Forward Janesville has four priorities in its legislative roadmap for 2009:
-- Expanding Interstate 39/90 to six lanes from Madison to the stateline to avoid traffic bottlenecks, boost economic development and increase safety. Illinois is nearing completion of a similar project south of Beloit.
-- Allowing municipalities to pool revenue from existing Tax Increment Finance districts to help retain a large regional employer or attract other companies. Forward Janesville also would like an amendment to TIF law to allow for the reduction of a TIF district's base value when property is demolished to make way for a redevelopment project.
-- Enhancing Wisconsin's economic development competitiveness by making state tax credits portable, refundable or saleable. For some businesses, the tax credits are meaningless. Distribution or warehouse companies, for example, don't make or sell a product and therefore have no state income state tax liabilities.
-- Designating Janesville as a Development Opportunity Zone, which would allow special tax credits for job creation and capital investment.
MADISON — Supposedly on the phone and departing soon for an engagement in Kickapoo, Sen. Dan Kapanke popped out of his office, looked at a contingent from Janesville and said: "Oh, man!"
The La Crosse Republican then asked the visitors in, even though he acknowledged none of them could vote for him.
The scene in Kapanke's office was played out in lawmakers' offices throughout the state Capitol on Wednesday. Forward Janesville and J.P. Cullen & Sons sponsored the first-ever "Janesville Day in Madison."
A contingent of about 50 people represented Forward Janesville, the city, the county and other organizations and businesses.
In the last two years, the Janesville area has lost about 6,000 jobs. Its 13 percent unemployment rate is the highest in the state by a considerable margin. That was a message that organizers wanted to deliver in person.
After briefings with Assembly Speaker Mike Sheridan and state Reps. Kim Hixson and Chuck Benedict, the group broke up into 10 smaller groups to sweep the Capitol and meet with available lawmakers or leave information in their absence.
The group's focus centered on Forward Janesville's "Roadmap to Janesville's Future," a four-point list of economic development priorities.
Priorities include:
-- Widening of Interstate 90/39 to six lanes between Madison and the state line.
-- Reforming Tax Increment Financing law.
-- Making state tax credits portable, refundable or saleable.
-- Designating Janesville as a Development Opportunity Zone, which would allow $10 million in special tax credits for job creation and capital investment.
Before Kapanke's visitors could launch into their review of the priorities, the senator asked how Janesville was faring with the loss of General Motors.
"We're in a world of hurt," replied John Beckord, Forward Janesville's president. "We need some help."
Beckord and his group outlined how each of the organization's four priorities would help Janesville as well as other communities struggling through economic downturns.
Each group had about 13 lawmakers to call on, and each was told in advance the allotted time would average about nine minutes per visit.
Forty minutes beyond that average, Beckord and his group wrapped up its first visit. The lengthy talk was a combination of Beckord's eloquence on the topics and Kapanke's interest, which seemed genuine.
"We can talk about all the great things in this state—our education, how we take care of our elderly, our quality of life—but if we aren't creating private sector jobs, it will all level off," Kapanke said.
Twenty minutes later, the group emerged from a meeting with Sen. Jon Erpenbach, who agreed the Interstate needs to be widened and said the group's other priorities merited discussion.
"Believe me, all of us in this building are very much aware of what's happened in Janesville," Erpenbach said.
But being aware and providing support are two different things.
None of Forward Janesville's four priorities are in the form of state legislation.
Dan Cunningham, the Forward Janesville vice president who organized the event, said that could be the next step.
"It really exceeded my expectations," Cunningham said. "I'm hearing stories from groups who spent an hour and 20 minutes in one office, legislators who said, ‘I want to write your bills.'
"The lawmakers were ready to talk to us, and I think that speaks to the importance of what's going on in the Janesville area."
