It's time for Gov. Scott Walker to stop the excuses and address Wisconsin’s job crisis.
National job numbers for every state came out Tuesday, and Wisconsin fared badly. Unfortunately, we led the nation in job losses. That is 14,600 fewer jobs for struggling Wisconsin families as we entered the holiday season.
Scott Walker ran on one campaign central, marquee promise: He vowed to create 250,000 jobs during a four-year term.
Yet Wisconsin has lost jobs five months in a row. That means that every month since Gov. Walker’s budget – his economic plan for Wisconsin – passed, we have lost jobs. During that time we have, sadly, lost more jobs than any state in the nation according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
So does Gov. Walker come out and address the topic? Does he change his approach? Does he unveil new plans to address this crisis? Does he urge legislative leaders to actually pass the jobs bills Democrats have had in front of the legislature since January?
No – in an unprecedented move, one of the governor’s political cronies is sent out to criticize me for the wording I used to describe these facts and bicker over whether we got a gold medal in losing jobs, or were just among a small handful of other states that also did badly. It is a curious thing for a state agency to be splitting hairs over just how badly Wisconsin is doing at creating jobs.
The buck must stop with Gov. Walker.
The day the jobs numbers came out, Democrats responded directly to the figures.
Meanwhile, the governor put out releases about appointing a new executive director at the Office of Justice Assistance, signing legislation relating to unlicensed drivers and one about saving Charlotte the Deer from being killed by his Department of Natural Resources.
Instead of criticizing the national economy, or the methodology used by the federal government or other states, or my press release – it is time for Gov. Walker to tell the people of Wisconsin why he promised them 250,000 jobs and has given them nothing but excuses for five months straight.
I renew my request to have the governor, at a minimum, finalize action on the special session bills that actually have the prospect of creating jobs.
We need to work on job creation – not voter suppression or trampling the First Amendment or taking away women’s health care – so Wisconsin can top our rival Illinois in job creation – not just football.