Vote Mathias Harter
Mayor of La Crosse, Wisconsin
*** Vote April 7th ***
I was born in La Crosse on November 17, 1984, and fifteen years later I bought my first piece of real estate in La Crosse. I have studied economics and political science at the Minnesota State University of Mankato. I have been so blessed to live and work in La Crosse most of my life. Recently, I returned from service in the U.S. Navy. Thus, I am fortunate enough to be home again, and I plan on wasting no time. I feel we must all summarily work together to bring change to this community for the betterment of ourselves, our neighborhoods, and our future.
At a young age I learned the value of frugality as I started my first job at age six delivering papers; at age seven I continued delivering papers and started a job filling bags with ice at a local convenience store; by age nine I added a third job at a local carwash cleaning and performing electrical maintenance. After saving my earnings from these ventures and others, I was able to buy my own house at a young age. I have also learned how to draft and operate within a competitive budget while working as a business development coordinator drafting proposals and winning refuse hauling contracts for local communities. HARTER’S, has saved large sums of money for local communities by operating on a much smaller budget than other refuse haulers, including La Crosse; Onalaska; Rushford, MN; Houston, MN; La Crescent, MN; Bangor, WI; Rockland, WI; and multiple others.
That rewarding experience, working as a business development coordinator, as well as the experience of heavy labor, collecting refuse, served me well during my military career as a naval aircrewman, rescue swimmer, and Navy SEAL trainee. While in the navy I flew in SH-60 Seahawk helicopters providing rescue support for naval jet pilots attempting their first landings on navy aircraft carriers, off the east coast of the U.S. I have received training and graduated from: the U.S. Naval Aircrew School; the U.S. Navy Rescue Swimmer School; the U.S. Navy Aviation Warfare Systems Operator “A” School; the U.S. Navy Fleet Replacement Aircrew School; the U.S. Navy Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) School; and Basic Underwater Demolition/ SEAL (BUD/ S) Indoctrination.
BUD/ SEAL Indoctrination is the first of three phases a Navy SEAL Candidate must go through. After I completed SEAL Indoctrination I continued training in the next phase. Moving on, I passed all the required timed runs, open ocean swims, underwater oxygen deprivation exercises, drown proofing, cold weather resistance exercises, and many other requirements. Ultimately, I was advanced to Hell Week. Hell Week is a five day event during which trainees are allowed a maximum of five hours of sleep and are kept cold and wet. During a Hell Week exercise called “Log Training”, as other men and I were carrying a telephone pole, my left lung ruptured, filled with blood, and I suffered a Pulmonary Edema. Shortly after, I was removed from training, and, even though I experienced a fast recovery, my career with the SEAL teams was ended. I was honorably discharged from the navy in April, 2008.
Immediately following my discharge I returned home to La Crosse, and the day following my arrival I resumed work serving communities with HARTER’S. Since my years in elementary school, I’ve watched businesses move out of La Crosse and witnessed already high taxes rise even higher. Taxes in La Crosse are incommensurate to the simple services being provided by our city government. More so, Taxes are higher in La Crosse than in surrounding areas. I believe that we can do better in this city. Strengthening the manufacturing economy and assuring that the citizens of La Crosse have access to jobs that provide a living wage is my priority. Taxes can be lowered and services can be improved by exhilarating local government, investing in our neighborhoods, addressing the needs of all citizens, and securing our future by operating our city government within a plausible budget.
I have been enriched with experiences and opportunities that I am eternally grateful for. I have been taught the value of proper planning and hard work; this has proved me well in my service thus far. Moreover, specialized military training has fortified my resolve to serve. Through all my experiences I have learned that faith and hope are the most powerful forces on earth; I am asking for your help putting these forces to work to make this a better community for us all.
I appreciate any support you are able to lend.
Thank you, sincerely, and God bless you,
Mathias Harter