The First Step Is Admitting You Have A Problem

Everyone knows that Wisconsin's economy is tanking and that Scott Walker can't create a job to save his soul (if he hadn't already sold it to the Kochs). The facts are irrefutable:

From [Lisa] Johnson’s wheelhouse in the new economy, the rankings aren’t any better. Wisconsin came in 31st among 50 states in the latest New Economy Index from the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, a nonpartisan group in Washington, D.C. The state scored poorly in crucial areas like the number of fast-growing companies and entrepreneurial activity, 39th and 47th, respectively.

According to the paper, Ms. Johnson is "vice president of entrepreneurship and innovation with the quasi-government Wisconsin Economic Development Corp." You know, the people that helped wreck our economy and came up with that less than brilliant slogan of "In Wisconsin."

So what does Ms. Johnson have to say about the job they've done so far? Well, this:

“The study came out and we’re 47th,” Johnson says. “We suck. We’re bad. Do we keep talking about it or do we take action?”

Well, as they say in the 12 step programs, the first step is to admit you have a problem.

But she goes on:

Taking action requires money, and that requires the blessing of the Legislature.

Uh oh. I've got a bad feeling about this. But maybe she means giving the money back to the workers of the state in order to create the demand that businesses need to keep in operation and to expand. Right? Maybe?

Johnson sat down recently with The Capital Times to talk about why investing in entrepreneurs, rather than convincing companies to relocate to Wisconsin, is key to job growth, why many startups will fail and why that’s OK.

The time for talking and studying the job numbers is over. As she’s fond of saying, it’s time to “just get it done.”

Oh crap.

Well, that's no more helpful than the alcoholic admitting he has a drinking problem at 2 am while sitting pie-eyed in the bar. They haven't learned anything and will go back to the same self-destructive behaviors the next day.

Sigh.

Yeah, we're "In Wisconsin" alright.  We're in it deep too.