But let's get some historical reference to how badly this state has gone backward in this 15-month Reign of Error. First of all, let's think about where we were leading up to 2011. The Great Recession hammered everybody, including Wisconsin's Midwestern counterparts, and Wisconsin had severe job losses at the start of 2009. But after the Dems and Jim Doyle signed a "tax-hiking, job-killing" budget in June 2009, you see those job losses level off and end within a few months, and Wisconsin largely matched the nation's job growth after that budget was signed. By the time Scott Walker took over, Wisconsin had gained back about 1% of the 3.5% of jobs it had lost since the start of 2009.
Jobs, Wisconsin vs. Midwest, U.S., Jan 2009-Jan 2011
(Jan 2009=100)
Much like the rest of the U.S., job growth slowly but surely improved in Wisconsin in 2010, and Scotty figured he had to fix that. And fix it he did. Watch what happens once Act 10 gets passed in March 2011, and especially after Walker's budget becomes law in July 2011, and then compare that with the steady job growth in the U.S. (noted in blue)
Jobs, Wisconsin vs. Midwest, U.S., Jan 2011-March 2012
(Jan 2011=100)
That's right, not only has Wisconsin lost jobs since Scott Walker took the oath of office in January 2011, Wisconsin massively trails all of its Midwestern partners and has missed out in the Obama Recovery. Also take a gander at Ohio's results, as they were losing jobs under John Kasich most of 2011, until you get to Fall. Well what happened around that time? Ohioans rejected Kasich's union-bashing SB5 at the polls, and restored collective bargaining rights to hundreds of thousands of workers. Hmm, so much for the theory that reinstalling bargaining rights will destroy jobs- it seems to have brought it back, along with business confidence in Ohio. Think the same could happen here? Wouldn't you like to find out?
It's one thing for the state to lose jobs when everyone else is losing them, like it did under Jim Doyle, it's wholly another to lose them when the rest of the nation and your Midwestern partners are recovering, which is what we have under Scott Walker. Here's a percentage list to give you a better idea of the level of underperformance in Wisconsin since the Age of Fitzwalkerstan started.
Change in jobs, Jan 2011- March 2012
U.S. +1.81%
Mich +1.65%
Minn +1.57%
Ohio +1.43%
Ind. +1.37%
Iowa +1.04%
Ill. +0.84%
Wis. -0.52%
Wisconsin trails our closest neighbor (Illinois) in job growth by 1.36%, or the equivalent of more than 37,000 jobs over the last 15 months. So why the hell was Scott Walker addressing the oligarchs at the Illinois Chamber of Commerce and giving pointers on how Illinois "could benefit from taking actions like Wisconsin?" All evidence indicates that Walker's Way is exactly what you DON'T want to do in order to grow jobs, and businessmen are always yabbering about how they're all about performance, so you'd think the bottom line would matter most to these guys (yeah, right, it's all about the pose and the power with those fuckheads).
Oh wait, they were actually applauding Walker for destroying Wisconsin home values so much that they can buy vacation land for a lot cheaper up North. And our shitty performance under Walker makes Illinois a lot more attractive by comparison. Now I get it.
Anyway, isnt getting advice from Scott Walker on how to balance budgets and create jobs is like getting a speech from Don Morton on how to grow a winning football program? After all, isn't Scott Walker's policies the equivalent of the veer offense, and about as successful in the big-time? So it's time to make the same call Pat Richter made 23 years ago, realize we are better than this crap, kick this second-class loser to the curb and get some real leadership and performance into Madison.
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