With the U.S. market plunging, retirement accounts being cut in half, and unemployment soaring, Wisconsin Governor James Doyle said he has plans to solve the financial crisis we currently face.

Doyle stopped by the UWMC Round Room on Jan. 30 to discuss the economy and his plans to strengthen it. He stated that he recognizes the country is in economical distress and that Wisconsin is one of the states that have felt it.

“Eight years of bad economic policy and too many risky schemes has led to a national economic crisis we haven’t seen in years,” Doyle stated. Companies in the state such as Harley-Davidson, Kohler, and Greenheck Fan in Schofield have all been forced to lay people off.

Doyle said that while the Wisconsin economy is tough, “The state of our character and the state of our resolve is even tougher.” He went on to add, “We can work together, meet any challenge, and come through stronger than ever.”

Doyle went on to say that when he was elected as Governor, he inherited a budget deficit of 3.2 million dollars. By showing Wisconsin’s working families he was not going to raise taxes, or damage any school programs, or even give up on those who needed medical care, he wanted to demonstrate the ways to move forward -with special concern given to middle class families.

During his time in office, Doyle has overseen expanded deductions for tuition and childcare payments, elimination of the tax on Social Security, and limits on property taxes. He signed a bill last spring that kept his commitment to schools, and cut state spending by $270 million dollars, while putting more money into the state’s reserve funds.

In September, the national economy experienced a bad hit, and the effects are still strongly felt. National businesses such as Home Depot, Caterpillar, and Sprint cut more than 35,000 jobs. The U.S. lost a total of 2.8 million jobs and the national unemployment rate has risen to 7.1 percent.

“States everywhere are seeing the same thing,” Doyle said. Deficits threaten the state government’s functions and major cuts are proposed to education, health care, and government services. California is running out of cash and is considering writing I.O.U.s to cover its obligations. Washington State has cut 12,000 people from the basic health care program for low-income individuals. In Nevada, the governor asked for a 36 percent cut for education funding, and Utah is considering cutting back the number of school days to save money.

“We’ve taken many steps in Wisconsin so far to address the crisis, including $500 million in spending cuts this year, and many more to come,” Doyle said. He halted employee bonuses, stopped grants, and put 500 state vehicles up for auction.

Doyle said he went to Washington to work with President Obama’s team and members of Congress and that without federal help, states will face cuts in education and tax increases.

“Staying even is the new increase,” Doyle said. “Things that are not needed will be cut, and unfortunately, some things that are needed will be cut.” Doyle’s said his priorities are good schools for the children, health insurance that is affordable for families, and police and fire protection for the the state’s residents.

Next month, Doyle will deliver a budget that will determine what will happen for the next two years. He would not say that education funding is off limits. However, he did say, “I will not allow cuts that will decrease the quality of classrooms or make universities and technical colleges out of reach for working families.”

He mentioned many other state issues such as handling drunken driving in Wisconsin by setting up sobriety checks along certain areas of the highways and making a third offense a felony charge. He also called for a ban on smoking in public places and will make sure children with autism receive equal treatment.

There is a lot of work ahead for Wisconsin and Governor Doyle, but he believes we are Badgers and will be able to overcome anything.