Marker 01

Ahead of his upcoming appearance at the Cappella Performing Arts Center with Ben Wikler, political commentator Todd Allbaugh stopped by The Rick Solem Show to break down an unprecedented stretch in Wisconsin politics.

Allbaugh will be in La Crosse with Ben Wiklker, the former chair of the Wisconsin Democratic Party, for an event Sunday (details below).

Allbaugh — a former Republican legislative chief of staff turned independent — gives his insider perspective on the rapid twists in the governor primary, how campaigns inoculate candidates before a general election, and why local voters in Western Wisconsin could shape the entire fall election.

IN THIS INTERVIEW:


Unprecedented Democratic Primary Chaos: Allbaugh breaks down the historic nature of Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez’s sudden campaign exit, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley re-entering the race after suspending his run, and how Madison Rep. Francesca Hong emerged as the frontrunner.


The "Inoculation" Strategy of Tom Tiffany: Why Tiffany’s campaign spent months running warm, rural-focused TV ads across Wisconsin, and how it sets up his general election strategy.


Voter Suppression & The SAVE Act: Drawing on his time inside the state Capitol during the 2011 voter ID debates, Allbaugh outlines how election law changes disproportionately impact voters and local clerks.


Western Wisconsin 3rd District Battle: Why Republican strategists are keeping a close eye on the 3rd District primary between Rebecca Cook and Emily Berge following a dramatic local straw poll shift in La Crosse County.

IF YOU GO


What: Ben Wikler book tour stop for This Is The Plan, hosted by Todd Allbaugh


When: Sunday, July 26 | Doors open at 11:30 a.m. | Live conversation & Q&A at 12:30 p.m.


Where: Cappella Performing Arts Center (721 King St., La Crosse)


Details: Free admission (register here). Books available for purchase on-site through Pearl Street Books.

Ahead of his upcoming appearance at the Cappella Performing Arts Center with Ben Wikler, political commentator Todd Allbaugh stopped by The Rick Solem Show to break down an unprecedented stretch in Wisconsin politics.
Allbaugh will be in La Crosse with Ben Wiklker, the former chair of the Wisconsin Democratic Party, for an event Sunday (details below).
Allbaugh &mdash; a former Republican legislative chief of staff turned independent &mdash; gives his insider perspective on the rapid twists in the governor primary, how campaigns inoculate candidates before a general election, and why local voters in Western Wisconsin could shape the entire fall election.
IN THIS INTERVIEW:
<ul data-path-to-node="6">
<li>
Unprecedented Democratic Primary Chaos: Allbaugh breaks down the historic nature of Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez&rsquo;s sudden campaign exit, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley re-entering the race after suspending his run, and how Madison Rep. Francesca Hong emerged as the frontrunner.
</li>
<li>
The "Inoculation" Strategy of Tom Tiffany: Why Tiffany&rsquo;s campaign spent months running warm, rural-focused TV ads across Wisconsin, and how it sets up his general election strategy.
</li>
<li>
Voter Suppression &amp; The SAVE Act: Drawing on his time inside the state Capitol during the 2011 voter ID debates, Allbaugh outlines how election law changes disproportionately impact voters and local clerks.
</li>
<li>
Western Wisconsin 3rd District Battle: Why Republican strategists are keeping a close eye on the 3rd District primary between Rebecca Cook and Emily Berge following a dramatic local straw poll shift in La Crosse County.
</li>
</ul>
IF YOU GO
<ul data-path-to-node="9">
<li>
What: Ben Wikler book tour stop for This Is The Plan, hosted by Todd Allbaugh
</li>
<li>
When: Sunday, July 26 | Doors open at 11:30 a.m. | Live conversation &amp; Q&amp;A at 12:30 p.m.
</li>
<li>
Where: Cappella Performing Arts Center (721 King St., La Crosse)
</li>
<li>
Details: Free admission (<a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/this-is-the-plan-book-tour-la-crosse-tickets-1990507099317">register here</a>). Books available for purchase on-site through Pearl Street Books.
</li>
</ul>

Listener conversations about the days events in and around the La Crosse area.  Weekdays from 5-6pm on WIZM 1410AM and 92.3FM

La Crosse Talk PM WIZM

Rick Solem talks about the days events in and around the La Crosse area. Weekdays from 5:07-6pm on 1410 WIZM

Rick Solem talks about the days events in and around the La Crosse area. Weekdays from 5:07-6pm on 1410 WIZM

WIZM - La Crosse

Ahead of La Crosse visit, former GOP insider Todd Allbaugh breaks down WI Dem primary chaos

As the La Crosse City Council prepares to vote once again on creating a city administrator position, Dr. Mike Ford joins to help break down what the role actually is, why cities have them, and whether La Crosse truly needs one.

Dr. Ford, a professor of public administration at UW-Oshkosh and Director of the Whitburn Center for Governance and Policy Research, is one of the state's leading experts on municipal governance. He offering clear insight into the practical mechanics of local government—explaining how administrators manage multi-million dollar budgets, navigate council dynamics, and why La Crosse remains an outlier among Wisconsin cities of its size.

With La Crosse facing a projected $8 million budget shortfall, rising healthcare costs, and major long-term decisions ahead, the conversation centers on what having a professional manager actually means for how the city runs on a day-to-day basis.

Key Points Covered in the Episode:


Politics Decides, Administration Does: How the city administrator role originated during the Progressive Era to separate day-to-day operations from political bickering.


Why La Crosse is in the Minority: Why more than 100 Wisconsin cities already rely on a professional manager or administrator to handle multi-million-dollar budgets.


The Cost vs. Savings Debate: Can hiring a high-level administrator actually save the city money in the long run through operational efficiencies and long-term planning?


Charter Ordinance vs. Simple Ordinance: The procedural differences, supermajority requirements, and how city residents hold the legal power to trigger a referendum on the decision.


Tackling the $8 Million Deficit: How an independent administrator presents objective budget-cutting options to the city council without a political agenda.

As the La Crosse City Council prepares to vote once again on creating a city administrator position, Dr. Mike Ford joins&nbsp;to help break down what the role actually is, why cities have them, and whether La Crosse truly needs one.
Dr. Ford, a professor of public administration at UW-Oshkosh and Director of the Whitburn Center for Governance and Policy Research, is one of the state's leading experts on municipal governance. He offering clear insight into the practical mechanics of local government&mdash;explaining how administrators manage multi-million dollar budgets, navigate council dynamics, and why La Crosse remains an outlier among Wisconsin cities of its size.
With La Crosse facing a projected $8 million budget shortfall, rising healthcare costs, and major long-term decisions ahead, the conversation centers on what having a professional manager actually means for how the city runs on a day-to-day basis.
Key Points Covered in the Episode:
<ul data-path-to-node="11">
<li>
Politics Decides, Administration Does: How the city administrator role originated during the Progressive Era to separate day-to-day operations from political bickering.
</li>
<li>
Why La Crosse is in the Minority: Why more than 100 Wisconsin cities already rely on a professional manager or administrator to handle multi-million-dollar budgets.
</li>
<li>
The Cost vs. Savings Debate: Can hiring a high-level administrator actually save the city money in the long run through operational efficiencies and long-term planning?
</li>
<li>
Charter Ordinance vs. Simple Ordinance: The procedural differences, supermajority requirements, and how city residents hold the legal power to trigger a referendum on the decision.
</li>
<li>
Tackling the $8 Million Deficit: How an independent administrator presents objective budget-cutting options to the city council without a political agenda.
</li>
</ul>

Understanding La Crosse's city administrator debate with expert Dr. Mike Ford 

Marker 03

Ben Wikler went from The Daily Show stage with Jon Stewart straight to The Rick Solem Show the next day to help make sense of the wild week in Wisconsin politics.

The former chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, who will be in La Crosse on Sunday, gives his take on the recent shakeup in the Democratic primary for governor — from Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez dropping out to David Crowley re-entering the race — and why Wikler argues this primary shuffle gives voters genuine options rather than a pre-packaged Republican ticket.

Wikler points out Tom Tiffany's extreme voting record in Congress, while detailing why the state party maintains strict primary neutrality and how a surging turnout will carry the eventual Democratic nominee.

The discussion centers on Wikler’s new book, This Is The Plan, which maps out how Democrats successfully unrigged Wisconsin's GOP gerrymander and offers a playbook for national political reform. That conversation will continue in La Crosse this Sunday at the Cappella Performing Arts Center, where he'll join  political analyst Todd Allbaugh for a live Q&A and book signing.

In this interview:


Governor's Race Shakeup: How Wikler—and his dog Ross—reacted to a wild week in state politics, plus why party bosses no longer handpick primary candidates for Democrats.


Local Issues & 3rd District: Van Orden’s starring role as a character in This Is The Plan, and the strategy for beating Tom Tiffany in November.


"Gotham City" Corruption: Campaign finance, Supreme Court ethics, and the playbook for fixing legalized corruption.


Behind the Scenes at The Daily Show: What it was really like going back-and-forth with Jon Stewart (and competing with his rolling chair).

IF YOU GO


What: Ben Wikler book tour stop for This Is The Plan: How To End America's Meltdown and Save Democracy


When:12:30 p.m. Sunday, July 26 (Doors open at 11:30 a.m.)


Where: Cappella Performing Arts Center (map)


Details: Free to attend, but registration is required online via Eventbrite. The conversation will feature Wikler joined by political analyst Todd Allbaugh, followed by an audience Q&A and book signing. Books will be available for purchase on-site through Pearl Street Books.

Ben Wikler went from The Daily Show stage with Jon Stewart straight to The Rick Solem Show the next day to help make sense of the wild week in Wisconsin politics.
The former chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, who will be in La Crosse on Sunday, gives his take on the recent shakeup in the Democratic primary for governor &mdash; from Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez dropping out to David Crowley re-entering the race &mdash; and why Wikler argues this primary shuffle gives voters genuine options rather than a pre-packaged Republican ticket.
Wikler points out Tom Tiffany's extreme voting record in Congress, while detailing why the state party maintains strict primary neutrality and how a surging turnout will carry the eventual Democratic nominee.
The discussion centers on Wikler&rsquo;s new book, This Is The Plan, which maps out how Democrats successfully unrigged Wisconsin's GOP gerrymander and offers a playbook for national political reform. That conversation will continue in La Crosse this Sunday at the Cappella Performing Arts Center, where he'll join &nbsp;political analyst Todd Allbaugh for a live Q&amp;A and book signing.
In this interview:
<ul data-path-to-node="6">
<li>
Governor's Race Shakeup: How Wikler&mdash;and his dog Ross&mdash;reacted to a wild week in state politics, plus why party bosses no longer handpick primary candidates for Democrats.
</li>
<li>
Local Issues &amp; 3rd District: Van Orden&rsquo;s starring role as a character in This Is The Plan, and the strategy for beating Tom Tiffany in November.
</li>
<li>
"Gotham City" Corruption: Campaign finance, Supreme Court ethics, and the playbook for fixing legalized corruption.
</li>
<li>
Behind the Scenes at The Daily Show: What it was really like going back-and-forth with Jon Stewart (and competing with his rolling chair).
</li>
</ul>
IF YOU GO
<ul data-path-to-node="11">
<li>
What: Ben Wikler book tour stop for This Is The Plan: How To End America's Meltdown and Save Democracy
</li>
<li>
When: 12:30 p.m. Sunday, July 26 (Doors open at 11:30 a.m.)
</li>
<li>
Where: Cappella Performing Arts Center (<a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/xLBYFPN1Mo5bdRdV9">map</a>)
</li>
<li>
Details: Free to attend, but <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/this-is-the-plan-book-tour-la-crosse-tickets-1990507099317" data-hveid="0" data-ved="0CAAQ_4QMahgKEwj0-8Tg--WVAxUAAAAAHQAAAAAQ_QI">registration is required online via Eventbrite</a>. The conversation will feature Wikler joined by political analyst Todd Allbaugh, followed by an audience Q&amp;A and book signing. Books will be available for purchase on-site through Pearl Street Books.
</li>
</ul>

Ahead of La Crosse visit, Ben Wikler talks Wisconsin governor's race chaos and 'This Is The Plan' — his new book on unrigging state politics

Just three proposed AI data centers in Wisconsin are projected to use more electricity than all 2.3 million homes in the state combined.

In fact, the one facility in Mount Pleasant alone will pull as much power as 1 million homes — becoming one of the largest “cities” of energy consumption in the state without a single person living there.

Amy Barrilleaux, communications director at Clean Wisconsin, joined the Rick Solem Show on Monday to help break down the massive, under-the-radar impact hyperscale AI data centers could have on Wisconsin’s energy grid, local water supplies and your monthly utility bills.

 

In this episode:
The Energy Surge: Why the Public Service Commission (PSC) projects a 40% jump in state energy demand over six years — and why 72% of that increase comes from just three data centers.
Your Pocketbook: How multi-billion-dollar utility buildouts for tech giants like Microsoft and Oracle could shift massive financial risks onto everyday Wisconsin ratepayers.
Local Moratoriums: Why La Crosse County and municipalities state-wide are putting pauses in place to evaluate land use, grid strain, tax implications, local health impacts and more.
Land & Water Impacts: The stark difference between temporary solar farm leases and permanent concrete slabs that erase family farmland forever — plus the off-site water drain from fossil fuel power generation.
A Century of Infrastructure in 10 Years: Why rebuilding our entire energy system in a decade for a handful of tech companies requires a statewide pause and a real plan.

Take Action: Clean Wisconsin has launched a statewide petition calling for a pause on unchecked AI data center development until proper regulations are in place. You can learn more and sign the petition here.

Listen live weekdays at 5:06 p.m. Find the pod on Spotify, Apple Podcast or here. Tune in on the WIZM app or on air at 92.3 FM / 1410 AM / 106.7 FM (north of Onalaska)

Just three proposed AI data centers in Wisconsin are projected to use more electricity than all 2.3 million homes in the state combined.
In fact, the one facility in Mount Pleasant alone will pull as much power as 1 million homes &mdash; becoming one of the largest &ldquo;cities&rdquo; of energy consumption in the state without a single person living there.
Amy Barrilleaux, communications director at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cleanwisconsin.org/">Clean Wisconsin</a>, joined the Rick Solem Show on Monday to help break down the massive, under-the-radar impact hyperscale AI data centers could have on Wisconsin&rsquo;s energy grid, local water supplies and your monthly utility bills.
&nbsp;
In this episode:
<ul>
<li>The Energy Surge:&nbsp;Why the Public Service Commission (PSC) projects a 40% jump in state energy demand over six years &mdash; and why 72% of that increase comes from just three data centers.</li>
<li>Your Pocketbook:&nbsp;How multi-billion-dollar utility buildouts for tech giants like Microsoft and Oracle could shift massive financial risks onto everyday Wisconsin ratepayers.</li>
<li>Local Moratoriums:&nbsp;Why La Crosse County and municipalities state-wide are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wizmnews.com/2026/06/18/mader-on-data-center-moratorium/">putting pauses in place</a>&nbsp;to evaluate land use, grid strain, tax implications, local health impacts and more.</li>
<li>Land &amp; Water Impacts:&nbsp;The stark difference between temporary solar farm leases and permanent concrete slabs that erase family farmland forever &mdash; plus the off-site water drain from fossil fuel power generation.</li>
<li>A Century of Infrastructure in 10 Years:&nbsp;Why rebuilding our entire energy system in a decade for a handful of tech companies requires a statewide pause and a real plan.</li>
</ul>
Take Action:&nbsp;Clean Wisconsin has launched a statewide petition calling for a pause on unchecked AI data center development until proper regulations are in place. You can learn more and sign the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cleanwisconsin.org/take-a-stand-against-unchecked-data-center-development/">petition here</a>.
<hr>
Listen live weekdays at 5:06 p.m. Find the pod on&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/1k1QCGhGrFA5KH9Rxh6fIO">Spotify</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/la-crosse-talk-pm-wizm/id1445077021">Apple Podcast</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wizmnews.com/la-crosse-talk-pm-with-rick-solem/">here</a>. Tune in on the WIZM app or on air at 92.3 FM / 1410 AM / 106.7 FM (north of Onalaska)

Ahead of La Crosse visit, former GOP insider Todd Allbaugh breaks down WI Dem primary chaos

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