Just the other week, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed above 12,000 – an all-time high. Interest rates are low, home ownership is at an all-time high and unemployment is down to 4.6 percent. Since August 2003, 6.6 million new jobs have been created. One way to foster this unprecedented economic growth is to make President Bush’s tax cuts permanent.

In Congress, Mark Green has consistently voted to maintain these low tax rates and helped to pass significant reductions in federal tax rates. Before this tax relief, rates were 15 to 39.6 percent, and they were lowered to 10 to 35 percent. This translates into tax cuts across the board for every American taxpayer. He greatly increased the child tax credit, giving greater tax relief to families with young children. He fought to repeal President Clinton’s tax on social security benefits. Green also worked to lower taxation of American troops’ combat pay. He voted to extend the Research and Experimentation Tax Credit. The list is endless.

This tax relief philosophy is exactly what is needed in Madison. Under the current governorship, Wisconsinites pay the sixth highest personal income taxes in the nation, according to the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance, based on 2004 U.S. Census data. If income, sales and property tax (the “Big 3”) are included, Wisconsin ranks third highest in the nation, according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

Low taxes are a strong platform for the Republican Party. Quite simply, it’s the belief that you, the citizen, are competent enough to control your spending and deserve to spend your money in the way you wish.

Democrats, in practice, believe the opposite and want the government to control how you spend your money through higher taxes. Since Jim Doyle became governor, state spending has increased 20 percent, according to the Legislative Fiscal Bureau. Doyle even used line-item vetoes to increase state spending.

Increased state spending cannot be sustained without higher taxes, no matter how you do the math. Thus, Doyle vetoed property tax freezes three times, allowing it to increase by $600 million since he took office. His next budget proposal? A property tax hike of $368 million, according to the Legislative Fiscal Bureau.

Interestingly enough, Doyle advertises this as solving a $3.2 billion budget deficit without raising taxes. Yet, depending on how you calculate it, the state deficit is $1.6 billion at best or $2.6 billion at worst.

“How can this be?” you ask. The best example would be a husband coming home to his wife and confidently stating, “Honey, I sold the van and saved us $400 a month!” – neglecting to mention the new Corvette in the driveway that will cost $1000 a month.

Green believes in honest, balanced budgeting. He was a cosponsor of an amendment to the Constitution that would require the federal government to balance the budget. He has consistently fought against bloated spending bills and has voted against 65.5 percent of all spending bills that have come before him due to their high costs. He even voted against his own congressional pay raises. He once said, “If you enjoy paying high taxes, I am not your candidate.”

Though taxes are Green’s fire and brimstone, education is his passion. Green is a product of the UW System, having graduated from UW-Eau Claire and UW-Madison. He understands student concerns and will keep tuition costs in check and increase financial aid. Pell Grant funding increased 68 percent since Green was in Congress.

During Doyle’s tenure in office, UW tuition has increased over 50 percent for in-state students while it has gone down for out-of-state students. Doyle even wants to give tuition breaks to illegal immigrants, ahead of you! Doyle’s priorities are all wrong, Green will put Wisconsin, and Wisconsin students, first. If you enjoy paying high tuition, Green is not your candidate.

Green also has fought hard against rampant government corruption, in stark contrast to the current governor who actively engages in it to further his campaign. Doyle manipulated the state elections board to benefit his campaign, according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. A lawyer for Doyle repeatedly lobbied three members of the election board before they voted on Green’s transfer of funds from his congressional campaign to his gubernatorial campaign. Similar transactions had been approved by the board on three other occasions. Every dollar in Green’s campaign account was raised legally. The same, however, cannot be said for the incumbent Democrat. A state employee has already been convicted of rigging the contracting process in favor of companies who were significant contributors to Doyle, a finding which sparked further investigation into his campaign activities.

Green advocates the requirement of photo IDs to vote to help eliminate voting fraud.

Hundreds of instances of double-voting, ineligible felons, and numerous other illegal voting activities were found by a number of media reports. Opponents of this bill claim it discriminates against low-income voters, despite the fact that those unable to afford the IDs would have them issued free of charge. Why does Doyle have such a weak stance on voter fraud? Well, you can draw your own conclusions.

This coming week we students will have a decision to make. The distinction is clear; Green offers lower taxes, lower tuition, more financial aid and the fighting of corruption. Green will make Wisconsin great again.