Business Lobby WMC Silent on Retaining GM in State. Are They Affraid of a little Work?

The recent decision by GM to put a small-car assembly line in Michigan rather than in Janesville’s former truck plant was a real blow to the workers and the state. But there’s an element to this story that almost everyone missed, which we’ll get to in a moment. It strange how automatic it is for me to rule out certain Conservative lobbying groups because I expect them to continue to advocate low taxes and free markets policies.

Like “pro-life” zealots trying to ban abortions and contraceptives, yet never advocate childhood health care or senior services as a way of saving lives, Wisconsin’s business lobby, Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, has done more to elect Supreme Court Justices than attract businesses to the state.

Ed Garvey, lawyer, political activist and the editor of the fightingbob.com wrote in his Capital Times opinion:

"Where do you suppose Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce was while the governor fought to keep the Janesville plant open? We hear from WMC on just about every issue from taxes to elections, but heard nothing on this one. Why not, Jim Haney? Don't you care about Wisconsin and the 1,200 families in Janesville?

This story does not have a happy ending. The 1,200 workers in Janesville join 7 million on the unemployment lines."

Stunning isn’t it. One would think they would be in the forefront of trying to retain the “manufacturing” base in Wisconsin along with living up to the "M" in their name. Instead, they’re churning out press releases telling companies how bad the state is for business. To everyone else reading their stuff, it’s really WMC that appears to be bad for business.