While the top candidates for governor spent millions on political ads, many voters told News 3 they still feel confused.

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I-Team: Voters Don't Know What To Think Part I Part II E-mail Linda Eggert

News 3's Linda Eggert tried to clear away some of the clutter, with two special I-Team reports. Part I aired Monday, Oct. 28, on "News 3 at Six."

Sometimes, candidates only say what they want us to hear.

So here's some perspective on the two men spending the most money in the governor's race -- and their biggest immediate issue: the budget deficit.

Next year alone, we've got to come up with $1.3 billion. To get $1.3 billion, you'd have to pass "Go" in Monopoly and collect $200, 6.5 million times. And that's just the extra cash to keep the government game going.

Fiscal experts say we've been spending more than we've been taking in buying boardwalk, so to speak, when we should have bought Baltic Avenue. Now, Wisconsin is broke.

The budget's off balance, and floating in a sea of red ink -- flooding the lives and wallets of state residents.

"It means sooner or later, it's going to come back to bite them," said Todd Berry (pictured, right), president of the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance. "Either in the form of higher taxes or pretty serious reductions in services."

So, how would the candidates for governor solve the problem?

That's not at all clear, Eggert reported. About the only thing that is clear is that both pledge they will not raise your taxes -- no increases, no new taxes. No more taxes -- period.

"I believe that the Wisconsin taxpayer cannot afford to pay more," Gov. Scott McCallum said.

"We are going to get out of this current budget mess without raising taxes," state Attorney General Jim Doyle said.

Experts and common sense say if you don't raise taxes, you have to cut spending. But where? Specifics have been hard to come by.

For example, here's McCallum at an Oct. 2 news conference:

Reporter: Give me some specific cuts that you would make if you're not going to raise taxes and you're going to come up with the money to balance the budget...

McCallum: The issue is $5.5 billion deficit in this campaign with the spending increases that Jim Doyle has promised."

McCallum attacks his opponent, instead of answering the question.

Reporter: (ask again) Tell me where you're going to cut spending.

And later, again

Reporter: What we're looking for are some examples because people are going to want to know, what's going to be cut?

At least six times, reporters press for specifics.

Reporter: What are examples or what might be a program that might face a cut?

McCallum: The first step is setting priorities. my priorities have not been to go out and promise all kinds of spending increases.

"He has refused to offer his program his ideas, his list of possible cuts," Doyle said.

Two days later, on Oct. 4, Doyle attacked McCallum and offered some spending cuts, but even he admits it's not a total solution.

Doyle also hasn't explained how he would finance various programs in his "Agenda for Change," including getting rid of the so-called "QEO cap on teacher pay," and school spending caps.

In TV ads, Doyle says he won't raise taxes, but what would removing school caps do to local property taxes?

Schools make up the largest part of your property tax bill.

"You would think we'd return to the trend of the late '80s and early '90s, in other words, property taxes would probably grow 2 to 4 points faster, maybe even almost double what they are now," Berry said.

Both McCallum and Doyle say they won't reduce state aid to local schools -- more than 40 percent of the budget pie, nor have they proposed slicing into other big pieces of the budget -- such as shared revenue to municipalities, or the University of Wisconsin.

Instead, both candidates want to chop into state agencies, but they eat up a sliver, just 14 percent of state spending.

"You can't solve a $1.3 billion problem when you take everything off the table, when you take all your options away," Berry said.

Both candidates now have plans they say will erase the deficit next year, and the year after that.

In the next biennial budget, McCallum says he'd cut $330 million, partly by reducing the state workforce.

Doyle's two-year plan includes $800 million to $1.2 billion, and workforce reduction by 10,000 over the next eight years.

But both candidates rely heavily on a growing economy. Find out why some say that plan is shortsighted in more ways in Part II of Eggert's report.

Read Part II