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The guard changes
Gov. Doyle takes office, warning of lean times ahead
By STEVEN WALTERS swalters@journalsentinel.com, Journal Sentinel
Tuesday, January 7, 2003
Madison -- Sworn in Monday as Wisconsin's 44th governor, Democrat Jim Doyle immediately asked citizens to accept cuts -- which he didn't specify -- in government services to close the biggest budget deficit in decades and make possible a future "much stronger and much better state."
"We can't do everything. . . . Yes, there will be pain along the way," warned Doyle, 57, who served 12 years as attorney general before being elected governor two months ago. "And, in truth, it really means we can't do a lot of things we should do.
"It breaks my heart," the first Democratic governor in 16 years added in his inaugural address. "But that's what we're faced with. . . . We can no longer do business the way we have in the past."
Although Doyle also repeatedly called for unity between him and Republicans in charge of the Legislature, he waited just hours after his inauguration to pick a potential fight with Senate Republicans by rescinding 127 unconfirmed appointments to state boards and commissions made by GOP governors.
Doyle's move dumped, either immediately or as soon as he names successors, members of several key citizen boards -- including the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents, the Natural Resources Board and the Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection Board.
But Doyle spokesman Thad Nation noted that the governor let 73 Republican appointments stand and explained the new governor's criteria for deciding whom to keep and whom to send packing: If the appointments were made after March of last year or were due to expire this year, Doyle rescinded them.
Nation said that the governor also rejected appointees who were likely to oppose Doyle's policies -- including Board of Regents member James Klauser, chief deputy to former Republican Gov. Tommy G. Thompson.
"Certainly, Klauser is an example of someone who probably would not support the same policies that Governor Doyle would put forward," said Nation, who said Doyle plans to replace appointees soon.
The Board of Regents doesn't meet again until Feb. 6, but the Natural Resources Board is scheduled to meet today to take up...