OPINION & EDITORIAL
McCallum is the choice for governor
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Also by Matt Modell:
- Taking responsibility for your decisions (April 24, 2003)
- An honorable and just battle (November 20, 2003)
- Ethical behavior should be encouraged at universities (December 10, 2003)
- Fixing the problems of ASM (November 25, 2003)
- The key word is 'illegal' (December 4, 2003)
Related Stories:
- Letters to the Editor (November 27, 2001)
- GOP faces loss; time is up (November 9, 2006)
- Biskupic: the choice for Attorney General (October 29, 2002)
- Progressives need to work together (April 27, 2002)
- UW deserves answers from gubernatorial candidates (October 1, 2002)
by Matt Modell
Thursday, October 24, 2002
Students in Wisconsin seem to be less interested in the upcoming gubernatorial election than usual. Many of my friends didn’t even know elections were coming.
Gov. Scott McCallum is seen by many as a governor who was never elected and a leader by circumstance. Attorney General Jim Doyle’s background activities as attorney general have been questionable at times, and there are talks Doyle may have been indicted in the caucus scandal had it not been for friend and political ally Brian Blanchard conducting the investigation.
The best way to find out which person is the best candidate for students is to look at what the candidates have previously done and to contact the campaigns and see what they could speak to and what information they can provide. The capability of a candidate’s staff is usually a good way to judge the capability of a candidate.
When calling the campaigns, both were friendly and polite. I spoke to one of Doyle’s press people, and asked her to direct me to where I could find information on issues that affect students or if she could possibly e-mail me or fax me information. She said she would “get back to me” with the information I was looking for. I spoke to her three weeks ago … and am still waiting.
I called McCallum’s campaign and spoke to his press secretary — whom I have never met — she was on the phone at the time, but she called me back within two minutes of my initial phone call. She e-mailed me some information about McCallum’s education plans in a matter of hours. She was helpful, though my subsequent e-mail requests were ignored.
Give McCallum and his team some credit for their fast initial response and effort, even if they need to work on their follow-up. At least they cared enough to respond.
Besides responsiveness to students, keeping tuition affordable while maintaining high standards of excellence, working to stop the current “brain drain” in Wisconsin and creating new jobs are three important issues that directly effect students.
While it is good to hear Attorney General Jim Doyle wants to make education one of his priorities, Governor McCallum has his record to stand on, which demonstrates his commitment to education is not simply an empty campaign promise.
During the past election cycle, McCallum capped tuition increases and signed into law a bill that will now keep financial-aid increases consistent with tuition increases. Thanks to McCallum, the days of your financial aid remaining the same from year to year while your tuition increases by 10 percent are gone.
Wisconsin’s best and brightest students seem to flee the state after graduation for jobs in Minneapolis, Chicago, New York and other cities. Known as the “brain drain,” McCallum is focusing on some of the reasons why people leave and looking at incentives to keep us bright students in Wisconsin.
Currently, Wisconsin is in the top three most-heavily-taxed states. McCallum would like to cut personal income tax and cap property taxes as soon as the economic downturn ends. He is also pursuing a plan for student-loan forgiveness to UW graduates staying and working in Wisconsin. Both of these proposals will encourage and even attract middle- and high-income individuals to live and work in Wisconsin.
McCallum’s tax cuts will not only help stop the brain drain, but will encourage spending and stimulate growth. Such stimulation of growth in Wisconsin’s economy will increase the demand for new jobs. It was not too long ago that the job market was hot and unemployment was low. A tax cut could be the kick start our economy needs.
Doyle is offering a proposed new spending of at least $2.7 billion. This would force income taxes to increase by 31 percent or the sales tax rate to increase by an astounding 41 percent. Either of these options will only lead to students fleeing the state at an even faster pace.
The upcoming gubernatorial election is important to all of us, because almost all of us will be graduating in the next four years (some of us sooner than we would like). An accessible governor promoting economic growth, keeping higher education affordable and working to cut taxes is the candidate that is best for students.
In this election, Governor Scott McCallum meets all the needs of UW students, and for the benefit of the future of our great state he should be re-elected.
Matt Modell (mmodell@badgerherald.com) is a senior majoring in journalism. He is in Washington D.C. this semester for an internship.
