Once Walker won the recall -- by a larger margin than he first got elected in 2010 -- most national observers moved on, assuming Walker would get re-elected in 2014 and might even run for president in 2016. But, while no one was watching Wisconsin has turned into one of the closest governors races in the country -- with polling suggesting that Walker is in a dogfight with former Trek bicycle executive Mary Burke. This ad, which Burke is now running, shows that she has a potentially powerful message that goes to the number one concern of every voter: JOBS.* youtu.be/3M1lU2v2Ej8 And JOBS is something Mary Burke is focusing her executive skills on. Mary explains how she would create JOBS for Wisconsin workers in two plans: The statewide Invest for Success** and her Rural Plan.*** The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Editorial Board Writes about Marys Invest for Sucess plan: The idea of focusing on industry clusters or the need to boost apprenticeships or to develop more graduates with middle skills are examples. A few of her better ideas caught our eye and deserve consideration: ■ Boosting the states venture capital program by $80 million. The state has finally put a venture capital fund in place, but its paltry compared with other states such as Ohio. The state should do more. Burke also would eliminate the politically motivated ban on investment in biotech companies — a Wisconsin specialty. That provision was forced on bill sponsors by socially conservative members of the Legislature. It was a mistake. ■ She would expand tax credits available for wealthy angel investors who want to plow their money into start-up companies. The program has been wildly successful and boosting the credits seems sensible. ■ Burke embraces a cluster strategy, that is, a focus on clusters of like-minded companies working in niches such as heavy-equipment manufacturing, food processing, paper and printing and water technology. ■ She would boost the states IQ. Wisconsin needs to produce — and retain — more college graduates. Burkes solution includes providing more state money to universities, creating a way for students to refinance their college loans and raising the college tax deduction to $10,424 from the current level of $6,943; families earning up to $150,000 would be able to use this deduction. She estimates that the state will need to educate nearly 670,000 more workers beyond high school than the state is currently on track to educate. Its a key concern for a state that long has prided itself on its educational system, and Burke is wise to focus on it. ■ Expand the Wisconsin Youth Apprenticeship Program. Her plan notes that it is not available to enough of our youth who could benefit from it. Shes right about that. Wisconsin could learn much from Germanys robust apprentice system. ■ She would raise the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour in three stages. We support a higher minimum wage and dont buy the tired, old arguments that businesses will use less labor if the minimum is increased. This simply isnt that big of an increase, and it would help Wisconsin families. A majority of Wisconsin voters said in a recent Marquette University Law School poll that they support the idea. The from a Wisconsin State Journal story about Marys Rural Plan: “We have laws on the books that prevent local governments from providing needed services to their citizens, in order to protect the interests of big business,” Burke wrote in a 27-page document laying out her position on rural issues. Pledging to “restore balance” between state and local authority, Burke said “one potential solution may be to prohibit use of the state budget as a vehicle for new laws that would strip existing authority from local governments.”**** *washingtonpost/blogs/the-fix/wp/2014/08/06/this-ad-shows-why-scott-walker-should-be-worried/ **b.3cdn.net/maryburke/e4cda6ba910107c26b_qim6vg9gv.pdf ***b.3cdn.net/maryburke/42e07cb18dde98527d_mlbrz5yy0.pdf ****host.madison/news/local/govt-and-politics/on-politics/mary-burke-proposes-stripping-local-control-items-from-state-budget/article_12e55290-bc3c-5ff3-8002-761de000e671.html#ixzz39ezH1nHi
Posted on: Thu, 07 Aug 2014 02:21:44 +0000
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