And on the seventh day ... Voters head to the polls tomorrow to decide the leaders of the new millenium

Gubernatorial candidates are wrapping up campaign efforts this week, each pumping their own vision into the public arena as much as possible. \nThe Democratic incumbents, Gov. Frank O'Bannon and Lt. Gov. Joe Kernan, are emphasizing issues that affect smaller groups within the dynamic population of Indiana. O'Bannon's campaign most recently has been on a bus tour of Indiana. The tour stopped in Bloomington Oct. 29. \nLike O'Bannon, Republican candidates David McIntosh and Murray Clark have a bus tour, and are wrapping up their campaign by visiting 35 cities in seven days. \nLeah Dietrich, a spokeswoman for the McIntosh campaign, said the Republican camp is emphasizing the vision of an Indiana moving "faster and further."\n"David grew up in Kendallville, where he really feels he reaped the benefits of a great state for great schools and great jobs," Dietrich said. "We're concentrating on how we can keep Indiana moving forward and leading the way and improving faster and farther than other states."\nBoth candidates have been spending as much time as possible out talking to residents, and both are emphasizing several key issues leading up to election day. \nOne of the top initiatives O'Bannon has been touting is the creation of a conglomerate economic initiative aimed at further improving the state's job market and the skills and training of Indiana residents. \nOne area of concentration is the Skills 2016 Grant Fund, a training program targeting information technology, software development and other advanced technical skills. A budget of $34.8 million is allocated for retraining relocated members of the Indiana work force. \n"The program is designed to evaluate workers and determine what training they need to align with the technology used in the work place," said Thad Nation, O'Bannon's campaign manager.\nAnother area O'Bannon will be focusing on is the The Research and Technology Fund, which will provide $100 million over four years to support high-skill jobs by supporting the advancement of occupations such as low-emission jet engine development and high-speed Internet video development.\nChild health care is another issue Gov. O'Bannon's campaign is built upon.\nUnder Indiana's Hoosier Healthwise program, more than 300,000 children now have subsidized health coverage. This represents a 56 percent increase in health insurance covering poor children in less than two years. Gov. O'Bannon plans to continue his support of this program and encourage greater allocation of subsidies from the federal government.\n"Some issues should be able to dissolve partisan differences, and health care is certainly one of them," said Kernan. \nMcIntosh has focused in on three key issues: strengthening education, lowering taxes, and stimulating the economy.\nThe Republican candidate has promised he will cut property taxes 25 percent from what they are now, before the reassessments. Next year's reassessments will raise taxes paid in 2003. McIntosh plans to protect homeowners by using a homestead credit, having the state pay ten percent of the bill. After McIntosh sees how much the property taxes were raised, he said he will raise the homestead credit to cut taxes as much as 25 percent from what they are now.\nAnother key initiative of the McIntosh campaign is his Kids First eduction plan, in which he proposes initiatives that include replacing ISTEP, Indiana's statewide proficiency test, passing charter school legislation and restoring discipline in the classrooms.\nMcIntosh is also focusing on eliminating the "brain drain," and keeping young people in Indiana after they finish school. He has proposed helping Indiana become the high-tech capital of the Midwest by eliminating the inventory tax, improving the tax credit for research and development and creating a new office for a secretary of technology. \nThe best governments allow people to be free and make their own choices, McIntosh said. The government should protect the economy and provide a safety net where necessary.\n"If I were on welfare I would not want a handout," he said, "but I would want somebody to be there when I'm completely penniless."\nRegion editor Erin Nave and staff writer Brian Holman contributed to this story.