• Wisconsin ranks as the fourth best state in the country for children.
• Our overall poverty rate is the fifth lowest; our gap between rich and poor is the fourth smallest.
Clearly, welfare reform is lifting families up. Helping them to succeed. And giving them a higher quality of life. Leilani Duarte, who was part of those first luncheons at the Residence, is proof.
Our challenge is not over, however.
The genius of W-2 is its flexibility and its ability to evolve. And evolve it must.
W-2 helped thousands of families get jobs. Now it must focus on helping them climb the ladder of opportunity to greater self-sufficiency. It must put resources toward helping families stay in the workforce and not slip backwards.
The Division of Economic Support is already in the process of making this transformation and I urge you to support their efforts.
We must not rest until we help these families attain their full share of the American Dream. That is the great promise of W-2.
Our strong economy also allowed us to raise our quality of life through a great outdoors, safer neighborhoods and preservation of our proud farm heritage.
As we created 800,000 new jobs, our tougher environmental standards led to a reduction of industrial pollution by nearly 25 percent.
We cleaned our environment with nationally recognized programs such as the Clean Water Program, recycling, brownfield recovery and the Great Lakes Protection Fund.
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We ignited a new era of environmental stewardship in Wisconsin by growing more forest land than at any time in our state's recorded history; preserving more land for public enjoyment -- 256,000 pristine acres; extending the Stewardship Fund by $460 million and another 10 years; and creating two new Centennial State Parks to celebrate the 100
th anniversary of the State Park System. I'd like to thank Dick Steffes and Sue Black of the DNR and Todd Montgomery of the State Parks Friends for their help preserving this land.
We also brought the elk and trumpeter swan back to Wisconsin; while removing the bald eagle, timber wolf, Canada Lynx, Cooper's Hawk and Tremblay's salamander from the endangered species list.
Our vibrant natural resources help make Wisconsin a popular tourist destination.
We increased our tourism promotion budget from $1 million to $12.5 million. And the payoff is an economic impact of $9 billion by the tourism industry. Tourist spending is up 51 percent as more visitors keep coming back more often.
And one of our greatest tourist attractions is the State Fair. You've already seen the aesthetic changes made to the park this summer. And there are even more ambitious plans to modernize the grounds. Please make the State Fair Park renovation a priority – we'll reap the benefits for generations.
We also have a great opportunity to build a world-class History Center that will make sure the story of Wisconsin and its people live forever. I am forwarding the $75 million project in the budget and plan to raise private money for it as well. This project must also include an underground parking facility.
The History Center will build upon the Overture Project, Monona Terrace, and Capitol Restoration and Veterans Museum improvements – making Madison and the Capitol Square a premiere tourist destination.
I'm just worried there'll be so many fun things to do around here; no work will get done.
The quality of life in our neighborhoods matches that of our great outdoors thanks in large part to our zero tolerance approach to crime.
We restored public confidence in the criminal justice system with truth in sentencing, strengthened our juvenile code by replacing a soft touch with tough love, and kept sexual predators off our streets until they're deemed not to be a threat.
While no one likes to build prisons, there is an unmistakable correlation between rising prison populations and the lowest crime rates in 30 years. When the bad guys are behind bars, they're not committing crimes.
But our goal remains to make a criminal's first visit to prison his last. Our cutting-edge work programs give prisoners a skill and work ethic so they can leave prison with the ability to get a job and stay out of trouble. And drug and alcohol treatment programs help keep them sober.
As we look to the future, every prison must have a work program that trains every prisoner. Otherwise, these criminals will just keep coming back. And let's bring all our prisoners back within two years and upgrade the prison health care system in this budget.
Down on the farm, things are looking up. We are America's Dairyland: the largest producer of cheese, dry whey and sweetened condensed milk. Our cheeses are recognized as the best in the world.
We produce 23 billion pounds of milk and boast twice as many family farms as any other state. All this despite federal dairy policies that punish Wisconsin farmers and discourage them from farming.
Wisconsin remains the dairy leader because of our commitment to family farming.
Our conversion to use value assessment saved farmers $41 million in property taxes last year alone – money that could be plowed back into new equipment and technology. I'd like to introduce Chuck and Kathy Garfoot of Verona, who credit use value for allowing them to stay on their land rather sell it in rapidly developing Dane County.
We also increased the farm credits by $29 million; created a permanent tax credit of up to $1,000; eliminated the inheritance taxes; and made health care costs fully deductible.
And parents can now pass their farm onto a child without paying onerous capital gains taxes.
We also protected the right to farm with legislation ensuring new neighbors and developments don't infringe upon family farmers and their operations.
For the future, we need to keep our farmers competitive by allowing them to expand.
Larger farms are the only way some farmers – and farm communities – will be able to survive. And many of our cheesemakers desperately need more milk. Just because a farmer wants to grow his herd, doesn't mean he isn't a family farmer. We can't be afraid to expand our dairy operations.
So as we look back on the past 14 years, we have indeed come a long way.
We struck the right balance between cutting taxes and investing prudently in our people.
We developed a winning formula and executed it together.
But behind the statistics are real people, like:
• Matthew Neary, a UW-Stout student pursuing his dream of a career thanks to Pathways.
• Eugene Bingenheimer, who gets quality care at home, thanks to Family Care
• Doctors Anthony D'Alessandro and Paul Volek along with the Nachreiner family, who are making Wisconsin one of best organ donor states in America.
• Wausau Benefits CEO Fred Moore, Board Chairman Dwight Davis and employees Jay Aniker and Chris Thomas – a company that's succeeding with the state's partnership.
• Patricia Burgess, a W-2 participant and her caseworker Barbara Atkins.
• Ben and Debi Heisner, Mineral Point farmers carrying on our agriculture heritage.
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• Milwaukee LaFollette Elementary principal Flora Odom-Flagg, and her students Vallory Tole and Welisha Frelow; and Messmer High principal Jeff Monday and students LaTosha Cooper and Juan Youngblood. These schools and educators are showing that all children in Milwaukee can succeed and meet high expectations.
• And finally the Ruttig and Hussey families, who on this very stage were promised major tax cuts in the last budget, address. We're proud to say we delivered for you.
These are the faces of our success in Wisconsin.
They're why we all got into this profession. To help people. To make their lives better.
And that's exactly what we've done together.
As they leave us tonight, let us thank these citizens for helping make Wisconsin a better place in their own way.
Now to the future. As we set a course for the next decade, we must keep investing in the
Four Ts. As always, I have a plethora of ideas on exactly how to do that.
First and foremost, it is important that Wisconsin maintain its aggressive attitude on economic development by investing in the new economy. Our competitors are no longer Illinois and Minnesota. They are also California, Colorado, Washington, Europe and the Pacific Rim nations.
Wisconsin stands to become America's Biotech Prairie and we mustn't let one high tech company escape our state in search of a better climate. We must nurture cutting-edge biotech companies like Third Wave Technologies, which is about to go public. Third
Wave exemplifies the great potential for this industry in Wisconsin. I'd like to thank Rocky Ganske and Stephanie Vavra for joining us tonight.
We must aggressively pursue more venture capital so the ambitious high-tech and biotech entrepreneurs have the resources to bring their discoveries to market.
We must continue investing wisely in our universities: Keep the Biostar program on pace.
Double the number of information technology graduates. And create a Master's degree in biotechnology at UW-Madison.
And, as best you can give available resources, move forward with the Madison Initiative, Milwaukee Idea and Chippewa Valley Initiative. All are strategic plans geared toward developing the jobs and workers of tomorrow through public-private partnerships in their regions. I'd like to introduce UW-Eau Claire Chancellor Donald Mash, UW-Madison Chancellor John Wiley and UW President Katherine Lyall and thank them for their leadership.
We can't afford to waste the newfound synergy between our universities and private sector if we want to grow the technology industry in Wisconsin.
And keep looking to cut taxes. While tax cuts may be hard to come by this session, it doesn't mean you shouldn't try. If money is found, a priority must be placed on stimulating new economic growth – just as we did in 1987.
A hub exemption is vital to the competitiveness of our Wisconsin-based airlines. Modern commerce demands easy access to air travel, which makes Midwest Express an economic jewel that gives us a leg up on our competitors.
If possible, find a way to create tax-free Technology Zones in regions of the state. They can set the Biotech Prairie on fire by providing a tremendous financial incentive for high-tech companies to locate and grow in Wisconsin. The payoff will be thousands of new jobs and taxpayers.
And single factor should be another priority, so our businesses aren't tempted to move to a neighboring state.
Then don't forget the importance of transportation. Even in the new economy, moving commerce will demand a strong road system.
No road project is more important than the Marquette Interchange, through which a majority of our state's commerce travels. This Legislature must commit itself to getting this project off the ground promptly, or commerce in our state will suffer.
Vital to the Marquette project is repairing the Hoan Bridge, which is to serve as a major relief valve for traffic while the Marquette is closed. We're working closely with the federal government to get emergency funds to fix the northbound lanes. And I have instructed the Department of Transportation to get the southbound lanes ready for traffic by mid-February, a target that can be met safely.
And I'm looking for some lawmakers to take up the charge of high-speed passenger rail in Wisconsin. We need to get a high-speed route established from Chicago to Milwaukee and Madison, ultimately going to other areas as well. It simply doesn't pay anymore to drive from Madison or Milwaukee to Chicago. Trains are a fast and cheap alternative.
The state recently purchased the Milwaukee Amtrak station and plans to remodel it into a beautiful intermodel facility. And if we build an Amtrak stop at Mitchell Field, we will quickly establish Milwaukee as the third airport serving the Chicago region.
Finally, our commitment to education must never waiver. Therefore, this budget will maintain the state's commitment to two-thirds local school funding.
And let's move beyond the fear of accountability. Challenge our kids to meet the high standards we set for them. Make the state graduation test mandatory.
Tonight I challenge the state to solve another one of society's unsolvable problems.
Let's eradicate illiteracy in Wisconsin.
We're setting up reading academies to train teachers in the best ways to teach children to read. And we're developing web-based reading methods for elementary school teachers.
Eliminating illiteracy will require the dedicated effort of us all – from parents to teachers to employers and churches. It'll take more people like Tori Rader of the Brown County
Literacy Council, Dottie Heitke of the Stateline Literacy Council, and Barbara Manthei who leads the state's literacy effort. Let's come together and make Wisconsin the first state where everyone can read. There's no greater legacy we can leave our next generation.
Finally, I would like to add to the equation for future success, two Es: energy and efficiency.
We must make sure the trails we blaze tomorrow are well lit and capable of powering commerce in Wisconsin. This means producing enough energy.
Let me be clear: There is no issue more crucial or critical to Wisconsin's future right now than energy. We're running out of it. Plain and simple. And Wisconsin is not alone, for
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Alan Greenspan warned last week of a national crisis in energy production.
In Wisconsin, we simply don't have enough power plants and transmission lines.
Just presuming a very modest 3 percent growth in demand for electricity, Wisconsin's electricity needs will exceed its generating capabilities in just two short years. But our economy keeps growing at a 5 to 6 percent pace. And what happens if an existing power plant goes down for maintenance or repairs?
Ladies and gentlemen, we have no margin for error.
We've built some plants in the last few years, and our deregulation efforts have been hailed nationally as among the smartest – in stark contrast to California. But this has only allowed us to get by.
We need to immediately pursue a balanced course of building more power plants and erecting more transmission lines. And we need a natural gas pipeline to make our supply more reliable. We can do all of these without harming the environment, despite what the fear mongers claim. We've proven this in the past.
Without enough energy, not only will our existing businesses suffer; all those high-tech companies we want to attract will go elsewhere. High-technology runs on raw power not wood stoves.
Even the Wall Street Journal wrote a few days ago that states are aggressively using energy as a powerful new tool in recruiting business.
The stakes are high: If this chamber does not heed this clarion call to action, it will put the economic future of this state at great peril.
Next, we must become more efficient. At every level of government, we need to do a better job of delivering the services our people demand at a price we can all afford.
And there's no better time to start than this budget when revenues will be lower than expected.
