Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Trump says he's focused on “jobs, jobs, jobs” -- but so did Scott Walker in 2011 (how’d that work out, by the way?)

Walker’s so-called “focus” on jobs, and “trickle down” economics slowed the state’s performance

President-elect Donald Trump came to Wisconsin earlier this week as part of his “thank you tour” across the country. Trump was greeted by U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, and Gov. Scott Walker, and presented by these three with Green Bay Packers jerseys, probably dooming any remaining chances that the green-and-gold had of making the playoffs this year.

What can I say, I’m a bit superstitious when it comes to football.

Trump did his part in thanking his Wisconsin hosts, through the only medium he seems comfortable using: Twitter.
“Thank you Wisconsin!” Trump wrote. “My Administration will be focused on three very important words: jobs, jobs, jobs!”

If that sounds familiar, that’s because Gov. Scott Walker said the same thing almost six years ago, during his first inaugural address in 2011.

“We will work tirelessly to restore economic growth and vibrancy to our state” he said back then. “My top three priorities are jobs, jobs, and jobs.”

"Hipster" Scott Walker was focused on jobs years
before Donald Trump was (but not really)
How did that work out? Not so good. The rest of the nation created jobs during the recovery at a rate that was 34 percent faster than our state under Walker’s watch.

And when people called Walker out on it? Well, it wasn’t HIS fault. He’s blamed his failures on the recall elections (even after it was shown they didn’t hinder job creation at all). He’s blamed his political opponents. He’s blamed the war in Libya, Obamacare and the fiscal cliff. Heck, he’s even blamed workers themselves.

One thing he’s never blamed? Himself. And he really should, because his policies have left us 55,000 100,000+ jobs behind where we should be, had we kept pace with the rest of the nation.

Now, we have a Republican president-elect who is echoing our Republican governor’s words. I’m hoping he will he be more successful in creating jobs than our governor was -- his success is, after all, America’s success -- but I’m not optimistic. As Joe Conason points out:
While Trump’s proposed corporate tax cut may well bring home money for business investment, the overall history of tax cuts as a Republican economic panacea is worse than disappointing. So far every signal suggests that he will pursue the same plutocratic approach favored by all presidents of his party, only more extreme.
“Trickle down” economics didn’t work for the nation in the past. It didn’t work for Gov. Scott Walker either. And it probably won’t work when Donald Trump tries it.
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