Wis GOP hands out Taxpayer money for Corporate Welfare without any expectation of creating Jobs!!!

If the WEDC were handing out social "welfare" benefits, Republicans would be demanding either the end of the agency or major cuts to staffing and funding. 

But the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC), another Scott Walker idea that he was actually removed from, is corporate welfare at it's most irresponsible, what's not to like. And a big taxpayer money loser too. Remember that Friday on May 22, 2015...

Scott Walker gets Pink Slip, booted as WEDC Chairman by GOP Legislature!

Call it bad optics, but Scott Walker just got fired by his own party in the legislature. He's out as the WEDC chairman, a dysfunctional agency that bumbled job and business creation. Not a great story for someone hoping to run the whole damn country. WKOW's Greg Neumann:

Things haven't changed much at the WEDC. Gov. Tony Evers proposed ending it once, but the GOP lame duck session took his power away, allowing right wing think tanks to call it a broken promise. 

During his campaign for governor, Evers said he planned to dissolve the quasi-public agency and return to a fully public model. A set of laws passed by the Republican Legislature during a lame-duck session in December gave lawmakers greater influence over WEDC and gave the WEDC board, not the governor, the authority to appoint the agency's CEO. Evers' power to appoint a CEO will be restored in September 2019.

Here are just a few new details from the Legislative Audit Bureau, an agency the Republicans wanted to eliminate because it continually made them look bad. It still is...:

1. The economic development corporation in recent years gave $61,000 to one entity for creating 261 jobs that were filled by people in 36 other states, none of them bordering Wisconsin, according to the review.
2. In another case, WEDC gave $462,000 in tax credits to an employer that lost 17 jobs, even though it was supposed to create employment under its deal with the state. Auditors did not name the company or others they mentioned in their report.

3. WEDC failed to determine how many jobs were created by companies that got state funds and tax credits, the audit found.
4. WEDC could have recovered $414,000 in tax credits and $4 million in loans for those projects but didn't, the audit found. "These taxpayer funds could then have been used to support other projects," the auditors wrote.

Kinda makes tells you what the agency was tasked to do all along, doesn't it:

Uh-Oh, a 4th "disgruntled" former Scott Walker Cabinet Secretary said Walker lacks integrity, advances his career at tremendous cost to Taxpayers and Families!!!

Who the hell is making all these former cabinet secretaries so disgruntled? Scott Walker, that's who.

AP: A fourth former Cabinet secretary Paul Jadin in Gov. Scott Walker's administration is speaking out against the Republican incumbent.

The others are former Corrections Secretary Ed Wall, former Financial Institutions Secretary Peter Bildsten, and former Transportation Department Secretary Mark Gottlieb.

Keep in mind Scott Walker was forced out and fired as chair of the Wisconsin Economic Development Committee.

Paul Jadin is a former mayor of Green Bay and was the first secretary of Walker's economic development agency, WEDC. 

In the letter, the former Walker officials urge voters to support Democrat Tony Evers for governor because Walker's administration "lacked integrity."

This was amazing as well:

Jadin says he quit his $208,000-a-year job at the Madison Regional Economic Partnership on Wednesday so he could comment freely.

As Jadin put it...

"We were proud to lead the way ... that pride evaporated at various times for each of us as we found ourselves disagreeing with both policy and practices within the administration that lacked integrity. It became clear that his focus was not on meeting his obligations to the public but to advancing his own political career at a tremendous cost to taxpayers and families.

"Disgruntled" Overused so Walker Quietly moves on...

Walker's campaign issued a statement praising work of the economic development agency since Jadin left, but did not address his criticisms of the governor.

Let's end this on another not so surprising conclusion...

"During the recall in 2012, he stopped attending cabinet meetings and delegated state business to his chief of staff and DOA Secretary. When he decided to run for president in 2015 he subordinated Wisconsin interests to those in Iowa and New Hampshire and his policy/budget proposals started to clash with members of his own party who still would have to stand for election in Wisconsin."

Walker's former transportation secretary Mark Gottlieb also said earlier this year that the GOP governor isn't telling the truth about road projects and is taking a high-risk gamble that could see the state invest billions of dollars in obsolete highways.

Walker stole Pence's economic policies, including WEDC (IEDC)!

Mike Pence helped Scott Walker, so Walker helped Pence prepare for VP debate. The Borg-like party of rugged like-minded individuals is beyond parody.  

Remember when Scott Walker beat up his Democratic opponent Mary Burke for plagiarizing her economic idea's? We all knew at the time this was just another case of projection.

The report below is shockingly similar to what Wisconsinites have been dealing with since Scott Walker became governor.  The mismanaged Walker travesty known as the "Wisconsin" Economic Development Corporation, is an outright copy of "Indiana's" Economic Development Corporation (IEDC). It even came with offshored jobs. See if any of the following sounds familiar, then compare below. INDY Star:

Since Pence became governor in 2013, the state has awarded millions of dollars in economic development incentives to companies that have moved production to foreign countries such as Mexico and China. Those production shifts have cost thousands of Hoosiers their jobs during Pence’s time in office.

An IndyStar analysis found that the Indiana Economic Development Corporation — which Pence leads — has approved $24 million in incentives to 10 companies that sent work to foreign countries. Of those incentives, nearly $8.7 million has been paid out so far.

During that same period, those companies terminated or announced layoffs of more than 3,800 Hoosier workers while shifting production to other countries, where labor tends to be far less expensive.

Compare: Scott Walker's WEDC, before he was fired as chairman...

Citizen Action of Wisconsin: Data kept by the U.S. Department of Labor shows that at least 11,331 Wisconsin workers have had their jobs outsourced to other countries the last five years since Governor Walker’s scandal ridden jobs agency, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC), was launched July 1, 2011. This is a very low end estimate … It does not account for outsourcing to other states, or downsizing where it is not possible to prove the jobs landed in a foreign country or were impacted by global trade deals.

Wisconsin Manufacturing Wages Declining: Citizen Action of Wisconsin looked at the latest federal data, and found a startling decline in manufacturing wages in every Wisconsin metro area.
Real wages (adjusted for inflation) declined $1,430 between 2010 and 2015 - Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Robert Kraig, Executive Director of Citizen Action of Wisconsin: This data also directly challenges Governor Walker’s constant assertion that a co-called “skills gap” is the cause of Wisconsin’s economic woes. If manufacturers were really having problems finding skilled manufacturing workers, they would be raising wages, not lowering them. The state also lead the way in the largest drop in the middle class of all states.

Walker's Crumbling Wisconsin.

After 5 years, the Republicans wheels are starting to come off in a big way, exemplified in a number of recent jaw dropping stories that prove beyond a shadow of a doubt, a purely ideological agenda minus common sense or compromise doesn't work.

Thanks to bloggers and a few near fearless reporters, it's clear we're closing out the year on a frightening note. Included are a few of my predictions for 2016 as well.

Goodbye to Gun Free Zones: While it never occurred to Wisconsinites to do away with all gun free zones, especially at schools and colleges, Republicans will eventually ram through unrestricted concealed carry everywhere in 2016:

WSJ: A bill that would allow concealed carry permit holders to bring guns into college and university buildings probably won’t come up for a vote during this session of the state Legislature, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said … co-author State Rep. Jesse Kremer, R-Kewaskum said that he “absolutely” plans to reintroduce the bill if voters re-elect him … began circulating the bill in October, days after a gunman killed nine people at a community college in Oregon. 

Scary and Dangerous Prius driving, latte drinking, anti-gun liberals: Republicans fear peaceful middle class families the most. That's why Scott Walker spent $577,000 on overtime for his security team, who he tried to stiff, until ordered by the federal government to pay up. Worse still, that money came out of our almost non-existent transportation fund, which is now mostly borrowed:

Fox6: Federal labor regulators say the state Department of Transportation has paid Gov. Scott Walker’s bodyguards more than half-a-million dollars in overdue overtime. $577,189 in overtime earned between May 2013 and May 2015. The Department of Labor ordered the DOT to award the overtime pay in August.

Minimum Wage Wasteland: It doesn't occur to our "purple state" Republicans that we're now further right than most every other red state. Consumer demand is 70% of our economy. But not to true supply-siders. As one twitter troll put it, "(liberals are) conspiring to make everything in Wisconsin more expensive:"

Urban Milwaukee: Wisconsin is one of the 21 states where the minimum wage is just $7.25 per hour ... The seven-year freeze in Wisconsin’s minimum wage has contributed to the widening income inequality in our state ... Wisconsin had a faster decline than any other state in the percentage of households in the middle class during the period 2000 to 2013.

Walker, the Courageous Underachiever: As county executive, Walker not only saw jobs disappear in Milwaukee, but he nearly bankrupted the county, even suggesting breaking it up and selling off the parts. I suppose we should be happy we're not at the bottom of the bottom half of job creating states:

Political Heat

“Gov. Scott Walker can't avoid the latest bad news on jobs in Wisconsin. A new government report shows that our state ranked 32nd in private-sector job growth among the 50 states in the five-year period that ended in June. That's the entire recovery period since the last recession.”

After Punishing WEDC for Mismanagement & Failed Audits, Republicans to return some Funding Cuts: Imagine the GOP putting more money into the GAB after their bad audit, instead of killing it. Did you ever get the idea that nothing the Republicans ever do is a failure, no matter how much taxpayer money is wasted?

JS: Speaker Robin Vos backed off from his idea of rebranding the state's economic development office, but said he is still considering injecting more money into the agency … after talking with officials at the agency and at the local level. "They don't want rebranding because they think WEDC's brand is OK," Vos said.

Troubled businesses have gotten taxpayer-funded incentives, and top officials at WEDC have steadily left the agency. Faced with those problems, GOP lawmakers in July cut $46 million from WEDC over two years, slashing its budget by 41.5%, Top lawmakers last month said they may restore some of that funding.

'Try Christianity' Christmas Greetings from Republican Legislator Scott Allen: Using taxpayer money to push and endorse a religion is okay this time, according to Speaker Robin Vos. Yes, it's our "fly-by-the-Constitutional-seat-of-our-pants" Republicans again, who think crossing that legal line is no big deal. "...consider the hope offered by the Prince of Peace." Along with a few taxpayer supported Bible passages, what's the harm?

Twin Cities: Vos told The Associated Press that Allen made the video in the Legislature's television studio in the state Capitol's basement using state equipment. He said he felt Allen's message was "entirely appropriate. People are really making a mountain out of a molehill," Vos said.

Walker's digging a Deeper Debt Hole! With more Tax Cuts on the Horizon: Supply-side is back to its old tricks, but that just fine, you'll see:

"Follow me down...?"

Cap Times: According to the state's Comprehensive Annual Fiscal Report, Wisconsin's general fund GAAP deficit grew in fiscal year 2015 by about 28 percent, from $1.4 billion to $1.8 billion.

I can't help feeling a little anxious about the coming year, and the lack of criticism from conservative voters who can't all be in the tank for this career incompetent.  

Walker's Wisconsin now comes in dead last in Business Startups.

Scott Walker's "Open for Business" state slogan has perception issues, according to Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce Foundation president Jim Morgan.  

That's the excuse now being given to explain Walker's Wisconsin coming in dead last in attracting new entrepreneurs. And it has nothing to do with the Republican majorities anti-education, anti-science, anti-Milwaukee, anti-clean energy positions, right. And hell, they're not done dragging Wisconsin's reputation into the ground with the continuing Walker disaster known as the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation. 

Yea, people are getting the wrong impression, that's the ticket. Blame the people objecting to one bad bill after the next, from abandonment of environmental safeguards to dumbing down education, not Scott Walker:

WPR: Studies show people stay in Wisconsin because of the cost of living and natural beauty. Morgan said making that perception of the state mainstream is seriously needed.

That would seem near impossible to do, when you consider we're seeing declining incomes and increased levels of water pollution in our state. If we could just keep that bad news off the front pages:

Research Finds Wisconsin Is Home To Fewest Startups In The Nation: Ask WMC Leader Jim Morgan why Wisconsin comes in dead last in the race to attract new entrepreneurs, and he'll tell you it all comes down to perception.

"We see people often leaving because they don't think there are opportunities here, when actually we have a pretty diverse economy here and may have 60,000-70,000 open jobs. But if you're 16 or 17 years old, you don't see it."

"People in that 50 to 65 to 70 year range leave Wisconsin, and so they take their wealth with them, and so you don't have that investment," he said.

Walker's WEDC Disaster Continues.....

WEDC Probably Breaking Law: Here's a quick note on their latest possible illegal activity:

Since 2009, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. and the Commerce Department have awarded $101.7 million in jobs tax credits, but only had the statutory authority to award $80.4 million over that period, according to a memo from the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau.

It appears WEDC is spending money in advance, according to the Legislative Fiscal Bureau, funds that would normally have been allocated to future legislatures and governors.

Department of Administration disagrees, saying the allocations were allowed because they were awarded in WEDC contracts and will be claimed in future years. Under that interpretation, WEDC could sign new tax credit contracts totaling $220 million in 2017 stretched out over 10 years, effectively binding future Legislatures and governors to honor those contracts, according to Bob Lang, director of the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau ... his analysis was based on consultation with several legislative lawyers. “They believe that it is unlikely that DOA’s interpretation would be upheld,” Lang wrote.

Wouldn't you know, the governors panting lapdog AG Brad Schimel will be right there defending Walker's latest con:

The Department of Justice plans to issue an informal legal opinion supporting the DOA analysis. A spokesman for Sen. Rick Gudex, R-Fond du Lac, who is also on the WEDC board, said he’s not certain there is a problem that needs to be resolved given the DOA and DOJ interpretation.

Everything is going as planned. 

Walker: A Deer in Reality's Headlights!

Remember this gem from early on in Scott Walker's first term as governor, still posted at Office of the Governor Scott Walker:

"In 2010, a mere 10 percent of employers said our state was headed in the right direction; in 2014, 96 percent said Wisconsin is headed in the right direction. Creating jobs is about more than just a campaign promise." (hey it was a promise, not just a goal!)

Can you say "sucker?" Of course they loved the idea of tax cuts, go figure.

But business leaders, economists and Democrats disagreed with Scott Walker's plan to reduce corporate taxes in the state, saying that was not a major deciding factor for businesses contemplating staying or coming to the state. Lifestyle, services, transportation, and an educated workforce topped their lists.

But Walker stuck with his purely ideological supply side plan, and it's now collapsing around him, with the announcements from Oscar Mayer and S.C. Johnson. Sadly there is little or no blowback from conservative voters. In 2017, Oscar Mayer would have gotten this Walker gift, which as we can see now, didn't influence Oscar Mayer's decision one bit:

The Manufacturers and Agricultural Production Tax Credit will reduce corporate tax liability for manufacturers to 0.4 percent from 7.9 percent by 2017. 

And Walker's only bragging point about the low unemployment numbers got really old a year ago, so let it go for gods sake. The graph below, from Urban Milwaukee, points out why the low unemployment rate may be partly due to losing workers to other states:

With no business sense or curiosity to ask Oscar Mayer about the merger and what it might mean for Wisconsin...:

Wisconsin's flagship economic development agency did not contact Kraft Heinz after the company's landmark merger, and it was not among the states that offered economic incentives to prevent layoffs at Kraft Heinz manufacturing plants.

Madison Mayor Paul Soglin said from what he could tell WEDC had not contacted the firm since a shift in ownership this year. "If WEDC failed to contact Oscar Mayer in the critical months of July and August of this summer, why would anyone think there is anything productive to be gotten out of WEDC?"

In another instance of Wisconsin media giving Walker a pass on accountability, Walker’s deceptive lie about WEDC contacting Kraft Heinz but never saying when, only got a mention. WPR:

Gov. Scott Walker told reporters Thursday that WEDC had made contact with Kraft Heinz, and that the company turned down help from the state.

"The bottom line is they've had contact with the WEDC in the past. We've provided assistance. They said they didn't need that assistance."

As it turns out, that contact happened a full two years before Kraft Foods Group and Heinz finalized a multi-billion dollar merger to become one of the world's largest food companies.

And no one in the press felt played or pissed off?

Here's local news coverage documenting Walker's excuses and failed policies:

Walker's not at fault again, while former Gov. Doyle is still blamed for Great Recession's job losses: Walker was quick to blame known liberal investor Warren Buffett, and not himself. Fox 6:

Scott Walker: "You'll have to ask people like Mr. Buffett and others whose companies engineered this decision. It has nothing to do with Wisconsin, it has everything to do with a corporate decision that was made by the merger of those two companies. It's not something where they've even made contact with us.”

S.C. Johnson announced plans to transition 175 jobs to the Windy City within the next two years:

Walker: "The bottom line is different there. They've got significant investment in the state. In this case, it was specific to marketing positions. They've had a hard time attracting those because they attract them globally, not just here in the Midwest.”

Walker's decision to revive a fading manufacturing base in the state at the expense of every other emerging industry, narrowed Wisconsin's options for recovery. Now Walker is using that as an excuse to justify job losses? 

Adding insult to injury, this was the headline today:

Burst of hiring: US employers added 271,000 jobs in October

Illinois Slaps Back: Wouldn't you know it, Chicago Business magazine provided a brief Walker history highlighting his vindictive efforts to hurt other states:

You may recall a news conference a couple of years ago at which Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker presented a $500,000 check to an Illinois trade show display company that was moving north across the border, declaring "There's a better place here."

Or the time the governor urged Illinois firms to "escape to Wisconsin."

Or the similar $500,000 ad campaign aimed at employers here and in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area.Well, governor, let me introduce you to Oscar Mayer, which yesterday announced it's laying off 2,600 people all over the country—including in Wisconsin—but moving 250 well-paying jobs and its headquarters from Madison to downtown Chicago.

Not to mention consumer products giant SC Johnson, which announced today that it's bringing 175 jobs to downtown Chicago from its headquarters in Racine, Wis.

Touche, Gov. Walker. Perhaps this week's news will underline the point: Raiding the neighbor's pantry doesn't do much to enrich the neighborhood.

Here is a list of some of the jobs lost in the past couple of months. jsonline:

Dairy equipment manufacturer BouMatic LLC: Cut 59 jobs Tuesday as it closes metal fabrication, welding, machining and assembly departments at its Madison factory.

Joy Global Inc.: This week said it was closing its mining equipment facility resulting in the loss of 56 jobs. In October, the company said it was laying off 113 people at the National Avenue plant.

Harley-Davidson Inc.: Said in October it was cutting about 250 salaried jobs by the end of the year, across the company.

We Energies' parent company said in October it would cut jobs in Milwaukee and Green Bay.

General Electric announced in September that it would stop making engines in Waukesha and cut 350 jobs.

Caterpillar Inc., a heavy-equipment manufacturer in South Milwaukee that builds some the word's largest mining machines, says in September it's cutting about 10,000 jobs worldwide in the next four years.

Johnson Controls announced in August that the company plans to cut up to 197 jobs at its newest office in the Milwaukee area, in West Allis.

More bad news:

According to the Department of Workforce Development, 9,341 plant workers across the state have lost their jobs this year in mass layoffs between the beginning of the year and mid-October. That compares with 6,186 layoffs all of last year.

Trickle Down Disaster a Surprise? That's what the lobbyists at WMC are saying. BizJournal:

Kurt Bauer, president and CEO of Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, said he was also surprised by the Oscar Mayer move. "I think we’ve done an awful lot recently to make Wisconsin a good place for food and beverage manufacturing … Bauer cited recent legislative changes like the Manufacturers and Agricultural Production Tax Credit, which will reduce corporate tax liability for manufacturers to 0.4 percent from 7.9 percent by 2017. "I think Wisconsin is as competitive as anybody in the upper Midwest." 

That said, the increase in mass layoffs so far this year compared with last year is disconcerting to Bauer. "But just look at the economic indicators in the last few weeks. It’s been mostly downward, with GDP in the last quarter only up 1.5 percent in the U.S."

I found this in May of 2009, and have posted it many times.

Despite Walker's Jobs Plunge, Right Wing Trolls kiss the feet of their big bold leader.

Stand with Walker trolls are so in the tank for their authoritarian leader, that every misstep, job loss or draconian policy, is never as bad as the facts marking his failure. Or as they like to point out, not as bad as the misspelled words in my blog posts.

Scott Walker trolls suffer from a serious case of denial. It's a defensive mechanism really, since their own identities are so closely invested in their "leader." Without Walker's infallibility, their world view crumbles.

Case in point; my blog post:

Wisconsin Layoffs for first 9 months of 2015 8,600!!! Moving Wisconsin Forward?

Walker trolls weren't dismayed by the news, or troubled by so many Wisconsinites losing their jobs, they were instead pissed someone dared to challenge the reality of Walker's jobs failure.

So they took to Twitter trying desperately to defend Walker's jobs losses, once again reaching 5 years back to blame Gov. Doyle. You're also not supposed to remember the Great Recession, the grand failure of free market deregulation: 

As you can see, I liked the graph so much that I asked for attribution. In conservative world, that's considered an attack so I could trash the source, when in fact, it was anything but...

Gotcha! I guess I walked right into my own meme. This happens daily and it's kind of amusing. I get the same reaction from my conservative friend in Milwaukee. 

The graph not only disproves Tom O'C's and I make unions cry's point, but also shows us how much better Democratic Governor Jim Doyle's time in office was; He served as governor from 2003 to the end of 2010. Notice the jobs losses before Doyle took office. Troll tricksters (encouraged by Walker) want to blame the Republican/Bush Great Recession's job losses on Doyle, a ridiculous way to discredit the Democratic governor.   

Here's the graph...sorry, the meme I stepped into:

Here's what the research is telling us (see below). Note: Republicans have done everything they can to attack Milwaukee; removing residency requirements and killing rail connectivity that would have revitalized regional business development in and around Milwaukee, extending to Chicago. All starting with Reagan:

The most recent data on layoffs in Wisconsin (through October, 2010) show clear clustering in the southeast corner of the state. Manufacturing has been historically concentrated in this area. The link between manufacturing and layoffs is consistent with deindustrialization that has accompanied national economic restructuring in favor of the service sector. Research has shown that deindustrialization has had a pronounced effect on the manufacturing industry since the 1980s. Racial minorities’ connection to the manufacturing industry increases their likelihood of being directly or indirectly affected by layoffs relative to non-Hispanic whites ... layoffs are not the only source of poverty. Additional structural factors emphasized throughout this series, including unemployment and underemployment, should be considered in combination with the results presented here.

Dems wrong; Scott Walker's WEDC isn't broken, it's doing just what it was designed to do

Can you imagine the phony outrage staged by Republicans if GE had killed 350 jobs in Waukesha because of Democratic attempts to eliminate the Export Import Bank?

Now that the Republicans are pushing job killing policy, surprise, they don't seem to mind at all:

Walker spoke against reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank.

"I've said before as a candidate and still say so now, I do not think that the federal government should be renewing that. But I think there are other ways that we can help manufacturers like that in Waukesha and others across the state be competitive."

The 350 jobs are going to Canada, how has Walker helped in "other ways?" What are these "other ways?" Walker's bigger and bolder empty rhetoric is still working on "Stand with Walker" voters, who are perfectly happy to hear that he has a teleprompter free response.

What Democrats are calling a failure, Republicans are quietly calling a Success: 
Anyone think it's a little odd that despite getting caught over and over again, WEDC hasn't changed a thing about lost or unjustified loans, outsourcing and their failure to create jobs?

By Republican standards, WEDC is a rip roaring success. Out of all the proposed changes; to the GAB, civil service, John Doe investigations, opens records, and the Legislative Audit Bureau, the only agency exempt from change...WEDC. 

That's because they're doing just what they were supposed to do. And as we've seen, the corporate board members are simply there as a firewall to take the incoming volley of criticism:

WEDC board puts off outsourcing issue for a month: The head of the state's job-creation agency is putting off Democrats who want its board to discuss outsourcing and its process for conducting background checks, saying it can't take up the issue until October ... agency officials said they couldn't address the matter then because it wasn't on the board's agenda.

Here's a list of past "successes:" 

At least two companies that received financial awards from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) later outsourced jobs to foreign countries, with one of those companies receiving a second WEDC award after the fact.

Today the nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau released a financial audit of the WEDC that ... shows the agency had top-heavy administrative and salary costs, stalled in its job creation programs, and dealt with overdue loans by writing them off. The audit revealed that WEDC has made only meager increases to its loan activities...

The WEDC board, which is led by Gov. Scott Walker, OK'd Ashley Furniture getting $6 million tax credit, cutting 1,900 jobs … with a condition allowing the company to eliminate half of its state workforce...

And then prior to Walker's 2014 reelection bid, this act of donor protection. Notice the "wreak havoc" reference, you know, when it was still a bad thing:

According to the governor's legal counsel, Walker’s office is no longer disclosing the names and phone numbers of companies that the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. is working with on economic incentive packages. The … legal counsel determined releasing the information could “wreak havoc” with WEDC’s mission of retaining and creating quality jobs in the state. According to the governor's legal counsel “Because there may come a time when it will no longer harm these discussions if the businesses names are revealed, it may be possible that we will be able to release the names of these businesses at a later date,”

A report released today by One Wisconsin Now raises serious questions about who is really benefiting ... found that owners or employees of 30 percent of businesses receiving WEDC assistance contributed to Gov. Walker's campaign or the Republican Governors Association (RGA). Meanwhile these same businesses received almost 60 percent of WEDC economic development funds - $570 million in total.

Walker's Frankenstein monster WEDC, flips off Taxpayers!

The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, Scott Walker's little baby, has been a disaster from the beginning. But it was designed that way, to evade laws and hand out corporate welfare. That's becoming clearer now.

Democratic input, that would have put a number of safeguards in place, were ignored and called partisan. The Democrats were right all along of course, but what does it matter. The WEDC board's comeback; thank you, we'll consider it.

Their jaw dropping irresponsible comments discounting reform can be heard in the audio clip below from the Devil's Advocates Show. One things for sure, WEDC was created to serve business, answer to any problems later, and resist change that might get in the way of corporate welfare. jsonline:  

WEDC board puts off outsourcing issue for a month: The head of the state's job-creation agency is putting off Democrats who want its board to discuss outsourcing and its process for conducting background checks, saying it can't take up the issue until October. 

The two Democratic lawmakers on the WEDC board asked to discuss outsourcing and background checks at a board meeting in July. But agency officials said they couldn't address the matter then because it wasn't on the board's agenda. 

Sen. Julie Lassa said by email: "Secretary Hall’s unwillingness to accommodate our request is sadly typical of the lack of urgency WEDC has demonstrated in addressing problems at the agency. Taxpayers are disturbed by what they are hearing about WEDC, and this foot-dragging that has been going on for four months already does little to reassure them that the agency takes their concerns seriously."

Rep. Peter Barca said WEDC's leaders' "nonchalant attitude toward protecting taxpayers is a slap in the face to all the hardworking people in this state.”

Where are the conservative tightwad voters who couldn't wait to abandon our state parks and university system just to say a few bucks? Thanks to right wing media, they're probably not even aware of WEDC's record of throwing taxpayer money away?

What puzzles me is why some of our best Madison reporters never featured the comments below in their local news coverage. It's absolutely stunning and would be a game changer if only the public knew:

Walker's Troubled WEDC may change rules to avoid Taxpayer Accountability.

Well, if you can’t follow the rules, change the rules.

Republicans like to call themselves “fiscal conservatives,” but that’s laughable now that we’ve seen how these carnival barkers manage state government.

Scott Walker may have been fired as the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, but the troubled agency isn’t getting any better.

WSJ: The Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. is still not following its policies for ensuring companies that receive millions in taxpayer-backed awards are creating promised jobs, agency officials acknowledged Thursday. 

But rather than comply with existing policy, officials are recommending changing policy: Remove a policy that staff “view the capital investment and/or review the underlying financial records, e.g. invoices, payroll data, etc.” during site visits,   and an annual requirement to “verify the performance of all Enterprise Zone Tax Credit awards,” which are the agency’s largest and most coveted economic development tools. The agency isn’t reviewing any of its 20 enterprise zone awards this year … the agency doesn’t have the resources to review them all.

Get that? They’re now going to get rid of checking their own work, because they can't afford funding the agency to adequately oversee the business? This works for "stand with Walker" supporters? Poof, magically no more record keeping and lost loan money.

Sen. Julie Lassa, D-Stevens Point, a WEDC board member and policy committee member, objected to removing the only reference to such a review from agency policy. “You have to have some sort of verification.”

Not if you're a Republican.

Republicans sneak WEDC/WHEDA merger back in?

Despite what appeared to be a republican rejection of the more draconian and bizarre cuts in Scott Walker's state budget, thanks to public opposition, it looks like many of these bad ideas were only put on the back burner for awhile.

After his fellow republicans fired Scott Walker as WEDC chair, and supposedly abandoned the merger of WEDC and WHEDA, there just might be a surprise twist to the story:

Scott Walker gets Pink Slip, booted as WEDC Chairman by GOP Legislature!

Call it bad optics, but Scott Walker just got fired by his own party in the legislature. He's out as the WEDC chairman, a dysfunctional agency that bumbled job and business creation. Not a great story for someone hoping to run the whole damn country. WKOW's Greg Neumann:

Walker wants to run the country, but can't run WEDC, part 8!!!

Funny guy.

Scott Walker is taking the E.D. out of WEDC, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation. Another well thought out scheme by our career politician and governor with his bold ideas. 

“We just met as a board about two weeks ago and Governor Walker as chairman of the board did not present any of these ideas," Sen. Lassa said. "What is the point of having a private-sector board if you are not going to consult with them?

Mr. Big Government himself doesn't need the help, or the differing points of view, to get in the way of his own marvelous "leadership." jsonline:

A week after an audit documenting failures by the state's top jobs agency, Gov. Scott Walker abruptly sought more changes at the corporation, shifting his plans for it for the second time in as many weeks. (Walker) would seek to end Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. involvement in loan programs — one of the key problem areas identified by nonpartisan auditors but not the only one.

Remember, this comes right after the devastating audit and his brilliant "big idea" to merge WEDC with Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority. That big idea included getting rid of all the politicians on the board and absolutely no oversight. Hey, it's another private sector winner. I know pretty crazy. But the media hasn’t found the time to remind voters of just how out of whack Walker’s original idea was. 

Chairman Walker botched WEDC reforms again, expects to be President? Conservative voters must like throwing out money as welfare handouts for business.

And Scott Walker wants to run the country? Take another look at the guy who created the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation back in 2011, took control as chairman, and followed through with his promise to deal with businesses personally.

Walker couldn't resist breaking state law for business handouts:

Gov. Scott Walker Friday abruptly dropped his proposed merger of the state's top two

jobs agencies after an audit found that one of them had again failed to follow state law and its own policies in awarding taxpayer funded incentives to state companies. The nonpartisan legislative audit contradicts the repeated assertions of state officials that they had strengthened the weak financial controls at the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. and represented a surprise reversal for the Republican governor and all but certain White House candidate.

Walker’s mismanagement over something he never had the talent to control in the first place, should tell voters nationally the level of incompetence we've personally witnessed here in Wisconsin.

Walker desperately tried to keep his presidential ambitions alive:

Ooops...

"After hearing concerns from legislators, stakeholders, and the (Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority) and WEDC boards, we asked legislators to remove the proposed agency mergers from the state budget and we asked the bill authors to not move forward with the proposed separate legislation. Given the issues raised at the recent joint WEDC/WHEDA board meeting, it is not the appropriate time to pursue these proposals."

Walker got caught red handed breaking our state law. It only highlights his usual contempt for regulation he personally doesn't like:

The audit found some companies receiving state help were not required to submit records to verify job creation; contracts with companies did not always include requirements contained in state law; WEDC didn't verify the accuracy of information submitted by companies on jobs created; and the agency waived fees for five companies even though WEDC policies at the time didn't allow that.

Pretty careless for the WEDC board chairman:

Walker seeks to sell himself as a potential White House candidate by pointing to his economic record.

Check out this laughable statement from Sen. Scott Fitzgerald, who still thinks he can sell that old “guardians of taxpayer money” nonsense:

Republicans were committed to striving "to ensure that all of our state agencies provide the highest possible level of service to Wisconsin's taxpayers."

I thought this one attempt to deceive the public was worth noting, since it created the appearance of accountability:

In 2014, WEDC decreased its balance of past due loans by $4.2 million by amending 13 loan contracts to defer loan repayments, writing off nine loans, and forgiving two more. 

It could have been worse, and Democrats said so early on. Walker wanted to take oversight out completely. But as I recall, those warnings were considered partisan and sour grapes from the liberal minority:

Gov. Scott Walker and lawmakers would no longer sit on the board of the state's flagship jobs agency Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca a WEDC board member, expressed skepticism about taking elected officials off the board. "It flies in the face of reason that an agency that has had a history of serious issues would move to have less accountability to taxpayers." 

Walker's Right-to-Work Hail Mary Miserable Failure, as Corporation with $22 billion in sales moves 93 more jobs to Mexico.

I know this has been said many times before, but really, if the following happened under a Democratic administration, they would be tared and feathered for life and we'd never hear the end of it.

But this is all about Scott Walker, and it never matters one bit if Walker, the chairman of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC), allows jobs here to move to Mexico.

Hand it to WKOW's Greg Neumann for sticking with this story for so long. We're now seeing how important it was to pass right-to-work:

A global power systems management corporation that has received nearly $370,000 in tax incentives from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) since 2012 is shipping jobs from Wisconsin to Mexico for the second time in three years ... the elimination of 93 employees there ... laying off 163 employees at its Cooper Power Systems plant in Pewaukee in April 2013.  The company moved those jobs to Mexico as well. Eaton Corp. had $22.6 billion in sales in 2014. 

So it's not like they couldn't afford to keep the jobs in Wisconsin out of the goodness of their heart (supply side reasoning):



Today, this depressing job loss outlook finally got some press:

Wisconsin employers have already notified the Department of Workforce Development (DWD) of 3,543 layoffs that will happen in 2015, putting the state on pace to eclipse 10,000 for the year.

Surprisingly, the Walker administration doesn't seem too concerned. The only number Walker can't stop talking about is the 4.6% unemployment stat. Why republicans don't want to count those not participating in the search for jobs is anybodies guess, since it's always an issue when Obama's numbers are released.

Here's how the shocking headline story looked online:

Walker's Free Sweaters, Shirts and Shorts from Kohl's bought with Taxpayer Handouts to Company.

Leave it to Bloomberg Business to take a more critical look at Scott Walker's claims of frugality and almost laughable lie, “I believe people create jobs, not the government.” The way he's doled out corporate welfare checks from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, without having them pee in cup, is an open admission he's just bullshitting us.

Like the title above states, Walker's closet full of free sweaters are compliments of another handout using taxpayer money:

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker can’t stop talking about Kohl’s as he crisscrosses the U.S. before a likely presidential run. “The next thing you know, they’re paying me to buy that shirt,” Walker told an audience Saturday evening in New Hampshire.

What Walker doesn't mention is his biggest interaction with the third-largest U.S. department store chain: a state incentive package worth as much as $62.5 million. The credits, offered in 2012 when there was a chance the company would relocate to another state, arrived despite Walker’s limited-government philosophy. “I believe people create jobs, not the government,” Walker said in that same New Hampshire speech.

As of February 2014, Kohl’s had … received about $8.8 million in credits. 

Walker Saves Big Money for Menard's.....

We're finding out again, that dark money had coincidentally changed environmental rules in Wisconsin, and the sad thing is, we completely unaware of it. If conservatives truly believe in open government, why aren't they questioning Scott Walker's intentions to hide money when he asked donors to contribute to the Club for Growth? It's being used for dark reasons.

Not only did John Menard Jr., the 75 year old billionaire owner of Menard's get WEDC tax credits for expansion, he got a pass from the DNR via weaker environmental regulations. That made Menard very happy:

George Meyer, a former secretary of natural resources under Republican Gov. Tommy Thompson, said the hardware baron made no secret of his views on environmental enforcement. “He told me he just didn’t believe in environmental regulations,” said Meyer. “He was upfront about it.” 

So why someone like Menard, a true supply side believer, want to remain anonymous in support of the governor? What does he think would happen if the public knew what he was up to?

John Menard Jr. ... found the perfect way to (donated to Walker) without attracting any attention: He wrote more than $1.5 million in checks to a pro-Walker political advocacy group, the Wisconsin Club for Growth, that pledged to keep its donors secret, three sources directly familiar with the transactions told Yahoo News … seem to have paid off for the businessman and his company. 

In the past two years, Menard’s company has been awarded up to $1.8 million in special tax credits from a state economic development corporation that Walker chairs ... Walker’s appointees have sharply scaled back enforcement actions by the state DNR, a top Menard priority. 

Menard is your typical trash the environment conservative billionaire, who's disregard for things, like drinking water, parks, rivers and lakes is actually legendary:

The DNR had repeatedly clashed with Menard and his company under previous governors over citations for violating state environmental laws and had levied a $1.7 million fine against Menard personally, as well as his company, for illegally dumping hazardous wastes.

George Meyer said he had intense confrontations with Menard during the late 1990s over state environmental laws. In one instance, he said, state officials caught the billionaire store owner on videotape personally dumping arsenic-laden hazardous waste ashes from one of his lumber plants in a state landfill.

“I swear to God, he would have his employees bag up [the ashes] in plastic bags, and he would take them home and put them in his personal garbage,” said Meyer, who is now executive director of the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation. “They were going to a regular landfill, not to a hazardous waste facility. We were trying to get the attorney general to file criminal charges. If it had been you or me, it would have happened, but it didn't to John Menard.” Instead, Menard and his company settled and agreed to pay the $1.7 million civil fine, then a record in Wisconsin. 

And despite being the chairman of WEDC, Walker had nothing to do with giving Menard taxpayer help:

Laurel Patrick, Walker’s press secretary, strongly denied that the governor had provided any special favors for Menard and said Walker was “not involved” in the decision to award his firm tax credits, approved by the WEDC (Walker is chairman).

Here's even more from Rachel Maddow, and her interview with Isikoff:

Confirmed after bogus denials: WEDC handed out tax credits to outsourcing Plexus Corporation.

Thanks to WKOW's Greg Neumann, for staying on top of his own story about one lying Wisconsin company, and the administration that got away with bullshitting the public for awhile.

And congratulations to Governor Walker, for diffusing and obscuring another massive WEDC failure till after the election. This is what real good career politicians do:

The six-month saga over the question of whether or not Plexus Corporation of Neenah outsourced Wisconsin jobs after receiving millions of dollars in state tax incentives from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation is now complete and the conclusion reached by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is a resounding YES.

After reviewing the original award of Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) benefits to former Plexus employees, DOL officials have concluded once again that the company did shift production of printed circuit boards overseas in May of 2012.

DOL’s review of its original ruling came after the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel emailed the agency about Plexus’ claims that it had never outsourced any jobs. outsourced Wisconsin jobs overseas after receiving close to $5 million in WEDC tax credits. In other words, yes, Plexus still outsourced Wisconsin jobs after receiving WEDC tax credits. TAA ruling here.

Walker and Christie put their states in Top 5 Worst States for Business in 2014!!!

While Scott Walker likes to talk about an opinion poll of happy Wisconsin CEO's getting corporate welfare, big surprise there, outside business groups see us a lot differently. jsonline:

Wisconsin ranks #46 but ranked #44 when Governor Walker took office in 2011. New Jersey ranks #47 but ranked #45 when Governor Christie took office in 2010.

Mary Burke would be smart to pickup on the following report, the Pollina Corporate Top 10 Pro-Business States list, for political but mostly economic reasons. Ironically, these rankings are based on supply side economics, like taxation, corporate welfare and "right to work," so coming in at the bottom may not be a bad thing. A comeback state like Minnesota has done well, while avoiding the pitfalls put in place by Scott Walker.

But the biggest factor for Wisconsin's low ranking under Walker; lousy leadership. In fact, you’d think from the excerpt below that they were talking about Scott Walker's disastrous chairmanship of WEDC and Lt. Governor Rebecca Kleefisch's laughable efforts to attract business:

(These are) the factors used to evaluate each state’s economic development department’s professionalism, marketing efforts, and responsiveness to employers are identified. Stage II factors are under greater control of the governor. When we have a state ranking low in this category, we generally find a governor with a significant lack of concern, business knowledge, or an inability to manage their economic development efforts. Rhetoric alone does not make a governor pro-business and pro-jobs.

Ain't that the truth. The report, the "'Gold Standard' for evaluating the pro-business status of each state" specifically goes after state entities like Walker's failed and mismanaged WEDC. As we've seen, Walker has vilified and attacked industries that don't meet his ideological litmus test, and thus squashed diversification:

This is the department in state government that should be responsible, not only for the creation of new jobs, but also for the maintenance of existing jobs. It is this department’s responsibility to strive to diversify a state’s economic base so that it will better weather any particular industry downturn. There are many states that are, for all practical purposes, one-industry states tied to the ups and downs of their dominant industry. Too often we see these states ignoring or paying lip service to efforts to diversify their economies.

Alert to Mary Burke: The following point from this pro-business right-to-work study is a good one:

These bottom-ranked states need to have their state political leaders rethink their efforts to attract and maintain jobs for their constituents. Among these bottom-ranked states are some that have such weak or non-existent programs, or are so inept in their procedures that they are pushing jobs out of their states.

How would you then describe Walker's efforts? The report offered this quote:

Abraham Lincoln said, “My great concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure.”

Scott Walker is more than content with his "comeback" failure, as stated over and over in his reelection campaign ads. As James Rowen writes (check out his blog, Political Environment):

Whom does Walker blame for this FUBAR, since he never takes any responsibility for his jobs and fiscal failures? Scott Fitzgerald and Robin Vos? Fascinating that Walker and Christie will share a stage next week in Hudson. Turns out they have more in common than maneuvering around prosecutors. Will anyone ask them about the data...?

Behold, from the jaudiced eye of this pro-corporate, anti-labor report, a graphic Walker won't be happy with. Which means he'll dig the hole lot deeper given 4 more years: