Tommy Thompson in 2001 Governor's State of the State speeches
On Budget & Economy:
Build the roads and the jobs follow
When we came in, Wisconsin was largely a network of inefficient and dangerous two-lane highways. So we built strategic corridors of four-lane roads that are delivering remarkable economic benefits for communities.
From 1990 to 1996, more than 87% of the 1,900 manufacturing developments in Wisconsin occurred within five miles of a Corridors 2020 highway. And these plants created 90% of the new manufacturing jobs in our state.
We built the roads and the jobs followed. The correlation couldn’t be clearer, nor could the payoff on the investment.We also increased spending on mass transportation by 140%, helping our workers get to and from their jobs.
And we are leading the nation into an exciting new era of high-speed passenger rail with the help of Amtrak. We’ve taken a balanced approach to moving our products and people in Wisconsin.
Source: 2001 State of the State Address
Jan 31, 2001
On Crime:
Building more prisons reduces the crime rate
We restored public confidence in the criminal justice system with truth in sentencing, strengthened our juvenile code by replacing a soft touch with tough love, and kept sexual predators off our streets until they’re deemed not to be a threat.
While no one likes to build prisons, there is an unmistakable correlation between rising prison populations and the lowest crime rates in 30 years. When the bad guys are behind bars, they’re not committing crimes.
Source: 2001 State of the State Address
Jan 31, 2001
On Crime:
Give prisoners a work ethic, and substance-abuse programs
Our goal remains to make a criminal’s first visit to prison his last. Our cutting-edge work programs give prisoners a skill and work ethic so they can leave prison with the ability to get a job and stay out of trouble.
And drug and alcohol treatment programs help keep them sober. As we look to the future, every prison must have a work program that trains every prisoner. Otherwise, these criminals will just keep coming back.
Source: 2001 State of the State Address
Jan 31, 2001
On Education:
Let’s eradicate illiteracy in Wisconsin
Let’s eradicate illiteracy in Wisconsin. We’re setting up reading academies to train teachers in the best ways to teach children to read. And we’re developing web-based reading methods for elementary school teachers.
Eliminating illiteracy will require the dedicated effort of us all -- from parents to teachers to employers and churches. There’s no greater legacy we can leave our next generation.
Source: 2001 State of the State Address
Jan 31, 2001
On Education:
Use Milwaukee charters & private choice as model for US
We’ve learned that just spending more money doesn’t buy you more success in the classroom. Nowhere was this more evident than in Milwaukee Public Schools, which were lagging behind. This despite the state increasing its aid to MPS by 55% and funding 82%
of its costs. So we started with the principles that every student can learn and parents must be empowered with more choices.This philosophy spawned some of the nation’s most innovative education reforms. Charter schools. Public school choice.
Private school choice for Milwaukee. Charter schools operated by the city of Milwaukee, UW-Milwaukee, and MPS. Nowhere in America does a parent have more choices than in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. And it’s making all the difference.
Parents are now more involved in their children’s lives. The public schools are rising to the challenge of competition. There is no doubt in my mind that Milwaukee will become the national model for renewing urban education in America within a few years.
Source: 2001 State of the State Address
Jan 31, 2001
On Energy & Oil:
More power plants and more transmission lines
There is no issue more crucial or critical to Wisconsin’s future right now than energy. We’re running out of it. Plain and simple. In Wisconsin, we simply don’t have enough power plants and transmission lines.
We’ve built some plants in the last few years, and our deregulation efforts have been hailed nationally as among the smartest -- in stark contrast to California. But this has only allowed us to get by.
We need to immediately pursue a balanced course of building more power plants and erecting more transmission lines. And we need a natural gas pipeline to make our supply more reliable. We can do all of these without harming the environment, despite what
the fear mongers claim. We’ve proven this in the past.
Without enough energy, not only will our existing businesses suffer, all those high-tech companies we want to attract will go elsewhere. High-technology runs on raw power, not wood stoves.
Source: 2001 State of the State Address
Jan 31, 2001
On Government Reform:
More regional cooperation; more e-government
[I see five] catalysts for modernizing our government for a new century.- Create incentives to collaborate. By engaging in regional collaboration for the delivery of services, governments can reap significant savings without sacrificing quality. Do
neighboring communities really need separate mass transit systems? Or separate waste collection services?
- Demand performance and accountability. Improve harmony and performance by more clearly defining the roles of state and local government.
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Performance-based education. Get money directly into the classroom by giving greater operating flexibility to every local school building.
- A Top-To-Bottom Scrub of Government. We need to search and destroy regulations and programs that have outlived
their usefulness; and establish performance-based management for state government.
- Expand e-government. Web portals for all levels of government will make it easier for citizens to access services and reduce the cost of goods the government buys.
Source: 2001 State of the State Address
Jan 31, 2001
On Tax Reform:
Cut taxes 91 times in Wisconsin, totaling $16.7 billion
We cut taxes in the very first budget and haven’t stopped since. We cut taxes 91 times totaling $16.7 billion. These cuts saved the average Wisconsin family $8,400. And they infused new money into the economy to help stimulate growth and prosperity.
And tonight, the state’s national tax ranking has fallen to ninth in the nation. And when the cuts we enacted for years 2000 and 2001 are factored into the equation, we can say with confidence that Wisconsin is finally out of the top 10 states.
Source: 2001 State of the State Address
Jan 31, 2001
On Technology:
Don’t let one high tech company escape Wisconsin
Wisconsin stands to become America’s Biotech Prairie and we mustn’t let one high tech company escape our state in search of a better climate. - We must aggressively pursue more venture capital so the ambitious high-tech and biotech entrepreneurs
have the resources to bring their discoveries to market.
- We must continue investing wisely in our universities: Keep the Biostar program on pace. Double the number of information technology graduates. And create a Master’s degree in biotechnology at
UW-Madison.
- And move forward with the Madison Initiative, Milwaukee Idea and Chippewa Valley Initiative. All are strategic plans geared toward developing the jobs and workers of tomorrow through public-private partnerships in their regions.
- Find a way to create tax-free Technology Zones in regions of the state. They can set the Biotech Prairie on fire by providing a tremendous financial incentive for high-tech companies to locate and grow in Wisconsin.
Source: 2001 State of the State Address
Jan 31, 2001
Page last updated: Mar 14, 2021