Mary Burke, the only current Democratic candidate for the 2014 gubernatorial election, visited the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus to engage with students and explain why she is running for governor.
Burke opened the event, which the UW-Madison College Democrats organized, with a brief speech explaining why she wanted to give back to Wisconsin and outlined her positions on important political issues.
She said creating jobs is the most important issue for Wisconsinites. She added job creation is directly linked to education, emphasizing the importance of keeping tuition affordable so more students can pursue higher education. She also condemned Gov. Scott Walker’s administration for cutting state funds to public universities.
She cited her experiences at Trek Bicycle and as the secretary of Wisconsin Commerce as examples of her job creation record.
She specifically discussed a paper mill in Park Falls she had worked to keep open while acting as the state secretary of commerce.
“We hammered out a plan that would get the papermill back up and running and we did it,” Burke said. “That was 300 jobs that were saved and that paper mill is still running today.”
Burke addressed student concerns on social issues, assuring an openly gay student she would sign a same-sex marriage bill if it passed through the Legislature. She also pledged to defend a woman’s right to make her own healthcare choices.
The visiting candidate criticized Walker’s new private school voucher program, citing Milwaukee’s current voucher program that has been operating for over 20 years, and has shown little evidence voucher programs improve the education system. She also said it was not fair to divert public tax dollars from “public neighborhood schools” to private schools where there is no accountability system to make sure the money is being used effectively.
Burke also addressed the ongoing Act 10 issue, saying it is important to negotiate with unions firmly and fairly, but that public sector employees have a right to bargain because an “engaged and motivated workforce is a plus for the state.”
“We deserve better leadership,” Burke said. “We need leadership that brings us together … leadership that puts problem solving ahead of the politics.”
