OSHKOSH – When Tommy Thompson, then Secretary of Health and Human Services, visited New York City just days after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, he recalled how the stoplights were out in the largest city in America.
And no one in traffic, not a single car, honked its horn at stoplights, he said. Instead, everyone took turns. In New York City.
Thompson said he doesn’t know how that scene would play out in 2021, as the interim UW System president and former Wisconsin governor spoke Wednesday night at University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh about the stark differences he sees in the United States then and now.
“I can remember, shortly after 9/11, how together this country came, and now, 20 years later, we’re split,” Thompson said. “We’re split to such an extent that it’s hard to get anything done.”
UW-Oshkosh hosted “An Evening With President Thompson” on Wednesday at the Arts and Communication Hall. Michael Ford, associate professor of public administration and director of the university’s Master of Public Administration program, shared the stage with Thompson, asking questions on everything from Thompson’s views on the problems federal and local governments are facing to the future of the UW System.
On the current state of politics
Thompson told Ford he sees the biggest issue in federal government as the divide between Democrats and Republicans. With both sides moving further away from the center, there’s no one left to work together.
“Democrats have good ideas, Republicans have good ideas, but right now it’s so polarized that they don’t want to cross fertilize and get things done,” he said. “There’s nobody in the middle.”
He said he thinks that’s in part because of reapportionment, the process where states gain or lose seats in the House of Representatives based on the U.S. Census. That’s trickled down to the state and local levels, splitting up districts to the point, he said, that “you pretty much know who’s going to win” because of the population’s established political leanings in those districts.
Whereas he ran for governor on the idea of getting as many votes as possible, most candidates now just want to “get enough votes to get elected.” That might get you into office, he said, but he doesn’t think it leads to any changes.
To do that, it’s going to take leaders meeting in the middle and listening to others, he said.
On finding solutions to current problems
Public schools, the university system, the state Legislature and the federal government are all facing “huge problems,” Thompson said, such as national debt, equitable pay and others, though he didn’t go into detail.
“We have to get back to coming together,” he said. “We’ve got so many problems. (But) we’ve got great minds.”
There is no one right answer, but to make the best decision, he said he thinks leaders need to hear many different ideas.
As governor, he would tell his cabinet members, “I want you to argue me.” He’d explain the problem and ask for their advice, even if it went against Thompson’s ideas, because it allowed him to make a better decision. Loyalty comes in after the decision is made.
“Loyalty means supporting that decision, even if you argued against it,” he said. “You’ve got to have clashing ideas, but out of clashing ideas … somebody has to make a decision. And once you make a decision, you move forward.”
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He also highlighted Ford, a current Oshkosh Common Council member and director of UW-Oshkosh’s new Whitburn Center on Governance and Policy Research, as an example for young people, speaking directly to students in attendance.
“What I want to leave with all of you is … We have serious problems right now facing, whether it be school board, city council or state Legislature,” Thompson said. “You have to run for these public offices.”
For those not interested in holding a leadership position, Thompson said “at least get involved” with a campaign or working to understand the issues.
“It doesn’t pay to stand on the sidelines,” he said.
On the future of the UW System
One of Thompson’s biggest frustrations this year was low enrollment numbers for sophomore and juniors in the UW System. While freshmen numbers were high, he said he felt the system had lost returning students who started their college careers amid the pandemic and didn’t have the experience they thought they would because of restrictions and virtual learning.
“We didn’t take care of the freshmen,” he said. “Now, we’ve got to rebuild that faith and trust between campuses and students.”
He said he thinks that comes from sharing how great the system is and how important its students are.
Thompson said he wants to continue growing the UW System and envisions more courses, more buildings and more opportunities as well as increasing student population. He also thinks the system needs to be more united in solving problems, like it was with vaccinations on campuses.
“We did that as a system,” he said. “And every time we come together, we have our differences and arguments, but when we come together we can accomplish a great deal.”
He hopes that will lead to more funding and connection with the state Legislature. Like any good steward, Thompson hopes to leave where he is better than it was when he found it.
“I want to leave the system in the strongest position possible,” he said. “I don’t think it was that strong when I took over. I’m trying to strengthen administration so we can get more and better things done.”
When Ford asked what’s next for Thompson, he paused.
“They’re looking for a permanent replacement for me,” he said. “I hope they don’t find one very soon because there’s a lot of things I still want to get done.”
After that, though, he said he doesn’t know. He still runs several companies and farms 1,500 acres, including caring for 125 purebred Belgian galloway, Scottish beef cattle. He also enjoys physical activity, though a recent waterskiing injury left him needing surgery to reattach his tendon to his bicep.
“I’m very active, and I’m a workaholic,” he said. “Maybe I’ll learn how to waterski better and not get hurt.”
Contact Katy Macek at kmacek@thenorthwestern.com or 920-426-6658. Follow her on Twitter @KatherineMacek.
