Story originally printed in the Winona Daily News or online at www.winonadailynews.com
Published - Sunday, October 27, 2002
Making their mark: Candidates for County Board seat active in community
Both candidates for the District 2 Winona County Commissioner race moved to Winona about nine years ago and since that time they have left their marks on the community.
Michael Haney and Dwayne Voegeli are very different as people, but very similar in their commitment to community service.
Haney, as a regional manager for Job Service, oversees 10 workforce centers in 20 counties, but he has also been involved in all levels of Boy Scouting from the time he joined the program at age 8 until today.
Voegeli teaches economics and history at Winona Senior High School, but he also been involved in the community by organizing committees and forums on health care, the DM&E railroad, the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and Middle East issues.
Haney has been active in the Sunset Lions Club, Ducks Unlimited, Winona TIP Committee, Winona Area Task Force and Diversity Task Force, volunteered as an instructor in the DNR hunter safety program and is an officer in the Knights of Columbus.
Voegeli may have summed it up best when he said, "I think Mike Haney is a very nice person and a well-qualified candidate. The district is facing a win/win situation."
In their plans if elected, both have said they will seek alternative sources of revenue for the county.
Voegeli said he would look at tax rates and would be willing to increase funding for programs and projects in the short run if it would pay off with cost savings in the long run. He would like to start a small business incubator in Winona similar to one that exists in Eau Claire, Wis.
"I'd like to talk to the assessor to find other sources of revenue," Voegeli said.
Said Haney, "I can bring to the board the ability to leverage financial resources with federal dollars, state dollars, grant dollars and matching funds."
He has received Grantsmanship Foundation training.
"The county needs to be more creative in looking for those dollars," Haney said, "I don't need on the job training. I do that now. I have a proven track record of delivering the kinds of things the county needs."
A self-described people-person who loves working with kids and adults, Voegeli was a co-captain of his high school football team and homecoming king.
He says he is an independent thinker who stands up for what he believes in.
That idea is reinforced by Clay Templeton of Winona, "He will actually think about things before he makes up his mind and that's what you need in a political candidate."
Being the fourth generation raised on a Wisconsin farm, Voegeli wants to fight pollution while supporting family farms. He talks about supporting local businesses while protecting the community from proposed DM&E changes.
Randy Schenkat of Winona said of Voegeli, "I've always been impressed with his enthusiasm and big picture thinking."
Said Voegeli: "I hope to make a difference. One person can make a difference at the local level."
Haney, who worked his way through college, says he knows what the county board does because he has attended dozens of board and committee meetings and has provided input to different departments.
"One of the concerns I have with the county is they haven't been able to prioritize and tie their resources into the highest priorities," Haney said.
He would work to strengthen the relationships between the county, the city, school districts and state government, he said, because in a time of shrinking resources, "working together can leverage things better."
Joe Gale of Goodview says he has learned a lot about county government by talking to Haney. While other people may give lip service to working with youth or creating consensus, Gale said, "He's living it.
"He works for the state and he's never been over budget. He works hard and has everybody's best interest at heart. I think he's got a damn good head on his shoulders," Gale said.
Dwayne Voegeli
Occupation: High school economics and history teacher
Education: Masters degree Saint Mary's University
Residence: Winona
Top goal: Support families, local businesses, family farmers and the environment.
Michael Haney
Occupation: Regional manager for the Minnesota Department of Economic Security.
Education: Bachelor's degree, political science, St. Thomas College.
Residence: Goodview.
Top goal: To bring some stability to the financial situation of the county.
Contact Reporter David Krotz at dkrotz@winonadailynews.com or call 507 453-3524.
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