December 9, 2010 Dear Governor-elect Scott Walker, Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, and Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald: We are writing today to urgently call on the Wisconsin State Legislature to pass legislation early in the upcoming session to modernize the state s outdated Telecommunications Act in an effort to create and keep jobs and spur economic growth for Wisconsin. While new technology has changed how we live in the world, it has most fundamentally changed how people communicate with one another. As consumers and businesses have moved on to wireless and broadband technologies, other states have updated their telecommunications laws to reflect this new world and to pave the way for more job creation and economic growth. Wisconsin s telecommunications law was last updated in 1994. That was light years ago in the world of telecommunications, and our state has fallen behind. Neighboring states like Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Iowa and Illinois have alll recently updated their telecom laws and have seen investment and jobs follow. In fact, a recent study shows Wisconsinn would create or save 50,000 jobs alone just by modernizing its telecom law in manufacturing, finance, education, telecommunications and health care. In order to create jobs now and in the future, Wisconsin needs a modern telecommunications law. Current law requires telecommunications companies to keep investing in old technologies at the expense of broadband and wirelesss even as consumers choose modern alternatives. Put simply, Wisconsin still has a rotary dial law in an iphone world and that costs our state jobs and new investment.
Page 2 of 5 It is critical that Wisconsin modernize its telecom law now to attract and keep jobs and investment. This is a policy change that, in a difficult budget year, does not require any additional state money or incentives. This update is long overdue. We urge you to pass legislation to modernize the state s telecommunications law first thing in 2011. Let s show thatt Wisconsin is Open for Business. Sincerely, Thad Nation Executive Director Wired Wisconsin Tom Still President Wisconsin Technology Council Paul F. Jadin, President Green Bay Area Chamber of Commercee Bill Welch, President & CEO Fox Cities Chamber of Commercee Jerry Murphy, Executive Director New North, Inc. John Casper, President & CEO Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce Steve Baas, Director of Governmental Affairs Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce Maria Monreal-Cameron, President/Chief Executive Officer Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Wisconsin Charlie Walker, President/CEO Chippewa County Economic Corporation Development Ralph Hollmon, President Milwaukee Urban League Bryan Albrecht, President Gateway Technical College Jeff Mirkes, Executive Director Downtown Green Bay, Inc. Mark D. Bugher, Director University Research Park Sam Perlman, President Northeast Wisconsin Regional Economic Partnership (NEWREP)
Page 3 of 5 Dr. Susan A. May, President Fox Valley Technical College Robert Young, President Paradigm Sensors Greg Patterson, President Great Lakes Training & Consulting Services Markus Watts, President 100 Watts Development Group, LLC. Tim Miller, Agent American Family Insurance William Johnson, Executive Director Urban Economic Development Association of Wisconsin, Inc. (UEDA) Dr. Floyd Rose, President Wisconsin Supplier Development Council Curtiss Harris, Executive Director African American Chamber of Commerce Lo Neng Kiatoukaysy, Executive Director Hmong American Friendship Association, Inc. Anissia Robertson, Deputy Executive Director Friends of Housing Corporation Barbara Wesener, Executive Director South Suburban Chamber of Commerce Meg McKenna, Executive Director Wauwatosa/West Suburban Chamber of Commerce Wendy K. Baumann, President Wisconsin Women's Business Initiative Corporation Diane Brandt, Executive Director West Allis/West Milwaukee Chamber of Commerce Lillie B Wilson, President Waukesha County NAACP Lou Molitor, Executive Director Kenosha Chamber of Commerce Dr. Susan A. May, Chair Northeast Wisconsin Educational Resource Alliance Ricardo Diaz, Executive Director United Community Center Christopher Smith, Director Dunn County Economic Development Corporation Guadalupe Rendon, President Hispanic Business and Professionals Association Jack Heinemann, Director Wisconsin Security Research Consortium June Moberly, Executive Director Avenues West Association Mark Burwell, Executive Director Urban Hope E-Hub
Page 4 of 5 Michael Funk, Proprietor Insightstudio George Klaetsch, Executive Director Wisconsin Coalition for Consumer Choice Christine H. Shaefer, CAE, Executive Vice President Valley Home Builders Association Al Wasley, Owner Tailgator s, Sussex, WI Jerry Deschane, Executive Vice-President Wisconsin Builders Association H. Carl Mueller, President Mueller Communications, Inc. H. Jeffrey Rafn, Ph.D., President Northeast Wisconsin Technical College Amy Pietsch, Director Fox Valley Technical College Venture Center Kathi P. Seifert, Retired Executive Vice Kimberly-Clark President Jason Hinton, Business Development Manager Open Systems Technologies Bobbie Beckman, Executive Director Heart of the Valley Chamber of Commerce Pat O Brien, President Milwaukee Development Corporation Joseph R. Reitemeier, President & CEO Fond du Lac Area Association of Commerce Kaleem Caire, President/CEO Urban League of Greater Madison Jennifer Stephany, Executive Director Appleton Downtown, Inc. Carol M. White, President Greater Brookfield Chamber of Commerce Marty Lenss, Airport Director Outagamie County Regional Airport Steve Ford, Owner State Farm Insurance Company in Manitowoc Chris Litzau Executive Director Milwaukee Community Service Corps George Egan, President Bonafide, Inc. Joe Donovan, President Donovan Group Holdings LLC Sue Breitbach-Fenn, Owner American Family Insurance in Sheboygan
Page 5 of 5 Craig P. Farrell, Executive Director West Bend Area Chamber of Commerce Cheryl Welch, Executive Director Fox Valley Workforce Development Board