Gov. Doyle stepped up to the podium of the Assembly chamber in the Capitol last night to give his annual State of the State address with one thing in mind'his campaign for reelection. This was Doyle's chance to grab the spotlight and roll out the red carpet on his campaign. He used the opportunity to talk up his ambitious plans, display his positive 'affordability agenda' and pander for votes.
One of those ambitious plans will capitalize on our university's status as a world leader in stem cell research. Doyle is taking the next step by turning this research into practical applications so Wisconsin can capitalize on an industry that may be worth $10 billion and employ 100,000 in 2015. Although ambitious, the goal of capturing 10 percent of the stem cell market by 2015 is a long-term investment vital to growing Wisconsin's economy.
Doyle unveiled a new college aid package as well, and it is a minuscule plan for a much larger problem'skyrocketing tuition. His plan offers a financial aid package to any UW System student from Wisconsin who in eighth grade pledges, and succeeds, to maintain at least a B average in high school, take challenging courses and stay out of trouble. A pledge card will not solve the fiscal crisis families with college-age children go through.
The System needs funding from the state to ease the tuition burden. Doyle conveniently ignored this fact throughout his entire speech. Perhaps because it is a non-budget year or because he is not concerned with the college-age vote, but nonetheless, the university's funding crisis is not likely to disappear into thin air.
Putting aside individual issues, Doyle's speech featured both hits and misses politically. His agenda is impressive, especially to his middle-class target audience. Too often though, he was caught in an insincere political pander. At one moment, Doyle rode the anti-Wal-Mart political wave to target his base. In perhaps the most obvious political stunt, Doyle talked with Wisconsin troops in Kuwait via a live feed. It was embarrassing to watch Doyle conjure up this disingenuous political stunt.
Despite the awkward and obvious political grandstanding, if articulated properly, Doyle's 'affordability agenda' for Wisconsin's middle class could create an advantageous juxtaposition with likely Republican nominee Mark Green, who has supported President Bush's tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans while voting to push the federal government into greater levels of fiscal deficit.
Doyle will need to convince middle class voters that his unique sense of socially conscious fiscal responsibility will make their lives better than smaller government, tax slashing GOP plan. To do so, Doyle must stick to the affordability agenda and avoid the political stunts.
