Scott Walker: "I Stand Ready to Lead"

Thank God for an amazing family, wonderful friends and outstanding supporters.

I just got off the phone with Mark Neumann. I want to thank Mark and Sue, their family and all of their amazing campaign volunteers and staff for running such a strong race for Governor. We are tested and ready to take on the liberals in Madison.

Tonight, I want to thank the voters from across Wisconsin who cast a ballot for me. I appreciate your confidence in me and I will not let you down.

I also want to talk directly to everyone who voted for Mark Neumann. We share a common bond: we each want to end the Doyle disaster and we each want to put the government back on the side of the people again. Tonight, I ask for your support and I ask for your vote on November 2nd.

When I travel the state, I often stop at diners and just talk with people. What I hear is nearly always the same: people are scared. They are scared about the economy. They are scared about losing their own job, or their spouse's job, or their kids' job or their employees' job.

Well I'm here to tell you that come November 2nd, you don't have to be afraid anymore because help is on the way.

We have a real plan to get this state working again. Our plan to create 250,000 new jobs helps employers by lowering taxes, cutting through red tape and stopping lawsuit abuse. It also improves our workforce through reforms in education, lowers the cost of health care and invests in our infrastructure. Our plan is a blue print for economic prosperity.

I believe in Wisconsin.

Even though we are facing tough times, I know we will pull through because we've done it before.

Eight years ago, the people of my county faced a similar challenge to what we face in Wisconsin today, when politicians were grabbing millions for themselves and their friends. In response, a grassroots movement started here at Serb Hall and at other places like this all across our area. At first, many thought the movement was just about anger.

But if that was the case, people would have checked out or given up. Instead, something amazing took place. Not hundreds, not thousands, but tens of thousands of ordinary people did something extraordinary. They demanded their government back. And take it back we did.

Over the past eight years, we've cut our debt, reduced the government workforce, which meant we finished last year with a surplus. Along the way, I kept my pledge not to raise the property tax levy from the previous year and this year -- because so many people are hurting -- I took it a step further. In my next budget, we will cut the property tax levy by one million dollars.

We"ve done other good work too.

Our county airport is now the fastest growing airport in America, attracting nearly a thousand new jobs. Working with the City of Wauwatosa, we helped bring more than a thousand good paying jobs to the Milwaukee County Research Park. 

And before I took office, there was a waiting list of 3,000 older adults needing help with long term care. Today, not one senior is on a waiting list.

And I know how to cut government waste too.

As County Executive, I used the line-item veto more than 100 times to save tens of millions of dollars for the taxpayers. As Governor, I will use the line-item veto a thousand times or more if that is what it takes to balance the state budget.

If we can take on the political machine here in Milwaukee County and win -- not just at the ballot box -- but in how we govern, there is no doubt we can take on the political machine in Madison and win for all of the taxpayers of this great state.

I believe in Wisconsin.

Having grown up in a small town and now living in the largest county in the state; I've got to tell you that for my money, there is no place in the world better to grow up in, to live in, to work in, to play, to someday retire in. There is no place in the world better than our Wisconsin.

What I've found traveling is simply this: it's not our people or our places that are failing us, it's our government. And the good news is that we can change all of that.

On November 2nd, we -- we the people of Wisconsin -- can reclaim our rightful place in history. We can put the government back on the side of the people again. We can make this a Wisconsin we can believe in again.

This race boils down to one simple question: if you believe that the past eight years of Jim Doyle's policies have made us better; if you think the economy today is better than it was eight years ago; then you should vote for Tom Barrett -- because Tom Barrett represents a third term of Jim Doyle's policies.

But if you're like me and you believe this state needs to head in a new direction then I invite you to join our movement.

Eight years ago, I helped to lead a grassroots movement to take back my county government and take it back we did. Today, I stand ready to lead a similar movement -- some might say a brown bag movement - to take back our state government.

You see, for me, it's not just about being a Republican or Democrat. It's not even just about who stands on the right or on the left. It's about who amongst us knows the difference between what is right and what is wrong -- who is willing to lead and who is going to get out of the way. We are ready to lead. Help is on the way.

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