You may remember I recently noted in this blog that Scott Walker posts very selective tweets about where Wisconsin ranks against other states - - but didn't tweet about our dead-last ranking three years running in business startup activity:
Here's another data point that dovetails with the 50th-place ranking for entrepreneurial activity which also will never appear on Walker's election-year twitter feed:
On a 'brain-gain ' index, Wisconsin ranks 44th, with only PA, NY, NJ, OH, CA and MI attracting fewer new residents with college degrees than Wisconsin:
Wisconsin would likely rank higher on the Kaufmann start-up business activity index if the state were attracting more out-of-state college grads who wanted to start businesses here, yet years of Walker's heavily-ideologcal approach to attracting business - - deregulation, tax breaks, "Open for Business" billboards, a Wal-er-created (but still-dysfunctional) business development state agency and a compliant legislature embracing the same failed tools - - are not moving the needle.
And Walker has cut or diminished state science staffing as well as
climate science information and other public environmental priorities statewide, as I note throughout this summary post - - so why would people with science degrees think about Wisconsin as their career-friendly new home?
I know several experts who came to Wisconsin years ago specifically for science careers after graduating from colleges and universities in other states who have told me they would not move here now because Walker has so decimated a respect for facts, science, and the teaching professions.
But while Governor Clueless touted for election-year credit on his Twitter feed a CEO magazine's feel-good-opinions-about-Wisconsin - - noted yesterday, here - -you won't find him tweeting about this data-driven, 50-state comparative business ranking showing Wisconsin frozen in the 50th spot - - again - - in the always-significant business category: entrepreneurial, start-up activity.
WISCONSIN ONCE AGAIN RANKS LAST IN KAUFFMAN STARTUP ACTIVITY INDEXAnd you'll never see him acknowledge that Wisconsin has the second-worst roads in America or comes in 12th on a well-water contamination index.
On a 'brain-gain ' index, Wisconsin ranks 44th, with only PA, NY, NJ, OH, CA and MI attracting fewer new residents with college degrees than Wisconsin:
Wisconsin has one of the lowest shares of non-native college graduates that relocated from other states. Consequently, Wisconsin must instead ask itself is what can be done to attract college educated people from outside Wisconsin?The data and study were culled from this UW-Madison site.
Wisconsin would likely rank higher on the Kaufmann start-up business activity index if the state were attracting more out-of-state college grads who wanted to start businesses here, yet years of Walker's heavily-ideologcal approach to attracting business - - deregulation, tax breaks, "Open for Business" billboards, a Wal-er-created (but still-dysfunctional) business development state agency and a compliant legislature embracing the same failed tools - - are not moving the needle.
And Walker has cut or diminished state science staffing as well as
climate science information and other public environmental priorities statewide, as I note throughout this summary post - - so why would people with science degrees think about Wisconsin as their career-friendly new home?
I know several experts who came to Wisconsin years ago specifically for science careers after graduating from colleges and universities in other states who have told me they would not move here now because Walker has so decimated a respect for facts, science, and the teaching professions.
Scott Walker apparently thinks he can attract businesses with tax break through his failing WEDC program which has no accountability for jobs created or even if these awarded companies stay in Wisconsin. This is Scott Walker's Golden Plan! But why should companies choose to stay in Wisconsin when Public Schools have had their funding slashed on favor of Charter Schools. Wisconsin Public Schools are fighting an uphill battle to educate all students to the best of their ability, and in that face of these challengers is still out performing Private Charter Schools!
ReplyDeleteBy cutting funds to the U.W. System, highly qualified professors are leaving the state and taking their Federal Grants with them to other states that will pay them what they deserve. However, Wisconsin college students are being hurt by this brain drain. It looks like our college students may have to attend out of state colleges to earn the degree they are working toward.
Everyone knows that businesses look at states that educated highly qualified students. At this rate, Wisconsin is starting to look less attractive. So much for Scott Walker's jobs promise!
Discouraging talent and entrepreneurs means less competition for the state's business oligarchs. It's exactly how the MMAC and WMC want it, and they give big bucks to Walker to maintaon that status over trying to excel.
ReplyDelete