Almost 60 percent do not expect that there will be much change in economic conditions over the next 12 months and 70 percent don't expect much change in their municipality or surrounding area.

Other findings include:

About one in five respondents thought the loss and lack of jobs is the biggest economic challenge facing state residents.

Badgers also thought that high taxes (13 percent) and energy prices (12 percent) were challenges. Wages not keeping up with expenses (13 percent) and health care costs (8 percent) were also among the top challenges.

Doyle Weds With Taylor Campaign: The link between the Gov. Jim Doyle's office and the Milwaukee County executive campaign of Lena Taylor seems pretty solid. Doyle lent his deputy campaign manager to the Taylor campaign and also is hosting a fundraiser for Taylor Dec. 20 at Roots restaurant, 1818 N. Hubbard St. That has current County Exec. Scott Walker's camp putting out the money plea as well, calling it a hedge against negative advertising.

"It is clear that the powers in Madison are gearing up to run all sorts of attacks on Scott. ... The amount of money that Scott has in his account at the end of the year will determine how much they grab to run negative attacks against him (and us)," says the Walker Weekly report. "We can respond to the attack ads and win, but only if we have enough resources to get our positive message of reform and relief out to the voters.

David Riemer, who was State Budget Director in Doyle's office when he ran for exec against Walker in 2004, faced the same sort of linkage with Doyle, but didn't really get the money - at least not the $1 million the candidates are talking about in this race.

George Wants License Reprieve: Gary George wants his law license back, eventually. The former state senator and convicted felon saw his license suspended after being found guilty of a conspiracy charge to funnel money from a community-based agency to his pals by using the guise of lawyer's fees.

But the state's Office of Lawyer Regulation later asked that George's license be permanently revoked since he was using his position has a lawyer to commit the crimes. George and his lawyers will argue in front of the state Supreme Court (which decides these matters) this week that the feds "overstated" the money-laundering scheme. They feel a suspension "of several years" would be sufficient discipline.

Green Snowed On: Cynthia McKinney braved the snow to get out her Green Party message for president earlier this week. McKinney, who drove north from Omaha through a major ice storm, spoke Tuesday in Madison and Milwaukee. The former congresswoman from Georgia appeared in Milwaukee in front of about 50 people.

"It's not unusual for people who want their government to be honest," she told a small, mostly-media gathering in Madison while pointing out that she found billions of waste in the Defense Department.

"It's up to us to do some things we haven't done before in order to get some things we haven't gotten before," she said regarding how a third party can rise to take over the White House and government in general. "Oftentimes, Green solutions are radical common sense."