No moderators, no rules, no time limit, just three challengers going head to head. Though it may sound like some insane extreme sport, it was the format Wisconsin Public Television decided to use for its \We
the People: Democratic Gubernatorial Forum"" Thursday night among the three democratic gubernatorial primary candidates'Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk, U.S. Rep. Tom Barrett, D-Milwaukee, and State Attorney General Jim Doyle, before next week's Sept. 10 election date.
The open, round table discussion only had one contingency'the candidates had to focus on their plans to solve the budget, and each potential governor presented very different agendas.
With Barrett playing moderator, Falk went first in presenting her three step plan to balance Wisconsin's $1.3 billion projected deficit for the next year.
""The three biggest concepts of mine are: First you have to change and cut spending now in state government. .... You also have my economic plan to grow the economy ... using a per capita income goal of getting us to the national average."" Falk said. ""I've also had the political courage to raise the cigarette tax.""
According to Falk, the reduction in spending would result in a $34 million savings in the first year, while the economic growth will bring in a billion dollars in revenue from taxes and her proposed tax equals to $250 million, 100 of which will be used to pay down the deficit.
Doyle said he would not raise taxes, but would instead look to reduce the number of state employees and actually lower taxes for business, which he contended would bring in more revenue for the state through increased companies and job creation.
""This has to be done bit by bit, in 50 million and 100 million dollar chunks, and it can be done,"" Doyle said.
Barrett gave the most details during the debate as to where and how he would find the money to cover the deficit and said he would not cut the UW System budget, something all the candidates promised
""I've come up with 700 to 800 million dollars [to fix the budget],"" he said, but added the UW System may not be completely happy with his decisions. ""I may not give them what they want, but I will give them what they need.""
UW-Madison Professor of Communication Arts Stephen Lucas, an expert on political debates, said he thought Barrett intentionally tried to convey the image of moderator.
""It was particularly important to do so on the budget issue to try to do that because its a huge problem,"" he said, but added that he did not know if the imagery worked. ""People are not voting for debating positions, they are voting for a person, for a candidate.\
