http://www.votebencollins.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=1431&mname=ArticleGroup Latest News en-us 60 Ben Collins, a former Green Beretofficer and Lake Geneva business executive today released the following statementconcerning his campaign for the Republican nomination for lieutenant governorof Wisconsin: “When I came back from Afghanistan and entered this campaign forlieutenant governor, it was clear to me how important new leadership in Madison was for the futureof our state.  As I have traveled across Wisconsin and visited with thousands offamilies and business owners, my initial view about the need for new leadershiphas been confirmed.  But as this hard-fought,six-person race for lieutenant governor has developed, I have begun to questionwhether my passion and ideas for Wisconsin’sfuture are best used in the lieutenant governor’s race or in the race forgovernor itself.  Where can I most aggressively contribute to the pursuitfor new leadership in Wisconsin?How can I best advance the goals of business owners trying to create newjobs?  Who really is our best chance to turn Madison upside down and get our state back ontrack? In answering each of thesequestions I arrive at the same conclusion: Scott Walker.  As I’vewitnessed Scott campaign across our state, it has become quite difficult tocontain my enthusiasm for his message and his vision.  The practical,conservative approach Scott brings to government is what Madison has sorely lacked and what stategovernment badly needs.  I couldn’t have been more proud watching him earnour party’s near-unanimous endorsement, creating a center of gravity for theparty in the process.  He is a thoughtful, decent man with thetemperament, experience and skills to be a truly transformative governor.   Therefore, I am suspending mycampaign for lieutenant governor in order to focus my efforts to ensure Wisconsin’s future issecure in a conservative victory. It will also allow me to focus on my ownbusiness and my service with the Army National Guard, both of which remain highpriorities.  To the thousands of people whohave supported and encouraged me in this race for lieutenant governor, I amdeeply grateful.  To my opponents remaining in the race, I appreciate yourdeep concern for Wisconsinand wish each of you the very best on the campaign trail.  To my wife andmy family, I love and treasure your friendship and support.   To those who believe that thestatus quo in state government should continue, count me as the latest footsoldier in Scott Walker’s grassroots army to take Wisconsin back.” Tue, 29 Jun 2010 18:25:00 CST http://www.votebencollins.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=28259&mname=Article http://www.votebencollins.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=28259&mname=Article Walworth County small businessman and Green Beret Ben Collins announced the launch of an on-line petition for citizens of Wisconsin to demand Governor Doyle and the politicians in Madison do all they can to keep Harley-Davidson and other businesses in the state.  The petition, found at SaveHarleyDavidson.com, will allow supporters of a better business climate and Harley-Davidson to sign up to show their support.  The petition will be hand delivered to Governor Doyle and legislative leaders in Madison.        “The politicians in Madison have failed the families and businesses of Wisconsin,” said Collins.  "It is time Governor Doyle and elected officials pay attention to the citizens of this state and do all they can to protect homegrown Wisconsin businesses like Harley-Davidson."     The Wisconsin Taxpayers’ Alliance reported that while Wisconsin lost 6,700 businesses since 2006, Minnesota, Illinois and Iowa all gained new businesses over that same time period.  Even Michigan, which has been hit hard by the recession and auto industry problems, ranked higher than Wisconsin in retaining businesses.  In May 2009, unemployment in Wisconsin was at a staggering 8.9% adjusted for inflation - even more than the national average.  Just last week, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that job loss in Wisconsin dropped a record 4.6% in the last year - a number equivalent to 1958. "Politics has no place in business retention and job growth in state," said Collins.  "This is about leadership and thinking outside the box to improve the business climate."     Appearing on Up Front with Mike Gousha, the CEO of Harley-Davidson explained the company is facing competitive gaps and have "too many hands in their pockets".  In the last budget alone, taxes and fees increased a whopping $2.05 billion in this state. "It cannot be more clear.  It is time for the hands of the politicians to get out of the pockets of Harley-Davidson and other Wisconsin businesses,” said Collins.  "It is pretty telling when a Wisconsin icon since 1903 is ready to ride out of our great state.  Wisconsin cannot afford to continue down this path of politics as usual."        Collins has called for the Lieutenant Governor to be the Wisconsin Jobs Ambassador, working for the Governor in improving the business climate while identifying and bringing business and jobs to the state. “We should not be waiting for the CEO of a company to announce his competitive gaps.  We should be aggressive in identifying problems in our business climate to help keep businesses like Harley-Davidson here, while drawing new businesses from across the globe.” Thu, 24 Jun 2010 17:00:00 CST http://www.votebencollins.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=28202&mname=Article http://www.votebencollins.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=28202&mname=Article LEADERSHIP AND THE FUTURE WILL NOMINATECOLLINS FOR LT. GOVERNOR Veteran, father of servicemen andyoung speaker to nominate Collins [Milwaukee,WI…]  Walworth County small businessman and Green Beret Ben Collins will be nominated for endorsement at the Republican Party of Wisconsin State Convention by a father of a lost service man and a young person representing Wisconsin’s future. Corbin Larkin, 10, of Lake Geneva, a friend of Ben, will speak about the consequences of this election on his future. He will ask Republican delegatesto support Collins as a real leader who will stand by his principles to provide a more prosperous, brighter future for Wisconsin. Larkin will second the nomination at the Republican State Convention at the Hyatt in Milwaukeeon Saturday. “You have the choice… but please remember that it is not just your future you arechoosing for, but mine as well, and for the generations after me for years to come,”Larkin said. Dave Wyatt, an Air Force Veteran from Racine,will nominate Collins. Wyatt lost a son, Daniel, as he was on foot patrol as a Marine in Iraq in 2004. Wyatt’s other son, Joshua, is currently serving as a combat medic in the US Army Wyatt will speak about his ability to recognize battle tested leaders and the need to elect Ben Collins as Lieutenant Governor. “Honor, courage, commitment, these are core values. Theseare the values so terribly lacking in politics today. These are the values that Ben Collins will bring back to Madison,”Wyatt said.  ### Fri, 28 May 2010 14:13:00 CST http://www.votebencollins.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=27748&mname=Article http://www.votebencollins.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=27748&mname=Article COLLINS ON REDPRAIRIE- NO CRYSTAL BALL NEEDED [Linn, WI…]Walworth County small businessman and Green Beret Ben Collinsis preparing for the announcement that RedPrairie is leaving Wisconsin for a betterbusiness climate. “You don’t need a crystal ball to see this coming” saidCollins. On the heels of the announcements from Harley Davidson,Fiskars and thewhispers from Kohls,Collins believes that RedPraire will join other businesses that are fleeing ourtoxic business climate. Last year, they abandoned plans for theirnew technology park and corporate headquarters. Now the CEOis leaving Wisconsin and the Georgia Department of Economic Development says“no comment.” As early as 2006, these rumors have been swirling, with theformer CEO stating the taxes were too high and there was difficulty inrecruiting skilled employees.” Collins added he expects politicians inMadison, ontheir heels, will try to compel RedPrairie to stay. Collins is asking the Department of Commerce, who hashad five leaders in the last six years, “why isn’t Wisconsin working overtime to lure jobs from Georgiato our state?” The departure of Thomas Products, and these rumors, areanother example of the need for a better business climate in Wisconsin and of a brokenDepartment of Commerce. Collins has called for the Lieutenant Governor to be theJobs Ambassador, working for the Governor in improving the business climate andidentifying and bringing business and jobs to Wisconsin. “We cannot afford to sit back whileother states and countries pull our best jobs and businesses from us. Wisconsin needs to go onthe offensive, and as your next Lt. Governor, I will not sit behind my desk andwait for these announcements to react.” Collins, a decorated combatofficer who completed three tours in Afghanistan, earned his Green Beretwhen he became a Special Forces Officer.  He took command of a SpecialForces Detachment and served as the Assistant Operations Officer managing allthe daily combat operations and contingency planning for over 150 Special ForcesSoldiers.   Collins valor and leadership in combat earnedhim the Army Commendation Medal with “V” device forHeroism. Collins is a co-founder ofdefense technology and software pioneer, Aptus Technologies, Inc.  Based inLake Geneva, WI, the company’s mission is to translatelessons learned in combat quickly into new and improved technological solutionsthat will help protect the lives of American soldiers.  The company has chartedan ambitious course to grow and to create new, 21st-century jobs inWisconsin and across the UnitedStates. ### Thu, 20 May 2010 08:54:00 CST http://www.votebencollins.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=27585&mname=Article http://www.votebencollins.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=27585&mname=Article COLLINS CALLS FOR A BETTER BUSINESSCLIMATE [Linn, WI…]  WalworthCounty small businessman and GreenBeret Ben Collins reacted to news that Harley Davidson Inc. is seeking to cut millions of dollars in costs from its Wisconsinmanufacturing plants. Collinssaid Wisconsin cannot expect good quality jobsto stay in the state when the politicians in Madison continue to create a toxic businessclimate. In addition to a lack of leadership in the Commerce Department; combinedreporting, unnecessary regulations and a burdensome tax and fee climate arejust some of the things working against Wisconsinbusinesses right now, Collins added “Wisconsin needs to be aggressive in retaining andbringing businesses to Wisconsin.As we saw with Mercury Marine and attempts with Thomas Products; politicians inMadison are on their heels with bad news from the businesses that arestruggling,” Collins said “We need leaders in Wisconsin who are on theoffensive, creating an environment to help all of our businesses and attractthose from the country and globe.”   ### Fri, 30 Apr 2010 00:00:00 CST http://www.votebencollins.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=27842&mname=Article http://www.votebencollins.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=27842&mname=Article LACK OF LEADERSHIP, FOCUS RESULTING IN BUSINESSES AND JOB LOSSES Lt Gov. Candidate Releases New Video on Business and Job Loss While Neighbors Gain [Linn, WI…] Walworth County small businessman and Green Beret Ben Collins today launched a web video that points to the lack of leadership in Madison on the economy and a new Wisconsin Taxpayers’ Alliance report indicating Wisconsin lost private businesses while Minnesota, Illinois and Iowa all gained new businesses in the last three years. The Wisconsin Taxpayers’ Alliance reported the state has 6,700 fewer businesses in the state than in 2006. Michigan, which has been hit hard by the recession and auto industry problems, ranked higher than Wisconsin in retaining businesses. Collins said there is a stunning lack of leadership in Madison in the face of high unemployment to create jobs and attract new businesses. In addition, the Wisconsin Department of Revenue last week released a report detailing the loss of 163,000 jobs exceeded state projections. Collins said Wisconsin is already one of the highest taxed states in the country yet Democrats continue to raise taxes and fees, which are hampering an economic recovery and job growth. As Wisconsin’s next Lieutenant Governor, Collins will focus his efforts on job creation and reinvigorating the state’s economy. “Creating new jobs and enticing businesses to Wisconsin is a fulltime job, which requires fostering an attractive climate for main street businesses to grow and invest in their communities and families,” Collins said. “It is absolutely appalling that Wisconsin now has more jobs in government than in manufacturing. The fact that Wisconsin has had four different Secretaries at the Department of Commerce in six years is indicative of Madison’s failure to make job creation a priority.”  Collins, a decorated combat officer who completed three tours in Afghanistan, earned his Green Beret when he became a Special Forces Officer. His valor and leadership in combat earned him the Army Commendation Medal with “V” device for Heroism. He is a co-founder of defense technology and software pioneer, Aptus Technologies, Inc. Based in Lake Geneva, WI, the company’s mission is to translate lessons learned in combat quickly into new and improved technological solutions that will help protect the lives of American soldiers. The company has charted an ambitious course to grow and to create new, 21st-century jobs in Wisconsin and across the United States. Tue, 16 Feb 2010 11:38:00 CST http://www.votebencollins.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=27329&mname=Article http://www.votebencollins.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=27329&mname=Article COLLINS RAISES NEARLY $150,000 FOR LT. GOV’S RACE Decorated Green Beret and Small Businessman Will Report $142,000 COH [Linn, WI…] Walworth County small businessman and Green Beret Ben Collins today will file his first campaign finance raising $147,234.50 and having more than $142,000 cash on hand for his Lieutenant Governor’s campaign. Collins said he would focus his efforts on creating jobs and reinvigorating the state’s economy. “Far too often career politicians say and do anything to get elected, and the result is a tax burden in Wisconsin that punishes working families and main street businesses. You cannot raise taxes by $5 billion and expect the economy to grow. In fact, Wisconsin lost 163,000 jobs last year,” said Collins. “I’m honored by the support we’re receiving to restore fiscal sanity to Madison. It’s time to elect someone who has the courage and conservative principles to reject tax increases, make the necessary cuts to state spending and invest in new jobs that will make our state stronger.” Collins, a decorated combat officer who completed three tours in Afghanistan, earned his Green Beret when he became a Special Forces Officer. He took command of a Special Forces Detachment and served as the Assistant Operations Officer managing all the daily combat operations and contingency planning for over 150 Special Forces Soldiers. Collins valor and leadership in combat earned him the Army Commendation Medal with “V” device for Heroism. Collins is a co-founder of defense technology and software pioneer, Aptus Technologies, Inc. Based in Lake Geneva, WI, the company’s mission is to translate lessons learned in combat quickly into new and improved technological solutions that will help protect the lives of American soldiers. The company has charted an ambitious course to grow and to create new, 21st-century jobs in Wisconsin and across the United States. The Collins for Lieutenant Governor Campaign retained the fundraising services of Dan Morse, who is the former Finance Director for the Republican Party of Wisconsin and served as Deputy Finance Director for Governor Tommy G. Thompson. ### Mon, 01 Feb 2010 11:36:00 CST http://www.votebencollins.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=27328&mname=Article http://www.votebencollins.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=27328&mname=Article Former US Senator Kasten Says Decorated Green Beret the Right Choice in GOP Lt. Governor’s Race. Green Beret combat officer and small  businessman Ben Collins today announced that he has filed his statement of candidacy with the  Wisconsin Government Accountability Board and launched his campaign website for the office of Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor.             Collins, a decorated combat officer who completed  three tours in Afghanistan, earned his Green Beret when he became a Special Forces Officer.  He  took command of a Special Forces Detachment and served as the Assistant Operations Officer managing all the daily combat operations and contingency planning for over 150 Special Forces Soldiers. Collins' valor and leadership in combat earned him the Army Commendation Medal with “V” device for Valor.  US Senator Bob Kasten said he was excited about Ben Collins’ candidacy and was happy to endorse the decorated Green Beret combat officer and small businessman . “Ben Collins represents a fresh, new voice for conservatives and anyone who wants to get Wisconsin working again. Ben knows that higher taxes and wasteful government spending will lead to a stagnant economy and more job losses,” said former US Senator Bob Kasten.  “Ben has demonstrated his leadership abilities through three tours in Afghanistan.  And as an entrepreneur, he has real world experience that is desperately needed to refocus the state on creating the jobs that strengthen families and communities across Wisconsin.” As the next Lieutenant Governor, Collins said he would focus his time and energy on creating a better business climate in the state to create jobs. “Democrats have created an anti-business climate which penalizes small businesses instead of creating incentives for investment in our people and communities.  Wisconsin can do better,” Collins said.  “The Lieutenant Governor should be working hand-in-hand with the Governor’s office and the Department of Commerce to develop a blue print for rebuilding our economy to not only be competitive in the Midwest but throughout the world.  I’m ready to continue my commitment to public service and put my leadership skills to work on behalf of the people of Wisconsin.”             Collins is a co-founder of defense technology and software pioneer, Aptus Technologies, Inc. Based in Lake Geneva,WI, the company’s mission is to translate lessons learned in combat quickly into new and improved technological solutions that will help protect the lives of American soldiers.  The company has charted an ambitious course to grow and to create new, 21st-century jobs in Wisconsin and across the United States. Republican Party of Walworth County Chairman Casey Himebauch said Ben Collins represents exactly what Republicans are searching for in their elected officials – a steadfast conservative leader who will not compromise the Party’s principles of smaller government and lower taxes.  “Ben stood in harm’s way to protect our freedoms and liberty, while the soldiers under his command depended on his leadership to not only conduct successful missions but to return to their families. As Republicans,we too can count on Ben to fight against the Democrat’s plan to expand government’s reach into the daily lives of Wisconsin families,” said Chairman Himebauch. Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:37:00 CST http://www.votebencollins.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=24743&mname=Article http://www.votebencollins.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=24743&mname=Article