It is finally Election Day, and the future of our state hangs in the balance. Who owns this future: Jim Doyle or Mark Green?

Mark Green offers a refreshing alternative to the "pay-to-play" politics currently taking place in our state Capitol. Just as George W. Bush brought decency back to the Oval Office in 2000, Green will bring honesty and decency back to our governor's office.

Our governor has been in the pocket of special interest groups since he first set foot in the governor's office four years ago. From Native American tribes to the teacher's union, Doyle has acted in the best interest of these large campaign contributors instead of Wisconsin residents. Wisconsin residents cannot donate thousands of dollars to his campaign, and thus their welfare is ignored while the special interest groups and other large Doyle campaign contributors are pandered to.

Wisconsin residents should not have to pay their governor to act in their best interest. Mark Green understands this, and is willing to serve his constituents without expecting a fat check in return.

Aside from the fact that Gov. Doyle's administration is riddled with corruption, what has Doyle accomplished for this state? Governor Doyle's biggest accomplishment is his long string of vetoes.

One of his most controversial vetoes has been expanded school choice, which this state desperately needs. School choice offers low-income families, especially in Milwaukee, the chance to send their children to higher-quality private schools. With one stroke of the pen, Gov. Doyle denied numerous children the opportunity to receive the quality education that they deserve.

Governor Doyle not only disregards the educational needs of the children in this state, he also shows little concern for the educational needs of college-age residents.

One of the biggest concerns to us as students is rising tuition costs. Governor Doyle has done nothing to alleviate this problem, allowing our tuition to rise by more than 52 percent in the last four years. Congressman Green has proposed a tuition cap, which will give students much needed relief.

Another problem that our state faces is rampant voter fraud. During the 2004 election in Milwaukee, dead people voted, empty lots voted, and multiple people voted from the same address.

This brings us to the attorney general's race, in which Kathleen Falk faces off against J.B. Van Hollen. In her entire career, Kathleen Falk has never prosecuted a criminal, much less done anything to curb voter fraud. She does not even list combating voter fraud as a priority on her campaign website.

J.B. Van Hollen, on the other hand, has served as a U.S. Attorney, prosecuting 75 percent more criminals in his last year in that position than his predecessor, Peg Lautenschlager. As attorney general, he will make combating voter fraud a top priority. He will work with the Legislature to draft election reform, such as a photo ID requirement to vote. And he will also create a unit inside the Department of Justice specifically to enforce state election laws.

Moving on to the national level, our current Congresswoman, Tammy Baldwin, is ineffective. Out of the 437 members of the House of Representatives, Baldwin is ranked 424th in effectiveness. She is also out of touch with her student constituents; returning to Madison to "connect" with them only when campaign season hits.

In contrast, her opponent Dave Magnum will focus on the real issues confronting this nation, such as immigration and health care. Magnum is also strongly connected to the Madison area. He is frequently on campus, always eager to meet students and discuss his vision with them.

Tommy Thompson imparted these words of wisdom at a fundraiser in Madison for Mark Green. Thompson predicted that, upon Green's election, "Wisconsin will be healthier, better and stronger than it is today. You will see once again the eagles soaring, the Packers scoring and the Harleys roaring."

This quote embodies what it means to be a Republican, especially in Wisconsin. We believe that our nation and our state can be great. We hold out hope for the future. And we are confident that our candidates will make Wisconsin great again.

LaVonne Derksen ([email protected]) is a senior majoring in accounting and finance and the first vice chair for the College Republicans.