When he decided to step into the political arena, Kramer had to work out how he would fit everything into his schedule. “I told my financial clients when I decided to run for office that I would work 30 hours a week as a financial planner and 40 hours a week as a legislator—instead of 50 hours a week as a financial advisor—and it has worked out well,” Kramer says.

The 48-year-old planner, who is not married, has been able to devote his time to his two careers, though he acknowledges that being a legislator, with all the required fund-raising, is time consuming. He also has to fit in the hour and a half drive each way between Waukesha and the state capital in Madison two or three times a week.

In one week he characterizes as relatively slow, Kramer had meetings in Madison for two days, was back to his office for financial planning duties in between, attended a political event on Friday and joined his congressman for a town hall meeting with constituents on Saturday.

He feels being a legislator is important enough to be worth the effort. “If you are going to complain about public policy, it is incumbent upon you to do something about it, and if you think you can make things better in the public realm, you need to try,” he says. “That’s why I felt it incumbent upon me to run for office.

“The way I fit everything in is, I don’t do any prospecting for new clients anymore since becoming a legislator, and I do not hold seminars like I used to,” he says. “My new clients come from referrals now.”

Dr. Nathan Ledeboer, a client of the Kramer’s for five years, thinks the dual careers offer Kramer a perspective that allows him to be helpful to both the public and his private clients.

“Being a financial advisor gives Bill the perspective of knowing where people are focusing their concerns,” says Ledeboer. “It also lets him understand that the state needs a stable source of income and lets him see deficiencies in the financial system. It gives him an idea of where to focus our resources.”

Wisconsin Assemblyman Michael Kuglitsch, a colleague of Kramer’s, agrees. “Seeing the big picture on the state or federal level requires people from all walks of life to collaborate on public issues. We need a wide diversity of professions and expertise on legislative committees to draw on their specialized knowledge,” Kuglitsch says. “Having someone in public office who has expertise in financial planning on the federal or state level can help avert or solve budget crises.”

Wisconsin has had its share of hyperpartisan budget crises recently, which drew national headlines and prompted an attempted recall of GOP Gov. Scott Walker. The issues raised in Wisconsin have sparked a national debate about what measures should be taken to cut state budgets. Opponents of Walker’s budget measures said he was attacking the unions in a labor-busting move to save money, cutting benefits that were traditionally part of labor agreements.

The prolonged debate brought protestors from throughout the nation to Madison to demonstrate against the state budget and Walker’s conservative philosophy. The issues led to national demonstrations and even sparked threats by outsiders against the governor and state legislators (including Kramer).