Saturday, June 20, 2015

Scott Walker for President? Consult this Top Ten list first

It is hard to keep up with the policy and biographical reasons why Scott Walker should not be trusted with the US presidency - -  as Wisconsin residents have learned the hard way these last four-and-a-half years with Walker as Governor (continually updated documented account, here) - - but since Walker is edging ever closer to a presidential run, and his most recent fund-raising letter said "Jobs are up and our economy is growing...," I thought I'd boil down his mishandling of the state's economy to a few key numbers.

If the presidential mantra is still 'it's the economy, stupid,' then let's not be stupid, America:

*  0 - - Number of Board chairman that the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, (WEDC), has had other than Walker who created it to lead Wisconsin job-creation efforts and help him fulfill his signature 250,000 new private jobs' promises.


*  51.6% - - Percentage of the 250,000 new jobs created in Wisconsin in Walker's first full term which he repeatedly promised during his 2010 run for Governor and 2012 recall election he'd create.


*  $124 million - - Value of loans or tax credits given to businesses by the WEDC on Walker's watch without receiving a financial review.

*  40th place  - - Wisconsin's ranking under Walker among the 50 states in job growth for the last full year measured by authoritative federal data.

*  42nd place  - - Wisconsin's ranking among the 50 states for wage growth.

*  50th place  - - Wisconsin's ranking under Walker among the 50 states for percentage loss from residents' middle-class status.

*  50th place  - - Wisconsin's ranking Walker among the 50 states for business startup activity.


* 1  - - Number of fall 2014 statements to the Journal Sentinel in which Walker said his plan was to serve out a full second term if re-elected.


* 2  - - Number of recent, spring 2015 statements analyzed by the Journal Sentinel in which Walker suggested he would speed up his probable presidential campaign announcement.

*  3:1 False, or worse - - The ratio of Walker statements rated fully "False" or "Pants on Fire" - - 46 total - - to Walker statements rated fully "True" - - 16 total - - by PolitiFact.

5 comments:

Bill Sell said...

Thanks, James. my go-to source for this catalog of failure. If possible, a B List - Walker's claims to the robustness of the Wisconsin economy - perhaps with a rebutting reference.

James Rowen said...

Thanks, Bill. I'll think about that.

my5cents said...

It wouldn't really matter if it was Jeb Bush, Scott Walker, Marco Rubio or any of the other Republicans running. If you elect one, you elect them all. All of the things Walker has been doing in Wisconsin Jeb Bush already did in Florida years ago. They are all one and the same. They all follow the ALEC playbook to a T.

Bob Curry said...

And when Walker said 25,000 jobs, wasn't the economy predicted to add those regardless? Walker or not? Ha. He's got his own personal Walker Recession in Wisconsin.

James Rowen said...

@Bob - - 250,000 was his pledge. The recovery would have added a lot of jobs. Wisconsin's 'gains' under Walker lag the country's rate by about 50%, data show.