Politics
Wisconsin Sen. Brad Pfaff on banning hedge funds from housing, upcoming budget listening session, election react
Wisconsin state Sen. Brad Pfaff in the WIZM studio Monday for La Crosse Talk with election reaction, money in politics, upcoming budget listening sessions and a new housing proposal, plus the best places for a Friday fish fry.
La Crosse Talk airs weekdays at 6-8 a.m. Listen on the WIZM app, online here, or on 92.3 FM / 1410 AM / 106.7 FM (north of Onalaska). Find all the podcasts here or subscribe to La Crosse Talk wherever you get your podcasts.
Began the show with some election reaction in regards to the amount of money spent on the Wisconsin Supreme Court race the past two elections — both record-setting for the most money spent on a judiciary race.
Pfaff, a Democrat who represents District 32, also discussed some of the issues the state Legislature should be tackling, including some classic hits like childcare.
Pfaff is holding a budget listening session at 3 p.m. Friday with Assembly Rep. Steve Doyle (D-Onalaska) at the Onalaska Library and at 4 p.m. this upcoming Monday with state Assembly Rep. Jill Billings (D-La Crosse) at the Main Street Library in La Crosse.
We also talked about how there are no state budget listening sessions in western Wisconsin. The closest state listening session is in Wausau on April 29.
Then we had some fun with Pfaff at the midway point, talking about how politicians should campaign, including the idea of going to Friday fish fries. Pfaff balked at the idea of offering to pick up the tab at those fish fries as essentially buying votes — though that might be legal now after last week’s election.
Wrapped up talking about Pfaff’s housing bill, which would prohibit hedge funds to purchase single-family housing and some multi-family housing.
Dylan
April 8, 2025 at 12:38 pm
Hedge funds and corporations need to be prohibited from purchasing single family housing. If mortgage rates fall again home prices are going to skyrocket. New constructions in Holmen are 500k+… You basically need to be top 5-10% income to even afford these places… Young people have it tough trying to build equity and start families…
walden
April 8, 2025 at 11:59 pm
Who do you think is providing the capital to develop land and build new homes? Hedge funds and other large financial players. If you want more homes, and less expensive home prices, “banning hedge funds from housing” is not the answer.
That is because home prices are set by supply and demand. Supply and demand are in equilibrium at the price of housing that clears the market (what people are willing to pay). Ban hedge funds and other financial players from housing and you will end up with fewer homes built and even higher bid prices for the constrained supply of existing and new housing stock.
Brad Pfaff is selling snake oil and Solem is a paid fool promoting the agenda (Dem good; Republican bad).
Note to Dylan, yes new construction in Holmen is $500k. That is due to “cost push” inflation for 1) expensive building materials and 2) high interest rates that finance the construction…both a result of the Biden/Harris multi-trillion inflationary spending spree the Fed has been trying to dampen the last two years. Say bye bye to 2% inflation and 3% mortgages. Trump will not be successful in reducing mortgage rates by shooting off his mouth.
Don’t forget about Nancy Pelosi and Schumer bragging about their trillion dollar spending as if the amount of spending was the goal. The chickens have now come home to roost. Entering from stage left is AOC and fellow socialist democrat Marxists who tell you more government is needed to save you from the mess the government created.
Dylan
April 9, 2025 at 9:12 am
Interesting insights, thanks for the discussion! What I was thinking is specifically hedge funds not being able to purchase homes already built or getting into bidding wars with families.