February 21, 2002
[note: Wisconsin's major media are intent on making Libertarian Party candidate and Tommy Thompson sibling Ed Thompson the Jesse Ventura of this year's race for governor. As a result, other third party candidates in the race have been virtually ignored. Jim Young is the first Wisconsin Green Party candidate ever to run for governor. Mr. Young's biography can be found here. Recently, Jim Mather sent a letter to all gubernatorial candidates inviting them to appear on Commentary. I also plan to email them the same questions Mr. Young answers below.
Commentary is nonpartisan and will not endorse any candidate for governor or any other office]. -Tony Palmeri
Commentary Question #1: Governor McCallum's Budget Reform Act has stirred much controversy around the State. What are your reactions to the plan, especially its provisions to borrow from the tobacco settlement and end the State's shared revenue program?
Young Response: I think that the Governor's Budget Reform Act is a very short sighted reaction to a problem that he had a major role in creating. This so called plan is a typical reaction from someone who refuses to take responsibility for their own actions or acquiescence to special interests.
His attempt to tap into the Tobacco Settlement Fund for the second time in less than a year is no surprise to me either. The tobacco lobby is still very strong in Wisconsin. Therefore, tapping into this fund that has no real governmental defenders, instead of seeking additional tax funds from this public health destroying industry, carries on a very long tradition in state government (Don't hold an industry accountable for the damage they cause to others in their quest for profit and subsequently require the public to pick up their private costs.)
The Green party has known that the two ruling parties in Wisconsin have been poor fiscal managers of public funds and even poorer stewards of Wisconsin's public trust resources. The accounting tricks that the governor(s) and the legislature lean so heavily on have finally lost their cover as the economy has soured. Unlike most municipal governments that have run on very tight budgets over the past several decades, state government has spent money irresponsibly.
Prison expansion, unwarranted road building contracts, favoring agribusiness over family and small farmers, allowing private corporations to profit from so called welfare reform, illegal lottery advertising versus more school aid funds, and the failure to create a single payer health care system versus pouring more public and private business money into the bloated insurance industry are all examples of why we are in this current fiscal mess.
Commentary Question #2: What is your plan to close the State's $1.1 billion deficit?
Young Response: Long before this current budget crisis, I chose A State of Balance as my campaign theme. As a society and therefore in our government we are out of balance with respect to human and social rights, environmental sustainibility, educational opportunities, and providing a true democracy. I am calling for a combination of 1) democratic reforms and civil rights legislation, 2) state spending restraints and legislative reform to allow impact fees for new development, 3) coordinated efforts between state, county and local governmental entities to provide basic public services, 4) progressive taxation, 5) energy self sufficiency, and 6) facilitating cooperative rural/urban economic partnerships to help bring our state back into fiscal balance.
As governor I will call for and sign comprehensive campaign finance reform legislation that opens the political process up to more people and removes private special interests from the public budget deliberations. I am calling for an end to the war on drugs not currently controlled by corporate interests. Wisconsin and our nation could completely fund a universal health care system with the resultant savings. The health care taxes for business would be cut by more than half of current health insurance costs. Administrative costs for the courts, prisons, and our police forces would be reduced. Tribal governments must be treated with respect as equals and their sovereignty, including on economic issues, affirmed and aided by state government.
Our state must scale back on highway expansion and invest in alternative transportation options to the automobile. This includes multi-modal forms of transportation along existing corridors. The legislature must pass laws that allow local municipalities to collect fees for new development s impact on the need for public services such as schools, road maintenance, environmental sustainibility, and public safety.
The state should take a leadership role in encouraging and facilitating cooperative efforts between the various levels of government. Using existing technology, some duplication in management and administrative functions could be eliminated with a more seamless information sharing system. Public health care and education are two basic human rights that the state government can help local governments administer. Private profit motives need to be removed from these public institutions if we are going to be able to save tax money here. All state contract proposals should be open to public review and contract awards should go to companies that share the benefits of the contracts most equitably with its workers from the top to the bottom of the wage scale.
Of course any governor who can raise over $1 million from his friends and political supporters at a single fund raiser doesn't live in a state with progressive taxation laws. Wisconsin's tax laws must be amended to more fairly distribute the tax burden based on benefit from public resources and ability to pay. The current trend of shifting the property tax burden more heavily toward single family and small business owners and away from manufacturers and larger corporations must be reversed. If you are going to do business in Wisconsin and benefit from the use of public resources, you should be required to contribute back to the community in many ways. All existing exemptions in the tax codes need to be reviewed and many should be eliminated or reformatted. Due to the tax burden that the public has had to shoulder for polluters in this state for so many generations, it is time to make the polluters pay to restore a livable environment and eliminate the ability to pollute.
In light of the fact that we ship over $10 billion out of the state of Wisconsin to satisfy our energy consumption habits, it is well past time that we become the leaders in renewable energy sources and alternative technology development. This should be one of the primary missions of our university system and our commerce department. Recycling waste energy, revitalizing old energy sources like hemp and wind, and returning to proven technologies like operable windows and planting trees to cut down on energy demand will slow the drain or even reverse the trend of energy dollars leaving our state.
Finally, I envision a new cooperative community based economic system in Wisconsin. We must provide clean water and healthy food for recreation and sustenance. The state can encourage and facilitate a new economy where local farmers and producers supply our regional school systems with good food for developing strong minds, bodies and spirits. Parents will know where the food is coming from that is being fed to their children at school. Our urban factories and the adjacent neighborhoods can be revitalized with the renewal of the hemp industry in Wisconsin. Oils, textiles, food and household products can be turned out of these factories for distribution worldwide. Family farmers will once again have consistent markets, a decent wage for their labor and a greater quality of life. City neighborhoods will blossom with renewed economic opportunity and community owned enterprises.
That is part of our campaign's vision for a State in Balance.
Commentary Question #3: The Wisconsin State Senate may soon pass Senator Mike Ellis' campaign finance reform (SB-104). First, do you support the Ellis bill? Second, what additional campaign reforms are needed in Wisconsin?
Young Response: I believe that the Ellis bill is just a baby step to bring more parity between the Democratic and Republican party funding machines in their campaigns to keep control of government in their hands. There has been no discussion of expanding democracy with a small d in any of the campaign finance bills or commission hearings. I sat through the Heffernan Hearings in the early 1990's and I was the only one who brought up the idea of offering a seat at the table of governance to people beyond the two ruling parties.
I am calling for full public financing of campaigns at every level. We need to increase the pool of available funds in several ways. 1) Increase the $1 check off on the income tax returns to $10. 2) Eliminate all direct private political contributions to campaigns and individual expenditures. 3) Allow private donations to the public pool of campaign money with accompanying income tax savings incentives. 4) All ballot qualified candidates get an equal share of public funds available for their level of office sought. This would be accompanied by earlier ballot access time frames (6 months before the primary).
The Caucus scandal is also no surprise to us in the Green Party. We know that the Democrats and Republicans have been using public money to help finance their campaigns for years. This comes in the form of direct illegal campaign activity by legislative staff or through the more legal system of awarding tax breaks and large public contracts to campaign contributors during the legislative and administrative cycles. Therefore, I am calling for straight forward public funding for party organizing and campaign activities to all ballot qualified parties. This would include funds for three staff people at $35,000 a year with full benefits and state retirement package. I would pay for this by decreasing the overall spending on and number of legislative and administrative staff.
Any true campaign finance reform package wouldn't be complete without Initiative and Referendum, Instant Runoff Voting, and the best of all democratic worlds - proportional representation.
Commentary Question #4: The Wisconsin media have given Libertarian Party candidate Ed Thompson much attention, but have virtually ignored your campaign so far. How do you propose to get your name and platform exposed to Wisconsin voters?
Young Response: I will continue traveling around the state personally visiting with individuals and groups. This is the best way to convey our message because I love to talk with people and when we interact on a personal level, people know that my heart is truly behind the message that I carry. Many volunteers have asked to help spread our ideas through literature drops/tabling and by sharing stories of their personal commitment to the issues of this campaign with others. Some local media outlets have also been trying hard to get more information out about the Green Party's participation in statewide campaigns. However, most media outlets have been dishonest and/or incomplete in their coverage of the gubernatorial campaign. Public television has begun to look at my campaign, even they still won't acknowledge that I belong to the Green Party by calling me an independent.
I hope to expand coverage of my campaign with more issue specific media releases and continued participation in public forums around the state. We have an excellent message, because it is built with the voices of the people. I believe that we can prevail in this election because I bring a platform for a better government based on democratic representation, justice and respect for all.
Jim Young's campaign web site is located at http://www.young4governor.org/default.htm. He can be reached via email at jy4gov@young4governor.org