Scott Walker and Mary Burke Debate Job Growth, Crime, Taxes in Wisconsin Gubernatorial Race

iStock/Thinkstock(MILWAUKEE) — Republican Governor Scott Walker and Democrat Mary Burke jostled back and forth Friday during a Wisconsin gubernatorial debate.

The two candidates sparred on topics including taxes, job growth, and crime prevention.

Walker touted his record, pointing out that the state’s unemployment rate is the lowest it’s been since 2008.

“Compare apples to apples,” Walker said. “The only time in the last 25 years the unemployment rate has been worse, is during the three years my opponent was the secretary of commerce. The head of commerce in the state of Wisconsin.”

But Burke said Walker failed in his first term, citing that he didn’t fulfill a promise to add 250,000 private-sector jobs, and isn’t advocating for the middle class.

“He somehow believes, you give tax breaks to those at the top and special interests, and it somehow creates jobs. I’m a business person. I know how jobs get created and it means you have to have that small business growth,” Burke said.

Burke also claimed that Walker made public budget cuts to police, fire, and local services, causing an increasing in crime.

“He cut shared revenue to municipalities which really strained their budgets in terms of providing police and fire and local services,” Burke said.

But Walker defended Burke’s claims, saying, “Because of act in reforms, Milwaukee in the first year alone, saved roughl$y 25 million  In fact, in the most recent budget that Mayor Barrett put out, they actually not only saved money, they have enough money to add to the police department. They actually had raises to public employees in this city of Milwaukee.”

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