[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 22]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 30550]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO MATT POMMER

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. TAMMY BALDWIN

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                       Sunday, December 18, 2005

  Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the work of 
a remarkable journalist--Matt Pommer of Madison, Wisconsin.
  Matt Pommer is retiring from The Capital Times newspaper where he 
worked for nearly 45 years. The past 35 of those years were spent 
covering the State Capitol beat. During that time, he covered virtually 
all of the major stories in the state, including the work of seven 
Governors.
  Matt Pommer is a true journalist, who stayed focused on the facts and 
worked to make certain that he got the details right. He has an 
extraordinary knowledge of the inner workings and history of Capitol 
activity which was reflected in the outstanding quality of his stories. 
On many issues, most notably the Wisconsin retirement system, he knew 
as much or more than the legislators working on the issue.
  In his years covering legislation Matt was steadfast in his 
determination to keep the public informed of the on-goings in Wisconsin 
government. He devoted his energies to bringing the story to his 
readers without any fear or favor. He had no interest in ``spin''.
  Mr. Speaker, over the years I have had the privilege of reading Matt 
Pommer's work, and interacting with him during my service as a state 
legislator. He is a professional in every sense of the word.
  On a lighter note, Matt and I enjoyed the opportunity to work 
together as ``extras'' in the film ``Chain Reaction'' with Keanu Reeves 
and Morgan Freeman. We were told that Director Andrew Davis preferred 
to fill the role of ``extras'' with people who actually worked in the 
job they were portraying. When he looked for a real journalist, there 
is little wonder that he found Matt Pommer.
  Thank you Matt, for the years of service you have provided to the 
citizens of the State of Wisconsin and the readers of The Capital 
Times.

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