With less than one week until the gubernatorial elections, debate heated up when the four candidates for governor discussed their platforms on “money, not mud.”

Jeff Huffman of Wisconsin Public Television and mediator of the forum kicked off the debate by asking about the state’s budget deficit.

“Where are we going to find 2.8 billion dollars?” he asked.

The debate’s focus was on the four areas that the budget goes to: 16 percent aid to individuals, 24 percent to state operations, 44 percent to school aids and credit and 16 percent to state operations and local aids.

Gubernatorial candidates Jim Doyle, Democrat; Scott McCallum, Republican; Ed Thompson, Libertarian; and Jim Young, Green Party, had an opportunity to bring their ideas to the table about these issues.

Health care became a major concern for the candidates and took up a major portion of the forum.

Young said health insurance is profit-driven and needs to be more affordable.

“The health insurance is what’s killing us,” Young said. “It’s profit-driven; that’s not fair to everyone else.”

Thompson added that health insurance is so expensive that he cannot even afford it. He gave an example of his 70-year-old friend who pays $4,000 a month in health costs.

“We better get off our high horse and realize people need health, especially senior citizens,” Thompson said. “We’re putting our money in all the wrong places.”

McCallum said he is proud of Wisconsin’s health-care system and said we are one of the best in the country.

Doyle said he supported T-Rex Plus, a bargaining party for prescription drugs. Doyle said he would extend the program to Wisconsin citizens.

Funding for school, a major cost in Wisconsin, was a topic of debate among the candidates.

Doyle said his top priority is education and more money does not need to be added into the system, but rather moved around.

“If we move the money around, we can much more effectively put it in the classroom,” Doyle said.

Doyle criticized McCallum for not having a specific school financial reform after promising to propose one multiple times.

“We still haven’t seen it,” Doyle said.

McCallum said in order to have higher paying jobs, there needs to be a skilled work force. Parents and children must also be a part of the equation. The main threat to education is tax raises, which affects jobs.

“There needs to be accountability for every single dollar,” McCallum said.

Young said the focus should be more on the dreams and goals of the students.

“I believe we should have better funding to make sure we have alternative settings,” Young said.

Thompson said the biggest threat to school funding is taxing people highly until they move out of state.

Deborah Still, project coordinator, said approximately 110 people, including the press, attended the event, which was broadcast live Tuesday night by the Wisconsin Public Television and the Ideas Network of Wisconsin Public Radio. The forum was held in Vilas Hall.

Prior to the forum, students and citizens divided into McCallum and Doyle groups to show their support to their favorite candidate. Chants such as “Doyle’s rotten” and “Go Jim go” erupted.

Junior Daniel Zhu said he is voting for Doyle because Doyle is a better champion of education.

“I think Jim represents education better than Scott does, especially in terms of financial aid,” Zhu said. “Since I am an out-of-state student, that is what I am looking for.”

Junior Fran Harris shared a different view.

“I am supporting McCallum for his stance for students,” Harris said. “[Doyle’s] focus on the state-plane issue is disgusting to me.”