High above Madison in state government’s administration tower, two men you’ve likely never heard of are working feverishly to turn the riches of federal stimulus into economic salve for ailing Wisconsin residents.
“There is a drinking-out-of-a-fire-hydrant feeling about this,” said Alan Fish, a top University of Wisconsin official appointed by Gov. Jim Doyle along with Madison energy executive Gary Wolter to run a temporary unit dubbed the Wisconsin Office of Recovery and Reinvestment, which will close up shop in six months.