Walker, Burke heavy on jobs, Milwaukee development in final debate

Governor Scott Walker and challenger Mary Burke got the chance to speak directly to voters statewide Friday for the last time before the November election. 

Both candidates and the debate panel focused early and often on jobs.  One third of the questions directly focused on job creation and several other questions alluded to the topic.  Candidates were asked for  specific plans.

\"We also need to build on our bread and butter: manufacturing and agriculture,\" Governor Walker said.  \"We just put in new incentives that  are going to accelerate the amount of growth we have in those areas.\"

\"What I've seen from Governor Walker is he somehow believes if you give tax breaks to those at the top and special  interests and it somehow creates jobs,\" Burke replied.

Friday night's setting influenced many of the questions.  The stage was in the Milwaukee Public Television studios and the panel was filled  with Milwaukee TV reporters.  That meant issues like paying for a new Bradley Center with tax dollars got plenty of attention.

\"Sometimes you have to make investments in order to grow,\" Burke said.  \"The public option should be on the table, but it should be the last one.\"

\"I want to make sure we do so in a responsible way,\" Walker said.  \"The tax and spend policies we saw in place before I came to  office are largely responsible for the jobs we lost in the past.\"

Reducing violence in Milwaukee and stiffening drunk driving laws came up too, but ultimately the night moved back to jobs and the potential for more than 1,000 at a proposed Kenosha Casino.

\"Governor Walker has had 14 months to [decide on the casino] and before this was ever even approved by the federal government, he laid out three criteria he said he would use to make that decision,\" Burke said, criticizing the governor's lack of action on the issue.

\"I want more jobs in Kenosha and southeastern Wisconsin, but the biggest thing holding us up right now is really two words: Jim Doyle,\" Walker said.

Burke and Walker face off in the November 4th election.