Scott Walker's Significant Job Losses Explained

In a recent TED talk, Nick Hanauer, a serial entrepreneur and member of the 1%, explained why Wisconsin has such a significant job loss since Scott Walker implemented his policies (33,900 jobs lost) and why we need to appropriately tax the rich again.



The rich are not "job creators," because they create jobs only as a last resort with gritted teeth when customer demand requires it. No entrepreneur starts a business because they want to create jobs. It's their customers that create jobs. Without a strong customer base, no business will create jobs, and that's the problem we have here in Wisconsin. Hanauer says that calling people like him job creators is "disingenuous." We're the real job creators.

By reducing the amount of middle class jobs like teachers and janitors, and reducing the pay of those who have jobs, Walker has single-handedly reduced the customer base of Wisconsin businesses. Businesses in Wisconsin aren't growing, because their revenue doesn't support it. Some big companies are doing well in Wisconsin, e.g., GE, but most businesses are growing slowly if at all, and businesses continue to close all over Wisconsin. A big and popular restaurant just outside of Green Bay, River's Bend, closed last week.

Hanauer says the fix to our economy is to appropriately fund government services with a fair tax that receives more investment from the rich, e.g. the Reagan Rule.

Hanauer doesn't say this because he's generous, but he said "ultimately these things are good for me," because his businesses grow when we have more money to spend on their products and services. Although some of Hanauer's logic is flawed, or his explanation lacking, his main point is right on.

The rich clearly don't need more money, with the millions they can donate to Walker and use for billboards and TV ads all over Wisconsin. They need to support the state that supports them. It's time we get a governor who will stand up to the rich like Diane Hendricks.

Vote for your economic interests and your neighbors'. Vote Tom Barrett. Early voting has already begun.

Scott Walker Doesn't Care About Victims, Willfully Stealing

Repeated and passionate calls by many prominent people and organizations for Walker to reverse his decision to steal money from victims have fallen on deaf ears. It's become quite evident that Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker doesn't care about victims of document fabrication, forgery and other financial service abuses. Walker announced plans last week to steal that money to help fix his budget deficit of over $3 billion.

Walker has also shown how little he cares about getting Wisconsin moving forward again. Wisconsin will continue to suffer as long as the families and communities in need of this money continue to suffer. Milwaukee itself has large swaths of affected areas, and the $31.6 million Walker plans to steal won't even be enough for a full recovery. The settlement money is desperately needed, but Walker doesn't care.

Walker is supposedly one of those governors who doesn't use "one-time fixes" such as settlement money. In Walker's Budget Repair Address nearly a year ago, he criticized previous governors for taking money from the tobacco settlement.

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett has called on us to contact both Walker and Attorney General Van Hollen to try to convince them to not steal money from victims to solve Walker's budget problems.

Contact Scott Walker:

• Phone: (608) 266-1212
• Contact Form: http://www.wisgov.state.wi.us/Contact-Us
• Email: govgeneral@wisconsin.gov

Contact Attorney General Van Hollen:

• Phone: (608) 266-1221

Scott Walker Stealing Victims' Money to Repair Budget Deficit

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker lies when he says he balanced the budget. Using accounting tricks, Wisconsin has a deficit of $216 million. Using Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), which we demand of every other business and government in Wisconsin, we have a deficit of about $3 billion.

Wisconsin was awarded $31.6 million from the Wall Street mortgage fraud settlement. This money is supposed to go to Wisconsin taxpayers who were victims of fraud and abuse by banks. However, Walker is planning on stealing most of the money to help repair the budget deficit he tells us he fixed. Walker is stealing from middle-class taxpayers, because he can't be truthful about his incompetence, and he can't make the tough decisions such as appropriately taxing the rich corporations and individuals who fund his campaign.

These people are really hurting, but Walker has no problem taking from them to keep the millions of fundraising dollars pouring in from outside Wisconsin. The settlement money isn't meant to help Walker do his job. It's meant for people who work hard doing their job and were victims of illegal financial practices or negligence. Walker used to say he was against things such as accounting tricks and stealing settlement money. Like during his Budget Repair Address nearly a year ago.

"The facts are clear: Wisconsin is broke and it's time to start paying our bills today — so our kids are not stuck with even bigger bills tomorrow. This deficit did not appear overnight. Wisconsin got here through a reliance on one-time fixes, accounting gimmicks and tax increases. Previous governors and legislatures from both parties took money from our tobacco settlement."

Please, Mr. Walker, don't steal from those who are down, those victims and taxpayers. Where's your Christian heart when you need it?

It's Halftime in America

"...and our second half is about to begin. All that matters now is looking ahead and finding a way forward."

This has to be the best Super Bowl 46 commercial. It aired during halftime and features Clint Eastwood talking about America coming back, just like Detroit has come back. Everyone came together, workers, shareholders, and creditors, and now GM and Chrysler are back from the brink. To the benefit of us all.

At about 50 seconds in, there's a clip of protesters outside the Wisconsin State Capitol from the Spring 2011 protests against Governor Scott Walker's rights-stripping bill. (more info)

Wisconsin Doesn't Look Good In Red

According to the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, the economic trend in Wisconsin over the last 3 months has been sharply down. It's been far worse here in Wisconsin than any other state, as depicted by the stark red shaded Wisconsin in the map above.

The map comes from a report put together monthly by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia which tracks the economic trends of each state.  This isn't good news for Wisconsin, which has traditionally had a much better economy than other states.

Look at Illinois, the state Walker thought people would be flocking to Wisconsin from. They sure aren't flocking here, those pesky "job creators". Let this be a lesson, Republicans suck at the economy! All the red and pink states have Republican governors.

Thanks a lot Scott "Where Are The Jobs?" Walker!  That's what we get for asking a college drop-out to be career politician to lead this state.  Good thing we have over 507,553 signatures to recall your butt, we'll get at least another 250,000 in the next month.