LittleChuteMatters.org Homepage
Little Chute Matters Logo
Interview with Steve Ransbottom
Little Chute Matters Logo - glitter

Interview with Steve Ransbottom

February 9, 2011


Button: Play streaming-audio of the entire interview.

Listen to the entire interview in streaming audio (19.5 minutes).

Button: Download the entire interview.

Download the entire interview in MP3 format (size is 6.7 MB).


- OR -



Listen-to/Download Individual Tracks


Track 1 - "Why Are You Running for Office?" (2 minutes)
Track 2 - Question about the Economy and Jobs (3.5 minutes)
Track 3 - Question about Government Finances (3 minutes)
Track 4 - Question about Transparency in Government (6 minutes)
Track 5 - Question about Downtown Development (5 minutes)




This is a podcast of an interview with Steve Ransbottom, one of two challengers to the office of Little Chute Village President. Five interview questions were prepared by LittleChuteMatters.org and asked of all three candidates in their individual interviews. Each of the five questions in the interview is usually followed by a clarification or follow-up question.

This recording of the entire interview is 19.5 minutes long. To play the entire interview, click the "Listen to the entire interview in streaming audio" link or button above. The interview should begin to play on your computer, after a short pause.

To download the MP3 file to play later or put on your personal audio player, click the "Download the entire interview in MP3 format" link or button above. A dialog should pop up asking where you want to save the file. Alternately, you can right-click the link (on a Mac with a one-button mouse, hold down the control-key and click the link). This should cause a context-menu to appear, displaying several options. Choose the option to save the MP3 file to your disk.

If you want to hear the candidate respond to an individual interview question, you can listen or download a single track containing the interview question, response and follow-ups. Use the buttons below to play or download the track(s) of your choice. There are five tracks, one for each question: the "Why Are You Running" question, and four questions focused on the Economy, Government Finances, Transparency in Government and Downtown Development.



Question #1: "Why Are You Running for Office?"


This track asks Question #1: "Why are you running for office? Tell us a little about yourself, and why you're interested in serving the public as Village President?"

The candidate's response follows the question on the track, along with any follow-up questions and responses. To play or download this track, click one of the buttons below.



Button: Play streaming-audio of Question #1.

Listen to Question #1 in streaming audio (2 minutes).

Button: Download Question #1 in MP3 format.

Download Question #1 in MP3 format (size is 0.6 MB).




Question #2: The Economy and Jobs.


This track asks Question #2: "The economy is on most people's minds right now, especially jobs. According to the Census Bureau, in Little Chute one out of every five jobs are created by small businesses with less than 20 employees. Another two out of the five are from mid-sized businesses, with 20 to 100 employees. And over 95 percent of the businesses in Little Chute are either small or mid-sized. How will you support existing small and mid-sized businesses and encourage the development of new ones?"

The candidate's response follows the question on the track, along with any follow-up questions and responses. To play or download this track, click one of the buttons below.



Button: Play streaming-audio of Question #2.

Listen to Question #2 in streaming audio (3.5 minutes).

Button: Download Question #2 in MP3 format.

Download Question #2 in MP3 format (size is 1.2 MB).




Question #3: Government Finances


This track asks Question #3: "When we think about government finances, many of us immediately think 'taxes'. But taxes are only one way to finance government. Fees are another means of generating revenue, sometimes a hotly debated means. Fees can be paid directly to the village, or to third parties for village-mandated products and services. How do you view the use of fees versus taxes to fund the activities of the Village of Little Chute?"

The candidate's response follows the question on the track, along with any follow-up questions and responses. To play or download this track, click one of the buttons below.



Button: Play streaming-audio of Question #3.

Listen to Question #3 in streaming audio (3 minutes).

Button: Download Question #3 in MP3 format.

Download Question #3 in MP3 format (size is 1.1 MB).




Question #4: Transparency in Government


This track asks Question #4: "Wisconsin's Public Records law requires open access to Village records for all citizens. However, getting copies of Village documents can sometimes be complicated. For example, information packets given to Village Trustees in open session sometimes include documents that visitor packets don’t have. Also, announcements about Village contracts and agreements often aren’t widely publicized. How do you propose making village records as freely available as possible to the public?"

The candidate's response follows the question on the track, along with any follow-up questions and responses. To play or download this track, click one of the buttons below.



Button: Play streaming-audio of Question #4.

Listen to Question #4 in streaming audio (6 minutes).

Button: Download Question #4 in MP3 format.

Download Question #4 in MP3 format (size is 2.1 MB).




Question #5: Downtown Development


This track asks Question #5: "In recent years, there has been some development along Main street. Much of the focus has been on the Dutch Boyz and Windmill projects. But these developments are both west of the Village Hall. How do we develop the downtown area east of the Village Hall? How do you think we can keep existing businesses and attract new businesses to this area? "

The candidate's response follows the question on the track, along with any follow-up questions and responses. To play or download this track, click one of the buttons below.



Button: Play streaming-audio of Question #5.

Listen to Question #5 in streaming audio (5 minutes).

Button: Download Question #5 in MP3 format.

Download Question #5 in MP3 format (size is 1.8 MB).





Little Chute Matters Logo - glitter Little Chute Matters Logo - glitter