i do want to thank don dunbar. thank you to them and to each of the wisconsin national guard as well. stood here as your new governor, wisconsin was facing a $3.6 billion budget deficit, property taxes had gone up 27 percent over the previous decade, increasing every year, and the unemployment rate was 7.8 percent. today, wisconsin has a $342 million budget surplus, property taxes on a median valued home went down in each of the last two years, and the unemployment rate, well, it's down to 6.7 percent. we're turning things around. we're heading in the right direction. we're moving wisconsin forward. avoided significant tax increases, massive layoffs and instead, we put in place long- term structural reforms that helped us balance state and local government budgets for years to come. what we did was think more about the next generation than we did state's history, we set money aside in two consecutive years for the rainy day fund. our bond rating is solid and our pension system is the only one in the country that is

i want to introduce the ad adjutant general, don dunbar. thank him off the 10,000 women in the wisconsin national guard. thank you to him and each of them as well. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, we are moving wisconsin forward with bold vision and bright hope for the future. two years ago when i first stood here as your new governor wisconsin was facing a $3.6 billion budget deficit. property taxes had gone up 27% over the previous decade, increasing every year and the unemployment rate was 7.8%. today wisconsin has a $34 million surplus. property taxes on median value home went down each. last two years the unemployment rate, well, it is down to 6.7%. [applause] we're turning things around. we're heading in the right direction. we're moving wisconsin forward. and unlike other states we avoided significant tax increases, massive layoffs and cuts in programs like medicaid. instead we put in place long-term structural reforms that helped us balance state and local government budgets for years to come. what we did was think more about the ne