Q&A with Governor Jim Doyle
9:45 PM 4/12/03
Scott Milfred State government reporter

Here is the complete interview with Gov. Jim Doyle on his first 100 days in office.

WSJ: Reflect on your first 100 days.

DOYLE: "It's been a very intense time. I've been called on in 100 days to make some of the most difficult decisions that any governor has had to make in decades in Wisconsin. We were able to put forward a budget that deals with the $3.2 billion deficit -that does it without raising taxes. And at the same time we've been able to put together a really excellent and diverse government. You know, for most people coming into office, it's a time of really getting the government going. And I've had to do that, and I've done it very well. But I had to do it faced with, as well, this enormous challenge of a $3.2 billion deficit. So it's been a very, very intense time. But also let me say it's been a very exhilarating time as well. The support I've received from people in this state, to do this job. The most common comment I hear from people is that they know that this is a very tough job, that I've inherited a very difficult situation. They say they appreciate the fact that I'm taking it head on and making the tough decisions."

WSJ: What do you consider your biggest accomplishment so far?

DOYLE: "Well, I think there are two of them. One is to do something that I had to do in the first six weeks that no governor has done in 22 years, which is to put forth an honestly-balanced budget in the most difficult of circumstances, and to do it without raising taxes. I don't think there were many people who thought I could do that. We did it, and we did it responsibly. You know, it's been two months now since that budget came out. While people have criticized this or that, nobody has really challenged the basic principles of that budget. And the second is to have really have gotten off to a good start as far as getting a strong, well-organized government into place that can serve the people of Wisconsin very well in the coming years."

WSJ: Are there any decisions you've made in the first 100 days that you would change if you could do it over again?

DOYLE: "I don't have a count of them, but I had to make well over 1,000 decisions in my first 100 days, particularly as it related to the budget. And I had to do it on a very, very short time scale. But I pride myself on my ability to make good decisions. I've spent much of my career making decisions. I think I know how to get a good deal of input from people and consider the options and to make the decisions. I believe I made the big decisions very well. These are the decisions not to raise taxes. And believe me, there was an enormous amount of pressure to go the other way. The basic decisions on how to put this budget together. I think I've made the decisions on who are going to run the various departments and what the policy focus of those departments are going to be very well."

WSJ: Nothing jumps out as something you might have done the other way?

DOYLE: "I'll tell you one I would have done differently, except that the time pressures were so intense. But the decision relating to autistic in-home services is one that I would have much rather made if we had had some time and much greater consultation with the families and sort of doing what we're doing now - understanding there are going to be less resources but working with the families to figure out what are the best way to spend those fewer resources. I really didn't have time in six weeks of getting a budget out the door to do a lot of that as well or as thoroughly as I would do it in the future when I have more time. But that's certainly one that, given what I know - the real, legitimate, deep concern of the families - given more time I would have handled that decision differently."

WSJ: Why can't you and the Republican leaders in the Legislature, particularly Assembly Speaker John Gard seem to get along? Both sides had pledged that that was going to happen.

DOYLE: "We'll get along. I mean, I think there was a fair amount of political testing going on in these early weeks. This is the first time there has been a Democratic governor in 16 years. I guess it was sort of unexpected to me. But it isn't surprising to me when I look back at it that they would come at me and come at me very hard to sort of test my strength. Old habits die hard. They played out sort of the old political game there for awhile. But, on the other hand, you know, John Gard and I have a very cordial relationship. We talk to each other regularly. We're obviously going to disagree about things. But I think everybody is kind of learning about how to live under these circumstances. I think the Republican legislators have learned that they're going to have to deal with me and with Democratic legislators because I have a veto and the veto will be sustained. I certainly understand that I'm going to have to work with them on the budget and other legislative matters. I think as the basic reality of that just becomes clearer to everybody, we'll do fine together."

WSJ: Did you expect to spend so much time and spark such controversy on the casino gambling compacts issue?

DOYLE: "No. I didn't expect it. I thought that when you deliver compacts that are bringing in five times more money at a time when we're desperately trying to balance this budget without raising taxes, that people would support it. It's still surprising to me that there are those that are doing everything they can to try to tear these compacts down without any offer at all of what they would do to replace the $200 million or $250 million. What taxes would they raise? What services would they cut? I could understand if somebody had an alternative and say, look here's a better way to come up with that money. But to go after it without any alternative does surprise me?"

WSJ: Why couldn't the compacts expire in 25 or 30 years, rather than never expiring? It seems like that might have quelled their outrage?

DOYLE: "If you believe that. I mean, it was clear that anybody was going to seize on anything they wanted. The fact is Indian gaming is going to continue in this state whether we have five year, 10 year, 15, 25-year compacts. It is going to go on under federal law as long as Congress says it will. If it hadn't been that, I mean, I hear that we didn't get enough money, that we got too much money. John Gard recently indicated that he was glad the Potawatomi didn't have their 50-mile radius (of exclusive rights for casino gambling around Milwaukee) anymore so there could be another casino in southeast Wisconsin. Is that what his criticism is? That we don't have more casinos? If it hadn't one thing it would have been another."

WSJ: Is there anyway you might give in a bit or compromise in some way on this casino gambling issue? Or will this just have to be settled in court because you're sticking to the position that you control these compacts solely?

DOYLE: "Well, that's the law the Legislature passed. I've never quite understood this argument that this somehow violates the separation of powers for them to have passed a law that says the governor should do this and then the governor does it. I mean, that's the law in Wisconsin. It's clear. They've tried to change that law twice and haven't been able to do it."

WSJ: So you're not moving from your position at all?

DOYLE: "We already have a compact that's approved by the federal government. That's the compact. It's in place. It's been improved. And with the other compacts, there won't be any surprises. They're very much along the same lines. There's no reason the federal government won't approve these. People have to understand that this is controlled by federal law. I'm doing everything I can, using the powers the governor has, to balance this budget and do it without raising taxes. The compacts are part of that."

WSJ: The recent sales tax numbers suggest the state budget might actually be getting worse. How worried are you about that?

DOYLE: "I'm certainly worried about it. We all should be. I think it's too early to tell still. We'll know a lot more when we know about the April tax collections about where we're at. So we'll be dealing (with information) after they're able to sort of determine what happened after April 15 with more real numbers rather than speculation."

WSJ: If it gets worse, do you just make more cuts? Or is there any way you might repeal a sales tax exemption or look at the sales tax for an increase?

DOYLE: "I am very committed to getting through this without raising taxes. For years, Wisconsin has complained about being the third-highest tax state in the country. This is really our opportunity to see that ranking drop."

WSJ: Business groups that usually side with the Republicans say you're doing surprisingly well. But some people on the left seem to think you're behaving too much like a Republican. Does that sting at all?

DOYLE: "No. I'm behaving by what I think is necessary for the state of Wisconsin right now. I don't think this should be terribly ideological when you have a $3.2 billion deficit. I certainly have really worked hard to maintain the priorities that I think most Democrats and most people in Wisconsin would support - education, health care, basic police and fire services, and no new taxes. I think those are things that most everybody in the state, Democrat and Republican, can rally around. That's the course I've tried to steer here as governor."

WSJ: It's been suggested by a lot of people that perhaps only a Democrat could make these kinds of changes. A Republican governor would be persecuted for making these kinds of cuts. Do you think that's true?

DOYLE: "I don't think so. I think that's political analysis that goes beyond what's really happening. What's been needed here is some strong leadership. The people of the state understand the situation we're in with a $3.2 billion deficit. If everybody goes out and fights for their own thing and isn't willing to take part of the pain, we're not going to get through this. I just applaud a lot of people in this state, whether it's education or health care or business, have been willing to step up and say, 'look, we understand we're not getting what we want.' For example, the business community has pushed for a long time for a single-factor tax. I think they're right on that. I think the Wisconsin tax system currently taxes the creation of jobs. But I've had to go to them and say, I think you're right on it, it's just not something we can do with a $3.2 billion deficit. Similarly I've had to go do the educators and say, I wish we could stay at two-thirds (state funding), but we can't. I just think that the great, vast majority of people in this state have been willing to get in the spirit of that and understand that we're all going to have to take a hit here and get through these two years and get ourselves back on the right track."

WSJ: The Republican-run Legislature has suggested that it is going to look at local government aid and the UW System for additional cuts. Is there anything you can or will do to try to stop that?

DOYLE: "There's a lot I can do with veto powers. These are co-equal branches of government, and I have a very strong veto. As I have said before, I am going to stand firmly behind basic local services - police and fire - that is what shared revenue is all about. I have worked very hard in this budget to restore shared revenue. It is clear, many of these members of the Legislature voted for a 60 percent cut in shared revenue in the last session and handed me this enormous hole. I have filled almost the whole hole. There are probably those who want to dig that hole back again, but I am really going to resist that. Same is true of the university. I've been pretty hard with the university. I have done some very tough things there, cuts of $250 million. But I've also given them the opportunity to raise tuition to make up 60 percent of that. So I don't think there's any further you go with the university. The fact is, I haven't heard anybody criticize me for not having cut enough in this budget. To try and say you're going to go cut more, I think is going to be a very difficult thing for them to sell."

WSJ: A lot of students and a lot of parents of those students are saying you're raising tuition too much?

DOYLE: "I understand that. But the fact is that the University of Wisconsin System - even with the tuition increases at the Madison campus that I've proposed - would still, depending on what other states do, be the seventh, eighth, ninth or tenth lowest tuition in the Big 10. We will be solidly in the bottom half. And at the other state campuses we will be solidly in the lower half of comparable institutions. I recognize this isn't just a minor little increase. This is significant for people. But it is still the best higher education you'll find anywhere in the country. And it is still lower tuition than our neighboring states."

WSJ: Is the job of governor what you expected it would be?

DOYLE: "Yes. It's what I expected. But I will say there's a real difference between expecting it and then living through it and actually experiencing it. It is a tough job. It's a demanding job. It's a true 7-day-a-week, 24-hour-a-day job, and even that isn't enough to take care of everything that needs to be done. So I guess living through that and understanding in my personal life the demands of security and the demands of time and demands of living in a pretty unusual place to live, I knew that would happen. But certainly experiencing it has made me really understand it. At the same time, every single day I appreciate just what a great job this is, what great people there are in the state of Wisconsin who are doing great thing. As governor, I've very proud to be the leader of this state. It's just a tremendously fulfilling job."

WSJ: What's most surprising to you about it?

DOYLE: "I knew I was going to have to do some very difficult things as far as this budget goes. But what has surprised me and really heartened me is how supportive people have been of that. People say that if it's fair, we're going to be fine with it. I guess that shouldn't surprise me, but maybe it did a little. I thought people would be much more, 'don't cut me, cut the other guy.' And that has certainly not been the overwhelming view across the state."
indentWSJ: How have you and your family adjusted to such public lives?
indentDOYLE: "I guess we're still learning. I did live a fairly public life, but nothing compares to this. Fortunately my children are of an age now that they have their own lives. But they've had to learn to live in the spotlight and with a lot of new demands. My wife has really enjoyed being able to champion some of her causes and see so many things going on in this state. She travels a lot. She's been to a lot of schools and workplaces. I guess we're still adjusting and still really thrilled with it. But also realizing that there really is never a break. There's never a time that we're going to go back to our old house and have two or three days of our old life again. It's not going to happen."
indentWSJ: Are you looking beyond the budget to maybe starting new programs are trying some new things or spending more in certain areas once the state's finances are shored up?
indentDOYLE: "Yes I am. And it's very important that I do that. I work hard at that. Given the seriousness of this budget, there's plenty of work to do just to focus with that. But I do spend a lot of time focusing on the bigger picture. There are three or four areas that over the four-year term are really where I want to make sure Wisconsin is moving forward. One is education. We have an education system that any state in the country would trade us for. It's a great K-through-12, technical college, university system of education. But we really need to move it to the next level. I am going to be focusing on the way we finance education. Health care and costs are obviously issues that deeply concern people of the state of all areas - business, large companies, public and private employers, labor - and it is one in this budget we're going some very interesting things. We're doing innovative things to make health insurance more affordable to focusing on long-term care for seniors and trying to keep them more independent. And the third, I'm doing a lot of this already, is really focus on economic development. My focus here is a set of initiatives we will be undertaking to not only increase the number of jobs in this state but the quality of jobs. So education, health care, economic growth - those really are the areas I'm going to be focused on in the next four years."
indentWSJ: It's been more than a month since you proposed eliminating 2,900 state government jobs. How many of those jobs are already vacant, and how many are going to be real people who will end up on the street without work?
indentDOYLE: "I think it is fair to say that it may well result in somewhere between 500 to 1,000 actual layoffs. But there is a fairly lengthy process through the civil service system and the collective bargaining agreements. We are going to try to do it in the most humane way possible. I hope we can do it to the greatest extent possible through vacancies and retirements. But there's no doubt that those vacancies don't necessarily mesh up with the jobs that are being eliminated."
indentWSJ: When will the state employee contracts finally be signed?
indentDOYLE: "I read in your paper this morning that I guess something is up. I hope there is now some movement on this and it will get done. But it is really up to the Legislature. Our proposal is that employees will pay a share of health coverage in this state. And it will be done to encourage them to get into the most efficient plans. We're hoping we're putting some real muscle into the marketplace so not only will employees be paying a share, but they'll be doing it in a way that will hopefully drive down the cost of health care."
indentWSJ: If you had to give yourself a letter grade on your performance during the first 100 days, what would it be? A to F?
indentDOYLE: "I'll give myself an A. But it's other people who are going to give the real grades."
indentWSJ: We asked some people, and you didn't do too bad. Your report card, from the people we talked to, averages out to about a B.
indentDOYLE: "My school grades were always better than that."
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