Frederica Freyberg:

The same week a democrat threw her hat into the race for governor, a veteran democratic lawmaker threw in the towel. State Senator Bob Jauch of Superior says he will not seek reelection next year after a 31-year career in the Assembly and State Senate. Jauch cited his fatigue and frustration with the polarized nature of state government as part of what led him to his decision. Senator Jauch joins us now from Superior. Thanks very much for doing so.

Bob Jauch:

Thank you. It’s a pleasure.

Frederica Freyberg:

Was there a final straw, or are you just over the fight?

Bob Jauch:

There were hundreds of final straws, but the reality is that at the age of 68, I had to make a decision whether I had another, after traveling 750,000 miles, 30 years of the most contentious political debates, including bookended by spear fishing in the ’80s and ’90s, and mining the last three years, whether I had the energy to commit myself to another five years, and I concluded that I just don’t have the energy, and I don’t have another 125,000 miles in my tank to do the job that people expect. Plus, you’re right, it is very frustrating to represent such great people of northern Wisconsin, in a great state where people have a proud tradition of good government, to go to the state capitol, where I think democracy is on life support.

Frederica Freyberg:

Why do you think it’s on life support?

Bob Jauch:

Well, in the last three years, I’ve had more sleepless nights in the last three years than I had in the first 28 years. There’s so much polarization, so much partisanship. There are too many in that legislature that seek to conquer for their own good rather than seek compromise for the common good. The rule they wrote, they gerrymandered these districts to the point where they don’t have to worry about representing the diversity of the people Wisconsin. They only appeal to their base. And that means that you don’t have a democracy that’s of and by and for the people. It’s of a certain ideology and it’s bad for the people.

Frederica Freyberg:

How are recent times like what you described in the legislature different than when you started?

Bob Jauch:

Oh, it’s night and day. And those of us that have been around for a while have seen the change. And it’s occurred in the last ten or 12 years in particular, where leaders have gained too much control. Special interest groups and money have too much of a dominating influence, and legislators begin to lose their sense of independence, and reminder what their purpose is to represent the people, not those interests who fund the process. But it really started about eight or ten years ago. Frankly, when Chuck Chvala and Scott Jensen were leaders, there was a lot more consolidation of power to leaders. I think that that’s led us to a point where legislators don’t think as much on behalf of the public as they ought to. And frankly, I criticize both sides and the need to appeal to both sides somehow to think that we’re making good government. The fact of the matter is we better get back to the middle. What has been lost in the last few years is that sense of middle ground, common ground that has made Wisconsin such a great state, made our government work. Moderation has been suppressed by extremism, which isn’t good for any of us.

Frederica Freyberg:

Do you think that’s what the voters want, that kind of moderate middle?

Bob Jauch:

Absolutely they do. That’s Wisconsin. Wisconsin’s got real progressive traditions. I think because the people of Wisconsin, who have such deep values, you know the people of northern Wisconsin. I’m so proud to represent an area that’s reflective of the people of Wisconsin, where they have such a commitment to community, where they have so bonded with a sense of purpose to helping their neighbors. They want their government to solve the problems. They want us to hammer out the differences, not hammer each other. And they want a government that’s going to work, for crying out loud. And clearly it’s broken in Washington and in Wisconsin.

Frederica Freyberg:

Now, you along with democratic Senator Tim Cullen and republican Dale Schultz worked together as kind of a moderate trio, most recently on centering around kind of the failed changes you sought to the mining bill that paved the way for Gogebic Taconite. How much did that rejection of your work play into your decision to not seek reelection?

Bob Jauch:

Actually not at all. It was an exhausting period of time. But at the same time that Senator Schultz and Senator Cullen, who I think are two of the finest public servants in Wisconsin’s history, were able to do something that’s really important to the process. We didn’t win the vote on the mining bill, but I think we defended good environmental policy and good government in a transparent way, that made people proud of our position and the way in which we were trying to achieve responsible public policy that is good for the public. I think that it resulted in a change in public attitude towards the bill, the mining company and towards that project. And so I think history will show that in fact we won in the hearts and minds of the people of Wisconsin, who want public officials who act in concert with each other, not in battle with each other.

Frederica Freyberg:

Senator Bob Jauch, thank you very much for joining us from Superior.

Bob Jauch:

Thank you.