Story originally printed in the Coulee News or online at www.couleenews.com
Published - Tuesday, July 22, 2008
State commerce secretary resigns amid criticism over foreign trips
Wisconsin's Commerce Secretary Jack Fischer announced his resignation Wednesday, just 10 days after news reports that he billed taxpayers for more than $21,000 on international trips over a short period.
Fischer, who resigned effective Friday, did not give a specific reason.
But "it has become increasingly difficult to carry out the mission of the department, and I do not want to stand in the way of continuing progress," he said in a statement, adding there would be no further comment.
Gov. Jim Doyle, who appointed Fischer on Nov. 9, did not ask for his resignation, said the governor's spokesman, Lee Sensenbrenner. Doyle issued a two-sentence statement thanking Fischer for his service.
The resignation comes after the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that Fischer and a top aide billed taxpayers more than $21,000 for three international trips in less than three months this spring.
State Sen. Ted Kanavas, R-Brookfield, said Fischer was right to resign.
"There is a limited public appetite for spending that includes taking staff along and all those kinds of things," he said. "If you're the secretary, nobody travels with a liaison any more. In the private sector, nobody does that."
An Appleton architect, Fischer left his position as president of the Fischer Group Companies, which focuses on development of retail mall, offices and residential housing developments, to take the commerce job.
"During my tenure, we advanced the economic interests of this state and helped it to be competitive and receptive to new business development while helping existing businesses to remain in Wisconsin and prosper," Fischer said in the statement.
Fischer said he intends to return to the private sector.
The Journal Sentinel reported July 6 that Fischer took his executive liaison, Deborah Godt, with him on the trips to Ireland and the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic and Canada. Since Doyle took office in 2003, no other commerce secretary had made more than two trips out of the country in a year.
Godt remains employed at the department in her same position, said department spokesman Tony Hozeny.
The department will be led by deputy secretary Aaron Olver until Doyle names a replacement for Fischer. Doyle did not give a timeline for when that would occur.
Kanavas said Doyle needs to do a better job vetting his appointees. The Senate votes on approving cabinet secretaries.
"I'm going to be a lot more reluctant with my vote for nominees with this governor," Kanavas said.
Fischer earned $119,851 a year in the job overseeing the Department of Commerce. It has more than 400 employees who work on marketing, business and community finance.
All stories copyright 2006 Coulee News and other attributed sources.