Questions
1. To what extent will people of color be appointed to decision-making positions within your administration?
2.The state of Wisconsin has the highest incarceration rate of African Americans in the United States. What measures can the state take to reduce this high rate, which is almost seven times the  Euro-American rate?
3.What initiatives will you undertake to expand the level of the purchasing of the goods and services of minority business      enterprises (MBEs) by private and public decision makers?
4.African American men make up six percent of the U.S. population, yet account for 42 percent of the inmates on death row. Given this disparity, what is your position on the death penalty advisory referendum? Why?
5.Given the fact that the majority of undocumented workers (some refer to them as illegal immigrants) play a significant role in the hospitality, agricultural, manufacturing, and other labor-intensive sectors of Wisconsin's economy and that many of their children are U.S. citizens, to what extent should state government "officially" recognize their presence in the state's      labor policies?
6.It appears that there is a correlation between the size of the teacher:student ratio and the size of the academic achievement disparity between students of color and the student body as a whole, especially in K-5 grade levels. In the 2007-2009 state budget, what measures will you take to ensure that the Wisconsin school districts can keep the teacher:student ratio low or lower it, especially in the K-5 grade levels?

James E. Doyle Jr. - Democratic Party
1. I have appointed the most diverse cabinet in Wisconsin history, including the first African American Secretaries of the Departments of Revenue and Commerce, and first African American Executive Director of the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority. I      also appointed Louis Butler, the first African American ever to serve on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. I didn't go out looking for diversity; I went out looking for talent. It's no accident that men and women of exceptional ability also reflect the diversity of this great state.
2. The disproportionate rate of minority incarceration in Wisconsin is a travesty. There are several areas where we are working to      address this issue that is so critical for Wisconsin's future. 
First, we must maintain a strong education system, and invest early in our kids, particularly in children of incarcerated parents.  Children with parents in prison are seven times as likely to end up in prison themselves.
As part of my KidsFirst Initiative, I am working to expand access to high quality early childhood programs, including four-year old kindergarten, to all of our kids. These programs not only reduce the likelihood that a child will end up involved with the  criminal justice system, but also increase the likelihood that a child will graduate from high school and go onto college. In addition, I believe strongly in the importance of youth programs like Boys and Girls Clubs and Big Brothers Big Sisters, which offer mentors and other important      programming to promote self esteem and set kids on the right path into adulthood. We must also continue to invest in good jobs and growing Wisconsin's economy. There is no social program that is better than a good job. Whether it is a young person who is learning the value of a hard day's work or an older worker who is seeking retraining to enter a new field, Wisconsin's economy must continue to be robust enough to meet the growing demands of a changing economy.
Additionally, my administration has also set a new direction for corrections and criminal justice policy in Wisconsin --  one that recognizes that public safety depends not just on punishment and accountability, but also on prevention and rehabilitation. While we must  continue to lock up the most violent and hardened criminals, it's not enough to just be tough on crime; Wisconsin also needs to be smart on crime. We have made historic, bipartisan investments in alcohol and drug treatment, strengthening community corrections, and expanding sentencing  options and alternatives to revocation for non-violent offenders, and have set forth an agenda of change that will continue for years to come.   3. Since I became Governor, state spending on products and services from minority-owned businesses has increased by 14 percent.      Minorities have filled more than 20 percent of the construction hours on the Marquette Interchange Project -- the largest transportation      project in Wisconsin's history. MBE construction and consultant firms will earn nearly $120 million by the project's completion. In addition, MBE firms will earn a 25 percent share of the construction dollars spent on the new Milwaukee Amtrak station.
Recently, I established a new initiative,  "Get Started, Get Growing," to provide specialized opportunities to help minority entrepreneurs make the initial investment and then grow their business over time. The Initiative includes: expansion of the Wisconsin Entrepreneur's Network (WEN) to focus on Minority Business Development; a new  "Get Started" Micro Loan Program to provide minority entrepreneurs with start-up loans up to $5,000; and, a new  "Get Growing" Loan Program to provide minority business owners with loans up to $100,000 for new businesses looking to expand. I also formed the Business Opportunity Advisory Commission, chaired by Senator Spencer Coggs and Milwaukee Urban League President Ralph Hollman, dedicated to identifying new ways the state can procure more of our products from minority businesses. Lt. Governor Barbara  Lawton is also leading an effort to streamline the application process for Minority Owned Business Certification. 
The redesign will be both more efficient and user-friendly.
4. As a former prosecutor and Attorney General,  I've gone after the worst offenders and sent them to prison -- often for life. I believe those convicted of very serious crimes should be sent to prison for life without any possibility of parole.
I do not support lifting Wisconsin's 150-year old ban on the death penalty. 
5. Immigration policy is fundamentally a national issue that demands a national solution, and is one of many issues where Congress, including my opponent, Rep. Mark Green, has failed.
6. Smaller class sizes lead to better performances by students.  Research shows that smaller class sizes are effective in increasing student learning and closing the achievement gap that persists between children of color, economically disadvantaged children, and their      peers. Despite facing a $3.2 billion budget deficit -- the largest in state history -- I have fought to protect and even increase funding for SAGE, a program that lowers class sizes in Kindergarten through third grade. I also used my veto pen to prevent the Republican Legislature from weakening the program by allowing schools to raise class sizes in second  and third grades. I believe strongly in small class sizes, and will continue to fight for small class sizes as long as I am governor.  
My opponent has a very different view on education. He supported the Republican budget that would have cut a devastating $400 million from schools in Wisconsin, and his education plan wouldn't  allow schools to adequately fund nurses, buses, and security.

Nelson Eisman -- Green Party
1. I believe our government should reflect its citizens and diversity enriches our democracy.  These values will increase the number of people of color in leadership positions. 
2. We have lost the  "War on Drugs" and need to convert this effort from law enforcement to public health. We also have  an incredibly high rate of incarcerated illiterates and inmates with addictions. Crime prevention begins with adequate public health and education programs. Education begins with prenatal care. The state must bring adequate resources to neighborhoods and communities to help healthy      families develop. As Governor, I will start a program of releasing nonviolent offenders and offer clemency to any prisoner who is not re-arrested within 5 years of release. I will initiate a Reintegration Program to help offenders find housing, training, support and jobs to      reduce recidivism. I will ask our courts to take off the blinders and order education remediation for any first offender who is illiterate. 
3.As a state employee responsible for requisitioning network equipment and supplies, I have used MBE vendors extensively and set the example in the Department of Administration. The state should actively recruit minority vendors and provide training and support. The state should help successful MBE managers mentor new program participants.
4.Irrespective of race, I am totally against the death penalty. Further, I do not support life without parole. A 25-year sentence is an adequate maximum sentence for any crime.  "People hard on crime" have not lived on the street. 
5. We all came here on the deck of a ship or in the hold as cargo. Borders are arbitrary lines of aggression so the better armed can steal land. Recognizing this historical perspective should help us heal a meanness of spirit toward the robbed. We should find strategies      to live together in harmony. 
6.I intend to remove education from the property tax  and use progressive income taxes to fully fund education, reduce class  size, provide funds for all categorical aids, transportation, nutritious meals, learning materials and Ed Assistants to aid the teachers. Together  with universal health care, this will reinvigorate our schools.
Decision 2006 : Candidates for Governor