Misleading Wisconsin

Despite Governor Walker’s statements to the contrary, Wisconsin is clearly not open for business. According to a 2017 National Movers Study by United Van Lines, more people moved out of Wisconsin than into it in the last year. The study shows that Wisconsin was one of the top 10 states in the nation for people moving out and 60 percent of those moves were for jobs.

With crumbling roads and aging water systems, a willingness to throw $3 billion in taxpayer dollars away to a Chinese manufacturer, and the administration’s continued disdain for public education at all levels, there is little wonder why people don’t feel optimistic about the state of the state.

This is not the Wisconsin we hoped for; this is not the Wisconsin we deserve. State economies rise and fall with the national economy. The critical measure is how a state compares to the rest of the country. By that measure, Walker has moved Wisconsin backwards. In the last seven years there have been huge cuts in funding crucial services, more and more put on the credit card to balance the budget, giant tax breaks given to the wealthy, and now a proposal to spend $7 million to beg people to come back to Wisconsin. Something has got to give.

Perhaps Governor Walker’s New Year’s resolution should be fixing problems instead of creating new ones. I don’t think he wants to be known as Governor Pothole, but until the roads become a priority over wooing Chinese billionaires, resident’s cars will need to be realigned each year before their moves out of state.