Walker Foxconn Legacy in Shambles, Gov. Evers to clean up another mess.

No one could tell clueless Scott Walker and his self-serving know-it-all Republican majority how quickly technology changes. For them Foxconn was their first look at the wonders of electronics. But...

What Foxconn offered Walker and the panting Republicans was well beyond their limited view of tech as things undeserving poor people had, like flat panel plasma TV's and Obama cellphones. Tech things were used more as epithets than real things that created jobs and grew economies.

But tech TV's and phones do change and it changes fast enough to sink Walker's Foxconn vision of a Manufacturing Renaissance:

Foxconn's decision to suspend work on the two plants because of "weakening macroeconomic conditions and the uncertainties brought by the trade war" and in Wisconsin, "as a result of negotiations with new Gov. Tony Evers."

That's right, just a year after the deal, tech has changed so much already that Foxconn had to suspend construction of their new plant here and in China for 6 months. Believe it or not, Foxconn is wondering what to do now:

Foxconn's Thursday statement hinted at its new focus for the Wisconsin plant, saying the global market had "necessitated a reconsideration of which technology will best suit the needs of its customers." Louis Woo, in the interview, said about three-quarters of Foxconn's eventual jobs will be in R&D and design—what he described as 'knowledge' positions—rather than blue-collar manufacturing jobs."

That's far different from the now wacky prediction by WEDC CEO Mark Hogan. But seriously, it sounded dumb then too. Remember this, Republicans blocked Evers from getting rid of WEDC because they're business geniuses. From Upfront with Mike Gousha: 

Gousha: "What would be the message if for some reason this deal got bogged down, and didn't happen..."

Hogan: "I...it's not going to happen Mike...but I don't see that happening...it'll get through the Assembly, it'll get through the Senate because they want it, they want the right thing to happen."

If everything in the Foxconn deal came true...

A legislative analysis said the state wouldn't financially break even on the deal until 2043... 

Now, just a year later, the market changed a lot, and many taxpayers have already seen their local government spend lots of money...

I'm just guessing here, but even if Foxconn misses a few deadlines, if they eventually make good on their agreement, they get all the incentives they missed, meaning Wisconsin can't spend that money on other things for the life of the contract.

Walker Gives UW Intellectual Rights away to Foxconn, worth billions: Don't be surprised if Wisconsin misses out on billions of dollars of IR rights. While Trump tries to protect U.S. corporate intellectual rights in China, Scott Walker was actually giving them away:  

Urban Milwaukee: Who would have the IP rights? “The cooperation agreement lists three different types of research agreements ... two agreement types grant Foxconn the intellectual property that comes of research.” That seems like a problem for UW faculty,” the story reports. “The fruits of research at UW belong to the people of Wisconsin, not to a private corporation,” the UW-Madison Teaching Assistants Association declared in a statement to the State Journal.

Worse still...

Does Foxconn also have its eyes on the intellectual property of area businesses? Louis Woo, a top assistant to Gou, told the Business Journal: “We will be working with a lot of technology-related companies, if not only in Wisconsin, then around the Midwest ... partners in that effort could include Wisconsin businesses such as Rockwell Automation.”

One tech industry insider tells me he talked to Foxconn representatives who said Rockwell CEO Blake Moret met with Foxconn leaders about Rockwell doing contract manufacturing for Foxconn. But Foxconn eventually noted it would get intellectual property rights to any products it made. “Moret blew up and walked out of the meeting,” the source says.

Robin Vos blames Evers for Foxconn: Even after just a month as Governor, Tony Evers is now being blamed for Foxconn? Sure, why not. Note: Vos is claiming economic uncertainty from Evers? Even though the national economy is still running hot after Trump broke all trade deals, levied tariffs, shut down the government, lashed out and asked for boycotts of Harley Davidson and other companies, and is threatening to take everyone's health care away. It's gonna take a lot of uncertainty to hurt Wisconsin's economy?

What have Republicans had to say about the Foxconn story? They are blaming Democratic Gov. Tony Evers. In a statement, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald said this: "We don’t blame Foxconn for altering plans in an ever-changing technology business. It’s also not surprising Foxconn would rethink building a manufacturing plant in Wisconsin under the Evers Administration. The company is reacting to the wave of economic uncertainty that the new governor has brought with his administration.”

 Not Really Evers Problem, Yet: Consider this...

“Robin Vos and legislative Republicans grabbed control of the agency in charge of the Foxconn deal and slashed accountability after losing the Governor who cut this horrible cocktail napkin deal,” said One Wisconsin Now Executive Director Analiese Eicher. “The question now is: what did they know about Foxconn’s plans to drastically cut back their end of the bargain, and when did they know it?”

Suddenly Foxconn Related Tweet about Wealth Tax: I had to include this growing tweet storm over Walker's dumbest analogy yet:

Ousted Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) opened himself up to a deluge of ridicule and scorn on Twitter Thursday afternoon after attacking Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) for a proposal to increase taxes on the wealthy. Less than 24 hours later (Foxconn deal suspended news) the former governor — who notably dropped out of college — was attacking Warren, a former college professor who specialized in bankruptcy law — about economics

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.

Republican Fiscal Clowns Propose Politically Filtered Audits.

So, Republican voters would rather not know if their hard earned money is being spent wisely by their party leaders? I guess we shouldn’t be too surprised after seeing how easy it was for Walker to just keep borrowing money for transportation with no constituent outrage.  

Tweedledee and Tweedledumb!!!

I also wondered why I didn’t hear a peep out of “stand with Walker” trolls when Scottie wanted to change WEDC again, but this time with no financial oversight whatsoever.  

When that happened, Walker and his band of legislative pirates took their cue, and thought, “what the heck let’s get rid of the Legislative Audit Bureau.” After-all, they catch bad management after the fact, when it’s too late, embarrassing for them, at when no one cares anymore. Check out the pretzel logic:

Wisconsin Republicans propose abolishing the Legislative Audit Bureau: The Legislative Audit Bureau has been the source of some bad news lately for Republicans and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation they created in 2011. Now, two GOP lawmakers have a solution: eliminate the bureau.

State Reps. David Craig and Adam Jarchow, are looking for co-sponsors for their proposal to abolish the audit bureau and replace it with independent inspectors general who would be placed in state agencies … an email the two representatives sent to fellow lawmakers; "Unfortunately, the statutory process under which the LAB operates focuses more on retrospective examination rather than proactive fiscal action and bad practice deterrence. In many instances, by the time an audit has occurred the political will (or new legislative composition) necessary to change a state program has diminished." In recent years, the audit bureau has uncovered numerous problems with the state's flagship job creation agency, which is chaired by Gov. Scott Walker. 

So why not give politicians complete control over the messaging, the audits…or concealment of the data? I'll bet there won't be a peep from the conservative peanut gallery we know as low information voters:

"Why would legislators want to do away with the Legislative Audit Bureau?" said state Sen. Kathleen Vinehout, the Democratic caucus vice chair. "Could it be they don't want to know what's happening?" Vinehout said the bill would put audits under the direction of the leaders in the GOP-controlled Legislature, as opposed to the current system of having the LAB overseen by a bipartisan legislative committee. "The breadth of their ignorance of the LAB is staggering," Vinehout said. "It shows a complete unfamiliarity with the skills of the auditors, the efficiencies in government that the LAB helped create, with the fraud, waste and abuse that the auditors have discovered, and further prevented through their oversight."

Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca, D-Kenosha called the proposal one of the worst ideas in a legislative session fraught with bad ideas. “Changing the nonpartisan, award-winning Legislative Audit Bureau into partisan appointees continues the Republican efforts to reduce oversight of state government," he said.

This letter to the editor says it all:

I cannot but express my utter embarrassment to be a registered Republican. Already a rarity in Madison and Dane County, I would hope Republicans would value my vote enough to be mindful that I vote based on rationality and that eliminating a government post in retribution for its doing a good job is one of the most counter-intuitive proposals I have read in years. Politics play a role but when a quality organization such as the LAB is subject to petty attempts at retribution for pointing out the obvious failures of one of the governor’s pet projects, the politics have gone too far.

Esquire columnist Charles Pierce wrote this wonderfully insightful piece: 

First, they went after the state's Government Accountability Board, the eight-year old watchdog agency that, among other things, allowed the citizens to attempt to recall Walker and some of his more conspicuous lapdogs. And now, because it is doing what it is chartered to do, and is investigating whether or not Walker's campaigns illegally coordinated with "outside" groups in his past few campaigns, the pet legislature is proposing to "restructure" it. Keep that phrase in mind.

Then, in the wake of Walker's having been fired from his own economic development corporation, the pack of poodles descended on something called the Legislative Audit Bureau, which was central to demonstrating what a waste of cheap cronyism said agency was. This is especially egregious in this case because Scott Walker never has held a political office that he has not so deformed by his political ambitions that people actually went to jail over it. This is a singularly corrupt man, even by the standards of the our new era of decriminalized influence peddling. He never has run a campaign in his life that wasn't shot through with penny-ante grifting. There is no reason to believe this one is any different.

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:

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. 

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 Troll disproves Burke's Plagiarism, inadvertently points out Walker's own implementation failure.

Thanks to one conservative troll, I was able to finally shoo her back into her cave-like "stand with Walker" bubble.

The pictured tweets from LizSchmidt3 attempts to make the ridiculous claim Mary Burke said she wrote the whole thing. And to prove her point, she gave me a link to a Marquette University interview Burke had with Mike Gousha.

Apparently LizSchmidt3 didn't watch even the first 5 minutes, because Burke not only didn't say she wrote the plan herself, but time after time gave credit to all the people that contributed ideas to the plan. It doesn't just prove the plan wasn't plagiarized, but it shows Burke justifying the use of so many other great ideas.

Burke: "You know I don't believe that just because someone else or another group did a report that I need to start from scratch, and not build on some of the good ideas that have already been developed.

Burke also owns the plan, since she paid individuals for their contributions. But like my conservative friend in Milwaukee, LizSchmidt3 can't mentally get past the easy but phony disproven talking point.

EVEN BIGGER: Burke also criticized Walker for his failed implementation, an idea we just saw repeated in the Pollina Corporate Top 10 Pro-Business States list, where they wrote this about Wisconsin's dismal 46th place ranking:

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. 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.

Scott Walker set the divisive condescending tone even before he was governor. Think about it; if you had a decent economic plan, would you turn it into a massively unfunny joke to bash your opponent DPW wrote: 

Scott Walker’s (4 page)“job plan” was a 68-page joke written in 100-point font, meant to mock Tom Barrett’s very serious and very thoughtful plan to restore economic security to working Wisconsin families. 

I looked through the "plan." See if you can spot any thoughtful, original idea’s here that aren't part of the party platform and are not already enacted in other Republican states. I couldn't. I've added my comments in quotes:

Six things we must do to make Wisconsin economically competitive with other states: Lower Taxes (Repealing job-killing tax increases-GOP platform-plagiarized)   …   Eliminate Red Tape (streamline the permitting process-plagiarized)   …   End Frivolous Lawsuits That Kill Jobs (cliché much-plagiarized)   …   Improve the Education of Tomorrow’s Workforce-(plagiarized)   …   Make Health Care Affordable-(privatization-plagiarized) … Invest in Infrastructure-(a common GOP lie-plagiarized)   …   Lift Wisconsin’s nuclear moratorium-(failed, prohibitively expensive and a plant closed down due to no interested buyers-still pushing bad plagiarized nuke idea).

That’s it folks. It’s a plagiarized 4 pager taken from the party platform written by other people presented as the state economic plan 4 pages long that Walker expanded into 68 pages...as a joke. You can't make this stuff up?

By the way, I watched Upfront with Mike Gousha and didn't hear John Nichols say what Burke did wasn't plagiarism, a simple message Democrats are so bad at delivering.

In reaction to this story, the troll trash hit the twittersphere with what they oddly refer to as "debate?" Never once do they address the issues presented here, and never once do they show us they have a clue about business strategies and owning what you pay for, like advice that beats the pants of Walker's partisan political ramblings:
 

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:

Walker's WEDC Bosses get hefty salaries, Don't give out Loans, and actually wrote off Overdue Taxpayer Loans.

The Governor and Chairman of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation Scott Walker is proving to be one heck of a bad boss. From a press Rep. Peter Barka press release:

Today the nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau released a financial audit of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) that highlights the agency’s continued shortcomings. The report shows that 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 audit demonstrates that WEDC is significantly underperforming. Not only are they unable to get economic development funds out the door and document their spending, but they have given up on executing key loan collection functions of the agency,” Assembly Democratic Leader Peter Barca (D-Kenosha), said.

WEDC grant expenditures decreased 2.8 percent at the same time that administrative expenditures increased by more than a third (34 percent). In the midst of the Great Recession, Governor Walker and Republicans essentially wiped out the state’s job creation agency overnight, and replaced it with a semi-private corporation with virtually no planning for the transition. Today’s audit shows that WEDC continues to scramble to put basic accountability measures and fiscal controls in place.

Walker gives $6 million Tax Credit to Ashley Furniture so they can kill 1,924 jobs? Corporate Welfare Failing Miserably.

In news that if applied to Mary Burke, would sink her run for governor, WEDC Chairman and Governor Scott Walker continues to dole out taxpayer money just to KEEP jobs in Wisconsin, not create them. Walker made himself an easy mark for extortion when he bragged that he’d do anything to appease big business, even pay them to stay in this now supposed business friendly state.

   

The end result is not just breathtaking, but a warning to voters who would blindly give everything up to private business, our supposed “job creators.” It looks like the loss of 1,924 jobs turns the old "job creator" slogan into vapor. WSJ:

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 … the award would allow the Arcadia-based global furniture maker to move ahead with a $35 million expansion of its headquarters and keep 1,924 jobs in the state. But it wouldn't require Ashley to create any new jobs, instead granting the company license to lay off half of its current 3,848 Wisconsin-based workers in exchange for an enterprise zone tax credit, one of the most valuable and coveted state subsidies. The company has not been finalized. 

A desperate Walker administration should have expected this predictable corporate threat?

The company has indicated “that if the project is not undertaken it will either downsize or close the Arcadia manufacturing plant completely.”

Not the first Threat: Ashley learned early on closings and job threats worked:

The company faced criticism for expanding its headquarters into a wetland in 2005. The project took more than a decade to obtain the required environmental approvals and resulted in the company spending $1 million to build nearby wetlands more than twice the size of the land it developed. An Ashley Furniture spokeswoman told the State Journal in 2010 that if the permit had not been granted, the company would have moved its headquarters and about 2,000 jobs to another state.

In what can only be described as the best argument against corporate welfare:

WEDC spokesman Mark Maley said, “Obviously, WEDC is very interested in working with one of the largest employers in northwestern Wisconsin to find ways to help ensure that the company can continue to flourish here in our state,” Maley said. “WEDC is committed to doing whatever it can to work with the company and preserve those jobs.”  

Ashley’s new excuse for the state handout (it’s always something); health care costs, which wouldn't be an issue under a national single payer system:

“The company is very concerned with the job retention figure due to health care costs for its employees continuing to rise…,” the memo said.

Saying the obvious:

Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca, of Kenosha, said he has concerns “the goalposts keep getting moved.”

Our Secret Welfare Agency: Why didn't Barca take his outrage to the media? Because the board’s actions using taxpayer money is confidential:  

Democratic Sen. Julie Lassa, of Stevens Point, declined to comment, saying “as a board member it would not be appropriate for me to comment on information shared during a closed session.”

In a flippant comment no Democrat would be allowed to get away with:

Walker said … “My guess is a year from now, you’ll see Ashley in the state with a much higher volume of jobs than they have today.”

"My guess?" It’s not just me seeing where this policy is taking us. Check out the following CEO warning and acknowledgement:

Paul Radspinner, CEO of Madison-based Flugen and a WEDC board member who supported the Ashley Furniture award, acknowledged … “If there’s very clear-cut evidence that we can confirm that there’s going to be a huge job loss if we don’t provide assistance … I would certainly look at something like that,” Radspinner said. “But the very last thing we want is a race to the bottom.”

Incidental Governor and WEDC Chairman Walker surprised 2 private Businesses and big Donors to his campaign picked in state promotion.

WEDC Chairman and incidental Governor Scott Walker accidentally started marketing 2 private businesses that just happen to donate big time money to him. They're the only private businesses out of 33 to get Walker's help. He says he didn't know. Well that's enough proof for me...WKOW News, Greg Neumann:



I'm sure Walker's like minded board members had no idea the private businesses picked and promoted by the "Certified in Wisconsin" program were also valued donors to the governor. What would make you think otherwise?

Walker's WEDC recipient Offshores Workers, then doubles executive pay in 4 years!

Plexus Corporation is now denying they outsourced jobs just a week after receiving lots of cash from Scott Walker and his pay-to-play corporate sugar daddy the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation.

WKOW: WEDC awarded Plexus Corp. of Neenah with tax credits of up to $2 million in 2011 and up to $15 million in 2012. Plexus has received $4.7 million in tax credits to this point. In July of 2012, Plexus announced it was laying off 116 workers from its Neenah facility.  The U.S. Department of Labor has since ruled those employees, as well as all Plexus employees laid off since December of 2011, are eligible to receive federal Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) benefits. 

WKOW's  Greg Neumann has an updated response from Plexus, and it doesn't match the official record.

Not only that, as Plexus shed 116 workers, CEO Dean Foate saw his compensation go from $2.1 million in 2009, to $4.1 million in 2013. And executive pay more than doubled, from $4.3 million in 2000 to $9.9 million in 2013. I'm assuming upper management didn't miss those 116 laying off workers:

Walker Ad Math Blunder just another Major Campaign Misstep.

If you've ever wonder why Scott Walker’s chairmanship of the WEDC has been such a massive failure, rife with lost taxpayer loans and mismanagement, look no further than the math he’s using in his new negative ad against Mary Burke.

A forgivable HUD loan Burke initiated to buy land and attract Abbott Labs to Wisconsin is now getting double counted, once in taking the grant, and one more time giving it back to HUD. So if you lend somebody $10, they really owe you $20, according to Walker’s math. That’s just good “fiscal conservatism.” According to the Walker campaign, believe it or not, is:

The do-nothing governors willing dupes! 

That it was fair to count the federal spending as $12 million and then to count any state repayment to the federal government as a separate payment on top of that.

That should make your head hurt. Quoting the ad:

"As Jim Doyle’s Commerce secretary, Mary Burke wasted 12 and a half million dollars on a vacant lot, hoping to lure a company to Wisconsin to create jobs … Mary Burke’s boondoggle could cost taxpayers nearly $25 million." 

It "could" if we used Walker's bad math. I'm getting the distinct idea Walker doesn't really want to talk about his failed jobs record.

WISC's Jessica Arp poked around and found out Walker isn't just lying about the $25 million owed to HUD, but may owe less than the original $12 million- $6 million in cash back, and $6 million in cuts to future grants of $6 million. And local officials are on the hook for some of that.

Walker gets face time, credit for Burke's plan to block WEDC funding for Outsourcing Companies!!! What a Leader?

I guess it's not a good idea until "men" say it is. I'm talking about Mary Burke's call to block WEDC funds from outsourcing companies...which is now a good idea since it got Scott Walker's stamp of approval.

Watch the lazy media falls in line with Walker's ridiculous campaign to define Mary Burke as the outsourcer.

WKOW's news anchor even acknowledged Burke's promise to end WEDC funding for companies that outsource way back when. But that still didn't stop them from giving Walker the final word and camera time. Burke actually told WKOW News last week:

"As Governor, I will insist that every WEDC award protects against the outsourcing of Wisconsin jobs and companies that don't live up to their end of the deal give back every tax dollar they received."

Here are two examples where Mary Burke supported the change, well before Walker came on board, along with that damning statement from WEDC promising to handout more taxpayer money to make outsourcing companies happy:



The following two newscasts give Burke the media shaft on her own campaign position on outsourcing, with a short mention at the end. First WISC Channel3000:

A spokesman for Burke referred to a statement released when it was reported the WEDC was giving money to companies that outsourced, where Burke said as governor she'd insist every award protected against outsourcing.

WKOW gave massive amounts of news time to Johnny-come-lately Scott Walker, who said, "Probably should have been done a long time ago, but it makes sense now"...because it's an election year, right? Greg Neumann reported even more companies got money while outsourcing: