CANDIDATES FOR 43RD DISTRICT DIFFER ON STATE SPENDING PLANS

Debi Towns, Republican candidate for the 43rd Assembly District, proposed
spending cuts instead of tax increases to repair the state budget.

Towns, of Janesville, announced her fiscal plan Thursday at the Rock County
Courthouse.

She said her goal is to get Wisconsin off the list of top ten highest-taxed
states in the nation.

"Clearly the state's number one priority must be controlling costs and
cutting taxes," Towns said, citing the $2.8-billion deficit expected in the
next biennium.

Her opponents in the Nov. 5 election are Green Party candidate Bernard
Dalsey of Whitewater and Democrat Jerry Lowrie of Beloit Township.

Her "fiscal responsibility plan" includes:

- --Limit government spending to 1 percent less than personal income growth.
Towns said this would mean government spending wouldn't grow faster than
families' ability to pay.

- --Eliminate budget practices that allow the state to make future spending
promises, without identifying funding for those promises. Towns called this
"credit card spending."

- --Fill a "rainy day fund" for the state, so it can weather ups and downs in
the economy.

- --Reduce the size of the state bureaucracy. Towns suggested reducing the
number of positions in "ineffective programs."

When asked what programs are ineffective, or how many positions should be
cut, Towns referred the questions to Republican state Reps. Steve Nass and
Mike Powers, who flanked her at a podium.

Nass said if candidates on the campaign trail identify specific programs to
cut, special interests tied to those programs will have ammunition in the
campaign, as well as the candidate's opponents.

Towns said she supports a proposal to eliminate state positions as they
become vacant each year, by filling just 80 percent of vacant state positions.

Lowrie and Dalsey separately reiterated their state fiscal plans.

Dalsey proposed the state end its war on drugs. He supports stopping the
incarceration of nonviolent drug offenders, such as those convicted of
possession or sale of drugs. He also supports the legalization of
marijuana, similar to alcohol: no sales to minors and no driving under the
influence.

Dalsey estimated 25 percent of inmates are nonviolent drug offenders, and
not jailing them would save the state $300 million in jail and prison costs.

He also supports ending "unnecessary" highway projects. He cited the
Highway 12 bypass around Whitewater as one of those. He also supports
ending tax breaks for corporations and stadium projects, which he said was
corporate welfare.

He criticized Towns for failing to provide specific cuts.

"If Debi Towns won't answer that question, no one should vote for her.
She's incompetent," Dalsey said. "I don't hesitate to say that, I would say
that about myself.

"That's a basic qualification for the job," Dalsey said. "I'm not trying to
be personally antagonistic, but these are important issues."

Lowrie released his fiscal plan on Tuesday and said it was important for
candidates to be specific and provide details about their plans.

Lowrie proposes cutting politically-appointed positions in state
government, such as executive assistants, deputy directors and political
department heads in cabinet agencies. He estimated this would save $15
million in costs.

Lowrie also supports cutting the number of taxpayer-funded lobbyists in
half. He proposes eliminating the lieutenant governor's staff, which would
save $400,000 a year, he said.

"That's more of a ceremonial job. It doesn't warrant seven staffers,"
Lowrie said.

Lowrie outlined a plan to eliminate 13 positions in the Department of
Administration to save $923,000 a year.

He also proposed cutting five jobs and $118,600 in tax support for the
Office of Justice Assistance. Lowrie said those jobs could be absorbed by
the state Department of Justice.