The following is exceptional reading if you are truly interested in the job growth in Wisconsin. This information is from an article was published in the Capitol Times, it makes for some truthful reading. THE POITICAL SCHEME IN WISCONSIN POLITICS PART III Since the State of Wisconsin elected Scott Walker to the Governorship of our beloved state we have seen very little in job creation and that comes straight from the Governor’s very own WEDC program. This is the very same program that was to create 250,000 jobs. Since the inception of this so-called program hundreds of millions of dollars of tax-payer dollars have been mismanaged, and downright misappropriated hundreds of millions of tax payer’s dollars. This past July marked the third anniversary of Governor Scott Walker’s very own WEDC; Walker’s Economic Development Agency. In 2012 the WDEC was mired with allegations of incompetence, mismanagement and skirting the law. And with all of the hundreds of millions of tax-payer dollars its performance for job creation receives a stunning ‘F’ ... a total failure all the way around with no exceptions. Do you all remember that faithful day in 2010 when Scott Walker became Governor? Do you remember what he promised you and me? He promised to “focus like a laser on the economy and create 250,000 jobs. Scott Walker receives a total failure in his effort. And WE certainly remember what happened next! He basically closed down the Department of Commerce’s economic development functions by privatizing them that same year in July 2011; WEDC was put into full launch mode. “With the mission of elevating Wisconsin’s economy to be the best in the world” This agency is run by a 15 person board chaired by the governor. The agency soon found itself caught up in controversy. In July 2012 allegations of bid-rigging forced the cancelation of a planned award to an information system company. In October the Milwaukee newspapers reported WEDC had lost track of some $8 million in funds. In May, WEDC was slammed by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development for the misappropriation of $10 million dollars in federal funds. In May 2013 the Wisconsin Legislative Audit Bureau found that WEDC had awarded a portion of these grants, loans, and tax credits to ineligible recipients for ineligible projects for amounts that exceeded specified limits. The WEDC controls unbelievable amounts of taxpayer funds, in fiscal year 2011-2012 alone Walker’s WEDC administered thirty economic development programs though which it authorized local governments to issue $346.4 million in bonds, awarded 41.3 million in grants and $205 million in loans while providing $110.8 million in tax credits to business and individuals. Now that you know how much money was issued from all those tax payer dollars there was only 5,840 jobs created from the WEDC. Now take the number of jobs created and divide that by the amount of dollars expended to create the jobs you will discover that each job created cost you than me the taxpayer $59,315.07. The WEDC governing board chaired by the Governor approved an operations plan that set the agency a goal of creating 50,000 jobs in fiscal 2012. The number was bold, but at 50,000 jobs a year, WEDC would be on track to creating massive amounts of jobs as Walker stood for re-election in 2014. The WEDC’s board is required to set performance goals for all of the many economic development programs and to report to the Legislature the “expected vs. the actual” results. At the end of 2012 when the WEDC was required to issue its first report documenting how many of the 50,000 jobs it had created, WEDC reported 23,759 “impacted” [definition as follows: (1) wedged sideways under the gum (2) with broken ends jammed together (3) compressed in the intestine too tightly (4) difficult to move]. This supposedly new term combines “expected jobs” and “retained jobs”. This allowed WEDC to avoid reporting the actual number. The Center for Media and Democracy spoke to subsidy expert Greg LeRoy at the national nonprofit research group. Good Jobs First about the term “impacted” “I am not aware of any other state that used or uses the term in this way; it is vague and not a meaningful measure,” said LeRoy Now here is the actual report that should have been reported at the above meeting; WEDC said there were 1,044 jobs created vs. the previous 23,750 reported to the Legislature at the end of 2012. CMD excluded jobs that were reported to be created before financial aid was received from WEDC. At the end of 2013, WEDC told the Legislature and the public it had “impacted” 37,313 jobs. No actual were included in the report to the Legislature, but there official database includes documentation for 4,796 “actual” jobs. To create those jobs over a two year period some $203 million in taxpayer money went out the door in grants, loans, and bonding authority. The price paid for each of these jobs was $42,326.94. So there it is in black and white; the number of new jobs WEDC can credibly document is NOT 250,000, it is not 50,000, it is not 37,000. Walker’s official jobs data base can document to date only 5,840 “actual” jobs created by firms for FY 2012 and 2013. NOTE these were jobs created though the efforts of WEDC and the numbers are separate from the state’s job numbers reported monthly and quarterly by the federal government. While WEDC was busy handing out grants, many Wisconsin companies were cutting back or going under. In order to prepare workers and communities for mass layoffs, Wisconsin law requires that businesses with over 50 employees give 60 day advance warning of mass layoffs or closures. In the same two year period in which the WEDC database indicates 5,840 jobs created, the state’s WARN database indicates that 13,616 jobs were lost in the state due to layoffs or closures (CMD excluded notices that had been rescinded or reported earlier). Two very distinct databases, two very distinct numbers -------- more than two jobs lost in the state for every job gained through WEDC’s efforts 5,840 gained vs. 13,616 lost during the same period of time. WOW! That reads NEGATIVE, MINUS, A TOTAL FAILUED GRADE FOR THE FLAGSHIP OF THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE WITH HIM AS CHAIRMAN! The two data sets are not the only measures of job performance and most Wisconsin companies have not needed the state’s help in creating jobs. Wisconsin has slowly gained some 100,000 jobs since Walker took office, well behind the national average and ninth out of ten Midwestern states. But how many of these jobs can Walker personally take credit for? We will give him those created by his flagship agency 5,840 and no more! But by any measure you so choose, Walker’s WEDC has failed in its mission to elevate “WISCONSIN’S ECONOMY TO BE THE BEST INTHEWORLD.” (/host.madison/ct/news/opinion/column/mary-bottari-only-actual-jobs-from-walker-s-wedc/article d4f3f937-6e5b-5734-b08c-694431b18f06.htm Wisconsin Legislature Audit Bureau (Http:///legis.wisconsin.gov/lab/reports/13-7full.pdf) Creating or retaining jobs /inwisconsin/content/uploads/2013/02/2011-Draft-Ops-Plan-pdf) Reported 23,759 jobs “impacted” (inwisconsin/content/uploads/201302/2012-Annual-Report.pdf) “Impacted 37,313 jobs (inwisconsin/content/uploads/2013/07/FY13 Annual-Report.pdf)
Posted on: Sat, 20 Sep 2014 03:30:27 +0000
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