Report's spin misses the big picture: Wisconsin is losing jobs under Gov. Walker's watch
With November's job numbers released last week, and with another dismal outcome from that release, the Walker administration decided to focus on a very different aspect in their report -- namely that preliminary numbers aren't always right (PDF)."October was the fifth straight month and the eighth month this year in which the federal government overestimated the preliminary job loss numbers or underestimated job gains for Wisconsin," [Department of Workforce Development] Secretary Newson said.Yet, the determination to spin the report this way fails to vindicate Gov. Walker's job-growth performance -- it's been horrific thus far. When you consider the fact that former Gov. Jim Doyle's budget was still in effect for the first six months of this year, a troubling statistic comes forth: there have been zero months of net jobs growth since Walker's budget became law in late June.
The downward trajectory presents another sordid stat: if the preliminary job numbers from November do stay the same, the net job increases from this year will only be roughly 3,900 jobs, or about 355 jobs added in the state per month. If we're to continue on this path, at the current rate Walker's campaign goal of 250,000 jobs -- which he promised to create -- would take more than 64 years to realized, or 16 terms total (15 more terms than Walker pledged last year).
That's a revision from last month, when I calculated it would take 71 years and 17 or more terms to complete. But that revision isn't due to any improvement in Walker's job performance -- rather, it's due to the revision in total jobs lost from October. (And remember: the number of jobs added per month and per year are, again, due to jobs that were created during the last few months of the Doyle budget while Walker was in office.)
The real story here isn't that preliminary job analyses are off, but that Walker's policies are failing to create jobs in the state. We're still on a downward spiral, losing jobs rather than gaining them since Walker's budget was implemented. No matter how they intend to spin it, the Walker administration can't escape that fact.
Morally, how can the Republican majority legislature continue to mislead the people of Wisconsin? Why does the media stay mute on the downfall this State? Isn't their job to state the facts. I hear little, if any reference, to this downward spiral, or what will happen to us all if this continues. Does anyone care?
ReplyDeleteThis shows again the ideology of the Republicans on steroids. Cut taxes and expenses for those at the top. Then pay for all of it with cuts in public programs like education, healthcare,etc. It all plays upon the theory of trickle down economics by attempts to sell off state owned assets, increase out of pocket costs to public labor and the list goes on and on....People are outraged in this state and across the country. How many times can they put these 'stupid' practices in place because they always fail, they have never worked...ever!! We need to ramp up the protests and put a halt to this lunacy!! We should all be screaming in the streets!!
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