Just as the Packers represent what is right and good in professional sports, Wisconsin represents what is right and good in a people and a state.
We are a people who know we are strongest when we are united. When a neighbor -- or a even stranger -- is in need of help, we respond with speed and compassion.
When a fiery train wreck forced Weyauwega residents to evacuate their homes for weeks, it was the people of Wisconsin who came to their rescue. They took families into their homes; paid for them to stay in hotels; offered food, clothing and money. And we worked together to diffuse a potentially explosive situation.
Joining us tonight is Weyauwega Mayor Judith Wiesman and her husband, Ron. Nice to see you under better circumstances Judith.
Nothing can derail the Spirit of Wisconsin.
Not even the devastating tornado that swept through the village of Oakfield. It was the most horrific sight in my time as governor. A path of destruction through the center of the village.
As I walked through the rubble of a community, I saw a lot of tears and a great deal of shock. But soon, the grief was drowned out by the sounds of chain saws, dump trucks, rakes and shovels.
The population of Oakfield seemed to quadruple that next day, as strangers came from miles around to lend a hand -- and a hug -- to those who had just lost a home or a family treasure.
I would like to welcome Oakfield Village President Tony O'Malley, Oakfield residents Allen Searl and Gary Collien, and Fond du Lac County Executive Al Buechel. You have a special community gentlemen.
I continue to be amazed by the ability of Wisconsinites to turn tragedy into triumph.
But that's the spirit of Wisconsin. We're builders with a bold vision for a better tomorrow. We have built Wisconsin into a championship state.
And in doing so, we have helped transform a nation through our bold innovations and brilliant successes.
We are America's State.
Whenever I come to address you in this chamber, it brings a rush of memories.
As a freshman legislator 30 years ago, I sat right there -- in Representative Owens' seat. And I eventually worked my way up to Representative Foti's seat in the front row.
I still remember the first bill I authored and the excitement that brought. It was a landmark bill, of course. Setting a standard for how much butter fat a product must contain before it can be called butter. You might call it the butter means butter bill.
And, I might add, it did pass.
I also know of the passion, conviction and the vigor that fills this chamber. I can even remember fighting with a few governors -- although I would never condone such action now.
A democracy calls for us to disagree at times. But we don't have to be disagreeable in the process.
Just as we lead this nation in so many arenas, we must also lead in civility and bipartisanship. We must reform the campaign finance system so it breeds civility. And we must discuss our differences face-to-face -- seeking compromise.
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So again, I will be reserving my schedule every Tuesday while you are in session to meet with lawmakers -- Democrats and Republicans. And you know I'm always just a phone call away.
Vince Lombardi said it well: "People who work together will win, whether it be against complex football defenses or the problems of society."
So as we look to the future, we will remain America's State by daring to do even more. We will lead a nation into a new millennium.
And we will do it together, in these chambers and in communities throughout this great state.
Tonight, we begin laying out a bold blueprint for success in the 21st Century. We have so many new ideas that this speech would last longer than the Packers victory parade if we were to discuss them all right now.
So tonight, we will talk about where we have come and where we will go -- with special emphasis on the future of education in Wisconsin. Next week, I will outline an ambitious new plan for the environment. And in two weeks, I will present to you a biennial budget that will take us to the brink of a new millennium.
Economy
In these chambers, we helped spur an economic revolution that transformed Wisconsin from a hub in the Rust Belt into the Job Center of a nation.
Wisconsin's economy is as strong as it has ever been. If the numbers that tell the success of our economy are beginning to sound like a broken record it is because we keep breaking records. Our economy is a sweet tune of success that never grows old.
Three million people are working today -- the most ever. Four straight years of record employment.
We cut our unemployment rate in half -- to 3.5 percent. The sixth straight year it has dropped.
And we are creating the high skill jobs that pay high wages. Median family income is back above the national average, growing 14 percent compared to only 9 percent nationally. And per capita income has grown at double the national rate since 1990.
This means our families have more income to invest in their retirement, to take that vacation, to buy a home. And young families are buying homes in record numbers -- housing construction is at its highest level in two decades.
Areas of the state that were lagging behind our economic growth are now catching up. The Chippewa Valley is poised to become the Silicon Valley of the Midwest as the computer industry's high-tech jobs of the future replace the manufacturing jobs of the past. In the last 18 months, we've created 3,600 new jobs in the Chippewa Valley.
And the future is bright once again in Southwest Wisconsin. When a plant closing cost the region 560 jobs last February, we replaced them with 837 new ones by year's end. We thank Cabela's and Penda Corporation for moving into the area and thank Land's End for its continue faith in our workers by making yet another major expansion.
I would like to thank Platteville City Manager Al Probst for his partnership in attracting these new jobs.
And there are more jobs on the way for the state.
⋅ ⋅Weather Shield Manufacturing -- 200 new jobs in Ladysmith
⋅ Snap-On -- 160 new jobs in Elkhorn
⋅ Advanced Data-Comm -- 127 new jobs in Superior
⋅ ⋅And Ameritech Communications and Ameritech Publishing -- 667 new full-time jobs in Milwaukee.
Feel the Power of America's State at work.
W-2
We must continue investing in our greatest economic resource -- our people. That is why, in these chambers, we ended welfare.
Not just in Wisconsin, but in America. If it were not for the bold, visionary and courageous work done here, thousands of families across this country would be sentenced to life in a failed welfare system instead of capitalizing on the freedom to pursue their dreams.
When history looks back upon our work of the past decade, W-2 will stand as an American symbol of freedom, hope, and the American Dream.
We've already cut our welfare rolls by more than half. We started with 98,000 cases and are down to 45,000. That's more than 53,000 families who are better off because we cared enough to help them.
Now, we must begin putting W-2 to work, forging new partnerships with our counties, businesses, community service groups, churches and private citizens. Working together to make Wisconsin work.
Tomorrow, my new Secretary of Workforce Development Linda Stewart will announce the agencies that will operate W-2 in our counties, forging a strong partnership with Milwaukee County Executive Tom Ament to make W-2 work in our largest county.
One of those agencies in Milwaukee County is YW Works, and with us tonight is its CEO, Julia Taylor of the YWCA. Julia's child care program is helping people like Daun Lewis-Redmond leave welfare. A 26-year-old mother, Daun is now working at Allen Bradley earning $17 an hour and supporting her family.
Julia and Daun are making welfare reform happen in their neighborhood.
This fall, every Wisconsinite capable of working will be working. Instead of cashing a welfare check, they will be cashing a paycheck.
An entire state at work.
Only in Wisconsin. Only in America's State.
Environment
In these chambers, we have built an environmental heritage that is world-renowned. And we will do more.
Next week, I will be announcing the boldest environmental initiative in this state in a generation.
We're going to clean up contaminated urban sites called brownfields, make the nation's model clean water program even better, and address the mining of our resources so our environment is not put at undue risk.
We will leave our environment to the next generation better than we found it.
Farmers
In these chambers, we have created a better environment for our farmers as well.
We provided farmers the undeniable right to farm their land without fear of lawsuits as development moves their way. No need to worry about a costly lawsuit because a new neighbor doesn't like the smell of your cows. We made sure land is taxed on its current use, not its potential value; cut capital gains taxes; and made it easier to pass farms onto the next generation.
And, we cut their property taxes. Farmers across this state are reporting gigantic reductions in their taxes.
Lois Alcorn of Lancaster wrote me, saying: "Thank you Gov. Thompson. Our property taxes were down $3,152.18 -- 19.9%. Way to go."
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Well, Lois. You're welcome. And thanks for being her tonight.
We put thousands of dollars in the pockets of Wisconsin farmers through our actions last legislative session. But the federal government is taking that money out of farmers pockets.
Too many farmers are not doing well enough because Washington has refused to create a balanced and fair dairy system.
In setting the price of milk, the National Cheese Exchange just does not work.
We know this because my administration launched a study of the Cheese Exchange and its impact on fluctuating milk prices -- drawing national attention to the pricing issue.
We then developed strong alternatives for the USDA to consider, such as removing the Cheese Exchange from the milk pricing formula. And next week, I will lead a delegation of state farmers to Washington to meet with USDA Secretary Dan Glickman and demand action to stabilize milk prices.
I will speak to Secretary Glickman's boss as well. To President Clinton, I will say:
"Mr. President, you talk a lot about building bridges to the 21st century. But as things stand now, Wisconsin farmers are at risk of floating down the river instead of crossing the bridge."
Build a bridge our farmers can cross, Mr. President. Fix the milk pricing system.
We have the most productive and efficient farmers in the world. It's time for America to do right by them.
Public safety
In these chambers, we made Wisconsin one of America's safest states. Again, six of the 10 safest cities in America are in Wisconsin -- including the safest -- the Appleton-Oshkosh region.
In the budget I present in two weeks, a cornerstone will be a dramatic and comprehensive public safety package dealing with crime, sentencing and punishment.
America's state is about to get even safer.
Property taxes
In these chambers, we showed America what it means to give a real property tax cut. Across this country, states are struggling to provide property tax relief. But only one has been able to cut its property taxes without raising other taxes. Wisconsin.
For the first time in history, property taxes went down without income or sales taxes going up in exchange.
A pure tax cut -- the largest in state history.
They said it couldn't be done. I said it could. And we did it.
And we're not going back.
Already, some are talking about walking away from the state's commitment to fund two-thirds the cost of local schools.
No way. Not on my watch.
Women's Health
And in these chambers, we have worked to make our families healthier.
We take great pride that 93 percent of our residents have health coverage -- the best in the nation.
