Scott Walker's failure to create jobs
By Ryan Alexander
Since Scott Walker signed his anti-worker budget into law this June, Wisconsin has had massive job losses for five months in a row. The numbers show that as a direct result of Scott Walker's regressive policies, more than 34,900 Wisconsin workers have been sent to the unemployment lines.
Despite the numbers, Scott Walker continues to claim that his "reforms" are working and that the state is making "progress."
The reality is Scott Walker's so-called "tools" and "reforms" have attacked middle-class families and have led to a mass exodus of good-paying jobs. Wisconsin workers are being laid off at an alarming rate while neighboring states, such as Illinois and Minnesota, are experiencing job growth.
Here are the facts on the state of Wisconsin's economy under Scott Walker's watch:
- Wisconsin lost another 14,600 jobs in November while the nation as a whole added 120,000 jobs.
- Under Scott Walker's watch, 34,900 Wisconsin workers have received pink slips as a direct result of his misguided budgetary decisions and failed economic policies that he signed into law this June.
- Wisconsin now leads the nation in job losses thanks to Scott Walker's failed leadership.
- A report by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia shows that Wisconsin has the worst economic conditions in the entire country.
- A new nonpartisan study by the Institute for Wisconsin's Future details how Scott Walker's economic policies are causing Wisconsin to lose at least 18,000 full-time private sector jobs this year alone.
So how has Scott Walker responded to the growing jobs crisis in Wisconsin?
He's blaming others, he's blaming the recall (you) and he's even blaming numbers.
Taking credit for good news and blaming others for bad news is one of Scott Walker's favorite political games. Prior to his budget taking effect, Scott Walker was quick to issue statements touting jobs numbers that were favorable. He even claimed that Wisconsin was responsible for "half the job growth in the entire country" and he went on all the cable news networks to beat his chest.
But right after Scott Walker signed his budget into law, Wisconsin's economic data took a severe nose dive. Instead of taking responsibility for sending 34,900 Wisconsin workers to the unemployment line, Scott Walker responded by blaming everything from the national economy (despite the fact that the country, as a whole, added jobs every month) to the actual jobs data itself (which Scott Walker had no problem touting when the data showed numbers that were favorable).
Wisconsin workers and families deserve answers from Scott Walker as to why it is that his policies have failed to create jobs. Unfortunately, Scott Walker has made it clear that he'll never take responsibility, he'll never change his approach, and he'll never be honest with the people of Wisconsin.
The people of Wisconsin are signing petitions at a rate of nearly 17,000 a day because they literally can't afford Scott Walker's political games any longer.
It's time to hold Scott Walker accountable for the economic uncertainty and destruction that he has caused in our state before it's too late.
Join our campaign to recall Scott Walker and help us elect a new governor that working, middle-class families can trust to take job creation seriously.
Posted by Casey at 07:58PM on March 03 2012:
1. The country needs to add 250 to 300,000 jobs each month to break even in employment numbers to match population growth and those entering the job market. So the net gain in employment is in fact still in the red – country wide.
2. Where is the evidence that these job losses in Wisconsin were a direct result of Walker’s policies? Are we just supposed to take your word for it?
3. Recall elections play a heavy role in the economic growth of a state. Of course a business owner is going to be weary of making investments and bringing their employment opportunities in a state whose fiscal policy is currently balanced on a pendulum. Right now, Walker’s policies are very attractive to employers, but if the Democrats win the recall, they’ll have invested millions of dollars in a state that’s going to go broke (again) and be heavily taxed. Business owners aren’t going to take that risk when Walker’s seat as governor is in jeopardy.
4. Walker’s policies are hardly anti-worker. When I was in high school in the glory days of Doyle, I attended one of the most affluent and reputable school districts in the state, and teachers were being laid off every year due to budget constraints. Here’s the bottom line: You pay a small percentage into your benefits (God forbid teachers do that like the rest of us do) or thousands of teachers get laid off. I wouldn’t call Walker’s reforms anti-worker. They’re a compromise so that newer, less seniority teachers can keep their jobs instead of having costly contract negotiations each and every year until an agreement is reached.