The governor doesn’t create jobs. The state doesn’t create jobs. Giving tax breaks and cash payments to corporations doesn’t create jobs. This administration has tried that and it doesn’t work. The Republican theory is that the private sector will grow when taxes are low and there are no regulations – trickle-down economics. That hasn’t worked.
Wisconsin has spent hundreds of millions of dollars luring corporations. Environmental and other regulations were gutted. What are the results? We still don’t have the 250,000 new jobs promised eight years ago. Wisconsin is behind: we recovered from the recession one full year after the nation did, and two years after Minnesota.
What the state can do is create an environment in which the private sector thrives.
Over the last 3.5 years Eau Claire has added 3,000 jobs – the same number promised by Foxconn. And it didn’t cost the state $3 billion. The companies that started in Eau Claire said they came because of good schools, a quality university, efficient transportation, recreation, arts – just a good place to live. The public sector should be focused on enriching the economic soil so that all plants can start and grow, not just the few selected by our political leaders.
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