The governor spends a few days in Washington DC for a meeting of the National Governors Association.
Just back from talking with President George W. Bush and some of his cabinet members at the White House, Governor Jim Doyle also meets with Admiral Mike Mullen, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, regarding our soldiers and supplies.
"Particular around the pressures that are on our National Guard — both in the deployment of personnel and in the shortages of equipment that are emerging because so much has gone to Iraq and Afghanistan."
Doyle also talks about a longterm transportation policy, and the need for the federal government to renew its Surface Transportation Act, which delegates federal funding to states. Governor Doyle says there is frustration among the states' governors about the level of earmarks embedded into transportation budgets. Doyle also stresses everyone's concern for energy conservation.
"Particularly moving forward as a group of states on how we move toward a greater production and use of renewable fuel sources, how we develop better conservation practices and how we lower the amount of greenhouse gas emissions."
On an individual level, Doyle hopes to see changes in the near future. He wants more investment in developing better technology for energy conservation, and making that available to consumers … from light bulbs to insulation to energy-efficient vehicles.