Michels says he did not know about group’s stand on failed bill
Road builders opposed anti-immigrant measure
Republican gubernatorial candidate Tim Michels wants you to believe he was clueless.
From 2007-08, Michels — co-owner of construction firm Michels Corp. — was the president of the board for the Wisconsin Transportation Builders Association, the lobbying organization for road builders in the state.
During that legislative session, the organization’s team of lobbyists opposed an Assembly bill that would have prevented companies that employ “illegal aliens” from getting government contracts, tax exemptions and loans. The bill died in committee.
Michels, who has been endorsed by former President Donald Trump, now is running multiple ads laying out his opposition to illegal immigration. He refers to undocumented workers as “illegals” in one ad.
“Tim Michels’ blueprint to stop illegal immigration,” one ad says. “No driver’s license, no benefits, and no tuition. Sign now if you agree!”
“Tim Michels here,” reads another ad. “235,000 crossings in April?! That’s not a border, it’s an open door. What do you think — take my poll now.”
So has Michels flip-flopped on the issue of illegal immigration?
Not at all, says his spokesman. “To Tim’s knowledge, the association’s position on every single one of the bills introduced every legislative session is not brought to the board of directors,” said spokesman Chris Walker. “Tim is against illegal immigration.”
Get that?
Even though he was head of the group’s board, Michels — who critics say was recruited to run by prominent Madison lobbyists — didn’t know what its lobbyists were doing. He hadn’t a clue.
Let’s hope he’s more on top of things if he is elected governor later this year.
Michels’ main Republican opponent, former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, was quick to criticize him over the inconsistency. The two are running neck-and-neck in polls; the winner of the August primary will challenge Democratic Gov. Tony Evers in the fall.
“Tim Michels won’t take responsibility for his company’s campaign contributions for a higher gas tax, and now he won’t take responsibility for a group he was president of lobbying to allow illegal immigrants to work on government contracts,” said Charles Nichols, Kleefisch’s campaign manager.
“Wisconsinites are sick of a governor who won’t take responsibility, we shouldn’t replace him with another.”
That’s right — this isn’t the first time there has been some inconsistency between his current campaign and the past actions of his company or his trade group.
Wisconsin Right Now recently reported that two groups with which Michels has long ties, the Wisconsin Transportation Builders Association and the Transportation Development Association, have advocated for higher gas taxes.
Michels Corp. has also directly funded attempts to increase the gas tax in other states, Wisconsin Right Now reported.
Now Michels says he supports a gas tax holiday, opposes tying the gas tax to inflation and supports repealing the state’s “minimum markup law,” which prevents retailers from selling gas and other goods below cost.
Kleefisch’s campaign is running a TV ad attacking Michels on this issue.
“Tim Michels pushed for years to raise our gas tax while getting rich
from massive government contracts,” the commercial says. “Tim Michels is out for himself.”
Michels' response: He and his companies have belonged to a number of trade organizations, and he doesn't always agree with what they are advocating.
More recently, Michels has said he supports the state's right-to-work law, which places a ban on requiring non-unionized workers to pay dues to their workplace union. Former Gov. Scott Walker signed the measure in 2015.
But the Journal Sentinel recently reported that Michels Corp. was part of the Wisconsin Contractor Coalition that opposed the state's right-to-work law.
The construction company's employees were also a part of protests against the proposed right-to-work law at the time.
Michels' explanation?
“We can't speak for Michels Corporation, but when with them, he never specifically encouraged or granted time off for Michels employees to protest for or against anything, including right-to-work,” said Walker, the Michels spokesman. “How employees express their First Amendment rights on their own time is up to them.”
In short, Michels is staking out a hardline conservative platform. As for what his company, his employees and even his trade groups have done in the past, he hasn't a clue.