Wisconsin Manufacturing and Commerce "quite excited" about new ways to deny unemployment and save money doing it.

Who controls the state? Big business of course. Take a look at the lobbyists below from Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce. Soulless weasels?

I also find it funny how the biggest lobbying group in the state is stuck with "manufacturers" in their name, a dying passe industry in the this state, and the U.S.. It might not have been had WMC focused their attention a nationwide manufacturing policy like Germany. Oh well, another missed opportunity.

Cap Times’ Jack Craver wrote this:

The gang at Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce are practically giddy about the budget that now awaits Gov. Scott Walker’s signature. I was notified of the YouTube clip by a disgruntled legislative staffer, who described its contents thus: “Just a few of the former GOP staffers who give the Legislature its marching orders from outside the building.” All four of the lobbyists in the video indeed once worked as aides to Republican legislators.

One lobbyist brags:

WMC's Eric Bott, Dir. of Environmental and Energy: "The budget directs the DNR to seek permission from the EPA to exempt more 800 businesses entirely from regulation...we're quite excited about this."  

WMC's Scott Manley, VP of Government Relations: "...the idea that we're going to streamline permits and possibly even exempt hundreds if not thousands of businesses in this state is certainly exciting."

They even shamelessly admit their intention to allow businesses to freeload off Wisconsin taxpayers by borrowing state revenues to fund the unemployment coffers, just so they don't have to pay interest.  They're even excited about the new very broad definition of "substantial fault," that allows employers to fire "human capital" easily, to avoid paying unemployment.

WMC's Chris Reader, Dir. of Health and Human Services: "(the Joint Finance Committee) created a secondary definition of misconduct called "substantial fault" which basically means that if an employee  is acting in wonton disregard of the employers best interest..."

WMC's Scott Manley: "...and in addition, the budget committee provided millions of dollars of relief to pay the interest on the loan we have to the federal government...that interest is costing employers millions of dollars because we are overdrawn. We had to borrow money. And the fact that the legislature saw fit to pay that interest (with taxpayer money) will mean businesses will pay less." 

How nice we did that for them. If we had let the market work, and adjust to changing times, businesses would have had to make larger payments into the unemployment fund. WMC couldn't let that happen.