---

With the fall primary over this week, the "official" full campaign season will start now leading up to the November 2 General Election. Not only will Wisconsin have a new Governor, but the 51st Assembly District will also have a new representative with the retirement of Steve Hilgenberg.

In the current economic climate, whoever gets elected to any statewide position will have their hands full. You have to credit anybody, Democrat or Republican for running for office, especially in these times.

So just how bad of shape is Wisconsin in? According to a recent report by the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance (WTA), a national report by associations of state governors and budget officers shows Wisconsin state government had one of the weakest financial positions going into the current recession and continues to be one of the most fiscally challenged states.

While 36 states had surpluses equal to 5% or more of spending at the end of 2008 after facing recession-induced budget problems, Wisconsin had a budget surplus equal to only 1% of spending. Forty-six states had balances of 2% or more, with the 50-state average being 8.6%.

When the brunt of the recession hit state budgets in 2010, Wisconsin was one of only three states to report spending increases of over 5%. Among all 50 states, expenditures were cut an average of 6.8%, with 43 states reporting lower spending in 2010 than 2009.

Wisconsin's raw dollar tax increases were larger than in all but five states, and two of those were California and New York. Wisconsin's tax increases focused on individual and corporate income, and tobacco taxes. Wisconsin was one of 12 raising the individual income tax in 2010 and one of two increasing it in 2011. Six states cut the tax in 2010, and seven states did so in 2011.

It's clear the solution to the fiscal problems in the state can't be solved in 30 second campaign sound bites and personal attacks. The taxpayers and this state are fed up with business as usual. It makes the ordinary voter cynical of politics in general.

Now more than ever it's time to ask the hard questions of the people who want our vote and if elected their feet need to be held to the fire.