrum (liberal/moderate/conservative, etc.):

Commoner

Please describe your relevant political experience:

For much of my adult life, I worked for two of Wisconsin's most highly respected and fiercely independent government watchdogs – the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign and the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance. In the 1980s, I was on the staff of the nonprofit Taxpayers Alliance, known for watching over tax collections and bird-dogging how the public's money is spent.

In 1995 I helped start the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign and led the clean government reform group for 15 years as its director, focusing on exposing the influence of big money in politics and government corruption. I also have years of experience in both local and state government that dates back close to 35 years, giving me an in-depth understanding of the inner workings of government.

Please talk about the top 1 or 2 leading issues in your campaign and how you plan to approach them if elected:

Wisconsin used to be known from coast to coast as a beacon of clean, open and honest government. Our state no longer can lay claim to that reputation. Cronyism, corruption and legal bribery have been allowed to take root in our state and must be uprooted. Wisconsin used to be an industrial powerhouse with a vibrant middle class. So far in the 21st Century, no state in America has seen its middle class shrink more than Wisconsin.

We now have levels of economic inequality not seen in our state since the Great Depression. Wisconsin has been dead last in the nation in new business start-ups for three straight years. Family farms are disappearing at a rate of more than one a day. Wisconsin's approach to economic development has been to feed the rich and shower tax breaks and state subsidies on a few at the top in hopes that some of what they are given will filter down to the rest of us. Our state needs to do an about-face and use our resources to build a sturdy economy from the ground up.

Wisconsin needs to embrace geyser economics, focusing on empowering regular working people to do more for themselves and each other. Economic prosperity does not trickle down, it gushes up. We need to commit to a living wage for every worker, health care for all, debt-free education for everyone and high-speed Internet everywhere. Another key dimension of geyser economics is investment in infrastructure. We can't have a good economy and bad roads. It also should be Wisconsin's goal to be the first state in American fully powered by renewable energy.

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