Area residents vent frustrations in listening session with Johnson aide

A recent listening session in Whitehall gave area residents an opportunity to give their feedback to a member of U.S. Senator Ron Johnson’s staff. On this occasion, that turned into a venting session from the several dozens of people present.

The Whitehall Community Library was host last Wednesday to what Johnson’s office called mobile office hours, where a member of his staff traveled to select counties around the state for one-hour sessions that allowed residents to provide feedback or request assistance with a federal agency or other federal matters.

Pam Travis, a regional director for Johnson, was the staff member on hand in Whitehall for Trempealeau County’s mobile office hours.

“This is awesome to have a turnout like this — that we can connect with people, and you know that we’re here and that we’re available,” Travis said. “I was just in Jackson County; I had four people there. But we talked for the whole hour because I was listening to issues that they were facing in a very small village with regulations.”

A crowd of between 40 and 50 people turned out for the event, with all those who spoke during the hour pointing criticism toward Johnson, President Donald Trump, Elon Musk and the Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). 

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The concerns expressed hit on a range of topics including the administration’s early barrage of executive orders, cuts to appropriated funds, immigration, Social Security and support for farmers.

One of those who spoke was Julie Geurink, who said her son, Michael, was among those with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) who lost their jobs due to cuts made by the Trump administration.

“As of 10 o’clock this morning, my son, who works for USAID for 18 years, was fired. No severance package, nothing. He’s done,” Geurink said. “He is country director for seven third-world countries. All of these supplies that have been bought and paid for by the United States are sitting in warehouses and he can’t get them distributed.”

Former Trempealeau County Treasurer Vitus Kampa, who noted he was a former Republican officeholder, raised concern with the prospect of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducting raids leading to deportations and the impact that could have on local communities.

“Let’s talk about a big subject here in Trempealeau County. If you look around, we have a lot of immigrants here,” Kampa said. “And I’ve tried over the last few years to ask how many of these people are legal and how many are not because nobody knows. Can you imagine what would happen to Trempealeau County if ICE came in here and started taking our people away?”

Whitehall Community Library Director Amanda Hegge brought up that a planned Spanish immersion after-school program at the library would not move forward because the Wisconsin Humanities Council suspended new grants due to the uncertainty surrounding federal funding.

“I would like to know how Senator Johnson intends to support libraries and humanities programs if those grants are going to go away,” Hegge said. “Because I’ve got to tell you, we scraped for 10 years to get this brand-new building, and it would not have happened except for the people.”

Travis thanked those who came out and explained that she’d write up a report with the concerns raised and present it to Johnson.