Tim Sullivan acknowledges that at least one of his recommendations to Gov. Scott Walker, who appointed Sullivan as an unpaid consultant on work force development in Wisconsin, will be “a big juicy one.”This is setting the stage for some major cognitive dissonance for the right wing.
Make that a big, potentially controversial one.
Sullivan has determined that one of several strategies the state needs to launch involves attracting more immigrants to fill job openings. He told The Business Journal’s Jobs Forum discussion last week at The Wisconsin Club in Milwaukee that he will include his views on making Wisconsin more immigrant-friendly in his recommendations to Walker next month.
Sullivan was not ready to give specifics of ways he believes Wisconsin can boost immigration. However, he pointed to the examples of Canada and Australia as successes in recruiting immigrants to help those countries’ economies grow.
On one hand, they have to strongly believe that Scott Walker, and by extension, his administration, can do no wrong. Even if it's a person like Sullivan, who has been rather inconsistent in his views and can't make up his mind whether he's conservative or liberal. Despite this, he's Walker's guy, so that automatically makes him a demigod to the right.
On the other hand, his recommendation of increasing immigration smacks them in the face of their xenophobia.
It will be fun to watch how they try to get their hero-worship of all things Walker to jive with their inherent bigotry. I can just picture the beads of sweat forming on their brows as their minds try to cope with these conflicting mindsets.
It kind of makes me want to get an extra supply of popcorn to watch them try to cope with this.
Only a matter of time before Scott Walker starts importing Chinese immigrant workers. They are good people, good workers. And they're cheaper.
ReplyDeleteThe Mexicans and South Americans are already here. Farm labor is very dependent on these workers. And if you search news, you will find many stories of your fellow Wisconsinites violence towards these people.
This is part of a national meme being pushed by the ownership class, that they can't find workers to fill skilled jobs. Does this have anything to do with their having abandoned apprenticeship programs and their unwillingness to pay taxes for education? Why yes, it does.
ReplyDeleteThey still don't want to pay for worker training but they do want to import foreign workers on temporary visas who will perform skilled work at very low wages. Bill Gates --pardon me while I spit-- was a real innovator in this field of labor exploitation.
Again, the Walker focus is on cheap labor for the ownership class, not on creating jobs for Wisconsin's citizens.
Skilled labor has nothing to do with it.
DeleteYou only need workers just smart enough to push the buttons these days.
And at the same time, Sullivan is whining that he can't find enough workers to fill skilled positions. Maybe if he raised wages to a reasonable level, he could have better luck in getting somebody to do the job instead of having to spend time and money to find immigrants.
ReplyDeleteThis alleged "skilled worker crisis" always seem to come back to union-busting and corporate greed from people who talk a lot of game about the free market, but don't seem to understand that respecting the free market means you have to raise pay.
I think they realize that immigrants generally add more to the economy than they take. (They don't collect on social security, for example)
ReplyDeleteThey spend their money in stores, etc.
But I have noticed a change in tone from the GOP ever since Sharon Angle lost to Harry Reid due to the Hispanic vote. It is like they realized too late that they screwed themselves with a growing population that they could have attracted to their side. My guess is somebody is looking at demographic numbers in 15-20 years and they figured out that an aging population needs more young people.
In the hispanic community you should already know is that they commonly already have a notion of "the rich is rich, and the poor is poor, that is how it is," mentality.
DeleteMany in the hispanic community seriously believe a person has to be a millionaire to in public office.
Such a long suppression must have cause a minor belief in this rule by the rich.
Gareth- I added onto your point about how manufaturing companies are looking for major handouts without having to pay for them. . This also ties in with Walker's cuts to K-12 and technical schools, which have resulted in major class cuts to the tech-ed areas that Sulivan claims are needed more than ever.
ReplyDeleteSuppose I shouldn't expect more from a corporatist Governor with ZERO corporate-sector experience, but Walker's lack of a clue about how things work in the real world is evident.
The reason WMC and corporate members can't get skilled labor is because they refuse to pay decent family-sustaining wages and benefits in a worker-friendly environment...at a time when corporate profits are at an all-time high and corporate taxes are at an all-time low. Simply pay attractive wages and benefits, and treat your employees as you would want to be treated and you will be overwhelmed with resumes of highly educated and experienced workers. It's supply and demand.
ReplyDeleteAnd the head of WMC is a real dick.
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