SCOTT WALKER: "What do you do with a surplus? Give it back to the people who earned it."

◼ Speaking during his annual State of the State address to the Wisconsin legislature, Walker proposed $800 million in tax cuts he said were made possible by the $912 million state surplus that has resulted from policies he put in place following his election in 2010.

The cuts include reductions in property taxes, as well as cuts in the state's payroll tax and the tax rates for lower income brackets.

If all his proposals are enacted, property taxes on a typical home "will actually be lower in December 2014 than they were in December of 2010. What a difference a few years make."

"What do you do with a surplus? Give it back to the people who earned it. It's your money," Walker said of his proposals....

Looking back on his state's sad state of affairs when he took office, Walker reminded Wisconsinites that things were going downhill fast prior to his election:

"Thankfully, the days of double-digit tax increases, billion-dollar deficits, and major job loss are gone. We replaced them with massive tax cuts, growing budget surpluses, and significant job growth. Wisconsin is going back to work. ...

"Every time we help someone find a job, it makes for a stronger home, a stronger community, and a stronger state."

◼ Text of Gov. Walker's State of the State speech - The State