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Business unusual in the governor's mansionBy Jenny Price
Both Democratic incumbent Jim Doyle and GOP Congress-man Mark Green have law degrees and long resumes of work in the public sector. In contrast, there's not a long, rich history of CEOs living in the Wisconsin governor's mansion. In fact, you have to go back to the first half of the last century to find a governor who made the transition from private business to politics. Business experience is not essential but would be a major boost to a candidate for the state's top office, said Jim Haney, president of Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, the state's largest business group. "So much of what governors do revolves around keeping the state's business climate attractive and firsthand knowledge of what businesses need and the challenges they face would be a benefit," Haney said. Haney said non-business candidates can successfully rely on advisors from the business world for advice and counsel but if they don't, "they run the risk of not fully appreciating the implications of their public policy changes." Walter J. Kohler Jr., Wisconsin's 33rd governor, won the 1950 election at age 46 after working for the family business - Kohler Co. - and The Vollrath Co. He went on to win re-election twice, defeating William Proxmire both times. Kohler returned to the private sector as president of Voll-rath after a failed bid for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Joseph McCarthy. Kohler's father, who was the state's 26th governor after becoming president and chairman of the board of Kohler Co., didn't fair as well as his offspring. Robert La Follette led the Progressives in challenging Walter J. Kohler Sr.'s nomination for governor. Kohler went on to secure the GOP nomination in 1929 but served only one term, and ongoing labor difficulties at his plant near Sheboygan eventually spelled the end of his political career. In 1934, two people were killed and dozens wounded during a strike after the elder Kohler refused to bargain with employees attempting to organize. Oscar Rennebohm, who once owned the largest chain of drug stores in Madison, ventured into politics when he was elected lieutenant governor in 1944. He became acting governor in 1947 when Gov. Walter Goodland died and was elected to the office a year later. He returned to the pharmacy business in 1951 and launched a foundation to support education. Few CEOs venture into running for public office because politics has become more of a profession than in the past and they may not want to risk leaving a thriving business for a lower paycheck, said Katherine Cramer Walsh, a UW-Madison assistant political science professor. "Many people don't want to even try these days because your personal life goes under so much scrutiny and it's a major, major financial risk," she said. "Running for office is not just something you do thinking, 'I'm going to contribute four or five years to the good of the public and then go back to my original job.' That's just not an option for people anymore." Voters do consider the experience and resumes of candidates, but they don't go into the booth actively looking for candidates with a business background, Walsh said. "If politicians made it a big deal, then it would be a big deal in the choices people made," she said. Haney said a number of governors with limited business experience in the corporate world have done well on business issues. In the end, most successful business leaders find it difficult to adapt to the pace of "doing business" government style, he said. "Private sector executives tend to move quickly and make decisions on data. Public sector managers must weigh political considerations," he said. "And, while few business executives are without ego, those egos may not be as large as needed to be successful as a member of the political class." jenny.price@gmail.com madison.com ©2009 Capital Newspapers. All rights reserved. |
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