One of those promises was to limit the size of government and to have the government serve the people - and not the other way around.

People create jobs, not the government.

The real bottom line is, the national unions want their hands on the money.

There could not be a more stark contrast between Wisconsin and Illinois.

We need someone to turn things around in America.

We showed that when we say 'Wisconsin is open for business', we mean it.

We'll look to the fall and if there is a new president and a new Senate that's part of a Congress willing to change, that's the next step.

Who is in charge? Is it taxpayers or is it the special interest groups?

You can make tough decisions that I believe voters for years have asked us to do.

You've got to have a vision. You've got to have a message.

Certainly political capital-slash-celebrity attention, whatever you want to call it, certainly is part of the reason why I've been reaching out to CEOs. There's a lot of folks who probably would have taken a call from me before but are even more inclined now and are interested in what we're doing because of all the attention.

I believe that smaller government is better government. But I also believe that in the areas where government does play a legitimate role, we should demand that it is done better.

I think most people believe success in government is how many fewer people are in government, not because you kick them off of benefits like unemployment but they've been able to control their own destiny because private sector employers have created more jobs.

It is only fair to expect public employees like me and others in the public sector to pay something close to what our neighbors and our fellow citizens do in the private sector.

Let this be our time in history so that someday we can tell our children and grandchildren that we were there, that we changed the course of history for the better.

Looking at America's history, ordinary people did something extraordinary. Leaders risked their lives for freedoms that we take for granted today.That's what instills confidence. That's us. We will move forward and prosper because that's who we are as Americans.

More people on unemployment benefits is not success in America, fewer people on not because we kicked them off but because they have been able to get a job in the private sector, because government got out of the way.

Now things have changed for the better. Our reforms end seniority and tenure so we can hire and fire based on merit and pay based on performance. That means we can put the best and the brightest in our classrooms - and we can keep them there.

Political leaders in Illinois kicked the can down the road, raised taxes, and ignored fiscal realities. Now, they're realizing the consequences of their actions: credit downgrades and negative outlooks.

So let me be clear, Collective bargaining isn't a right, it is an expensive entitlement. Once and for all, we are giving the taxpayers a voice in this debate. We put the power back in the hands of the people.