Successful businesses are successful by one of two ways.
There are some who curry favor with the politicians and get big government tax breaks and giveaways.
Most successful businesses are successful because they pay attention to what is happening in the market, the changes and how to cope with these changes. They also pay attention to what is going on with the states. They want to expand in states that have such amenities such as good education systems, good transit systems, infrastructure that is maintained, and the such.
They do this because they know that the most productive workers are the happiest workers. If their employees don't have to worry about basic things like their family's safety, their children's education and the economy of the state, they are going to get the most out of them at the job site.
Keep that all in mind when you watch this video that Scott Walker and the WEDC (Walker's Economy Destroying Cronies) put together to con businesses to come to the state - a task that they have proved to be extraordinarily inept at:
And from the
introductory page for the video (emphasis mine):
Businesses choosing to relocate to or add operations in Wisconsin will benefit not only from strong economic fundamentals, but also from powerful incentives that demonstrate our commitment to mutually beneficial relationships with the business community.
As you look for the ideal location for your next site decision, we invite you to consider the strides we’ve recently made to enhance our economic climate. Our pro-business reforms combine with a highly educated workforce, traditional and emerging industry strengths, and a responsive and coordinated economic development network to deliver a business environment geared for success.
Consider, for example, Wisconsin’s Manufacturing Tax Credit, which virtually eliminates taxes on income from manufacturing in the state. Or, our Relocation Tax Credit, which gives incoming companies a two-year tax holiday. These are just two reasons why Wisconsin is drawing new attention from site selectors and business leaders from around the country. Company leaders have also taken note of our state’s strong fiscal standing and the stability that comes from a balanced budget.
We’re committed to Wisconsin being a great place to do business. So you can see the positive things happening here, we’re planning regular updates to this page, featuring case studies that highlight the successful relocation to or expansion of businesses in Wisconsin
Now think about what Walker said and the reality we are facing.
Walker is trying to sell his "strong economic fundamentals" and boasts of his supposed surplus. The fact is that he has ballooned our deficit and the current budget proposal is also out of balance right off the get go. Furthermore, Forbes has just reported that our state is in the
ten worst states for business and that our economic future is the second worst in the nation.
And as for the "highly educated workforce," haven't we been told for the past two years that their is a skills gap in Wisconsin? That's the reason they gave for dumping tons of money into corporate welfare, aka jobs training programs. Believe it or not, there used to be a time when companies actually trained their own workers.
On top of that, there is no skills gap in the first place. The real problem is that the "job creators" don't want to pay wages worth the job, give decent benefits or treat their employees with respect. Kind of like the way it was when unions were around more and everyone was successful.
I could go on, but I'm sure the gentle reader gets the drift and could add several of their own examples.
The thing is, most businesses do their homework before taking any kind of move, like expansion or relocation, and are fully aware that Walker is driving the state straight into the ground. There is no way that these people would want to come to Wisconsin. Heck, Walker has made it so bad that we are having a heck of a time just hanging on to the ones we have now.
In summary, what Walker is doing is not making Wisconsin business friendly. All he is doing is making it easier for the bad businesses - the ones that just also seem to be his more lucrative campaign donors - to be more exploitative. And that isn't very friendly at all.
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