Scott Walker - Do As I Say, Not As I Do

By Jeff Simpson

Career politician, Scott Walker, who spent 71 days this summer partying on the taxpayer dime, has now signed into law mandatory drug testing for anyone to receive unemployment benefits in WI.

Not only will people who lose their job thanks to incredible mismanagement by the Walker administration but also because of horrible policies of his biggest supporters like WMC now get an added bonus of humiliation.

On Wisconsin!

A quick recap:

Career politician spent 71 days, while on the state payroll, doing this all over the country:




Has now decided this:

“This new rule brings us one step closer to moving Wisconsinites from government dependence to true independence,” Governor Walker said in a statement issued to FOX6 News. 

Is there anyone in Wisconsin more dependent on Government than Scott Walker?

In case you were wonderingm, drug testing for unemployment is costly and ineffective!

Come to think of it, that explains the Walker record in WI!  

The Walker Agenda Still Isn't Working! Part CCXLVII

As Scott Walker is hinting at running for a third term, we get a reminder of just how good of a job he isn't doing:

J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. Inc. has informed state of Wisconsin officials that it is closing its Chase mortgage banking customer assistance operations at its downtown Milwaukee offices, resulting in the loss of 135 jobs.

The New York City-based bank said in a mass layoff notice filed with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development that it informed employees Tuesday of its intent to exit the business at 111 E. Wisconsin Ave. The expected date of terminations is March 26 to comply with the state's 60-day notification requirement in mass layoff situations.

Chase said the employees are not represented by a union and that the job losses will be permanent. The Department of Workforce Development will work with the Milwaukee Area Workforce Investment Board to provide rapid response services to the affected workers, which includes pre-layoff workshops on a variety of topics such as resume writing, interviewing and job search strategies.

The Walker Agenda Still Isn't Working! Part CCXLVI

Last week was one of the worst weeks in Wisconsin history for jobs.  Over a thousand layoffs were announced, putting the state at 10,000 layoffs this year alone and on a pace to double last years dismal numbers.

This week is proving to be no better already.  On Monday, another 277 layoffs were announced by Johnson Controls:

Johnson Controls Inc. will cut 277 more jobs from its Milwaukee-area operations.

The Glendale-based global, multi-industrial company is closing the Milwaukee Business Center at 5055 N. Lydell Ave. The layoffs will begin Jan. 26, 2016, and will continue through the end of June 2016.

Johnson Controls (NYSE: JCI) announced in September it would cut 2.5 percent, or about 3,000 workers, from its global workforce in an effort to save $250 million annually, as part of a comprehensive cost cutting program. At the time, the company confirmed that some of those job cuts would occur in the Milwaukee area.

The September announcement included jobs affected by plans to indefinitely suspend work at its Project Unity IT program at its office in West Allis. Company spokesman Fraser Engerman said at the time that most of the 197 West Allis workers will find other positions within the company.

The majority of the Lydell Avenue positions to be cut are in accounting and finance. The company had moved about 330 employees from downtown to the former industrial center known as the Lydell Corporate Center in 2010.

But don't worry, folks. Walker and the Republicans have their laser-like focus pinned squarely on legalizing corruption so that their ill gotten income can keep flowing freely.

Walker Likes Kicking People When They're Down

When Scott Walker was running for governor of Wisconsin in 2010, he pledged that he would create 250,000 jobs by the end of his first term. He barely made it halfway to meeting that pledge, and that was mostly because of the policies of his predecessor and from the national recovery headed by President Barack Obama.

In other words, Walker's record of job creation is worse than if he had nothing at all.

In 2015, Walker and his fellow corporate sockpuppet Republicans have trashed the state's economy so badly that by June, the number of layoffs had exceeded all of those in 2014. Currently, the number of layoffs for the year is around the 10,000 mark.

In just the past few days, it was announced that Target is closing two stores in the state because they were losing so much money. Also, Joy Global and BouMatic announced closing operations leading to another 110 layoffs.

But the big blow came on Tuesday when Kraft Heinz announced they were closing their Madison plant, which will cause 1,000 layoffs and the loss of hundreds of millions of dollars to the economy.

Facing these mounting job losses, what do Walker and the Republicans do? Do they turn their focus on boosting the economy and turning around this downward spiral? Do they prepare for the coming flood of unemployment claims and applications for financial aid?

Don't be ridiculous!

They hurry up to get ready to shame those people loosing their jobs and unable to find any of the nonexistent jobs!

Walker announced on Tuesday that he approved an executive order to start drug testing the poor and the unemployed, even though it will assuredly lead to an expensive court battle and even if he wins, will still cost taxpayers exponentially more than it could possibly save.

Not to be outdone, the Republicans in the state legislature are hurrying through a bill to require a photo ID on food stamp cards. Showing what spendthrifts they really are, the Republican proposal will cost taxpayers upwards of $7 million, people will not be able to use the photo ID for voting purposes.

Walker might have lost his chance to wreak havoc on Washington and the country, but he's gonna wreak havoc on something, dammit!

The Walker Agenda Is Still Working! Part CCXLV

Yes, yes, Scott Walker's tools are working!  In what should be the best time of the year for the construction business, the lack of money in Walker's failing economy has had the exact opposite effect:

The state lost 6,300 construction jobs between April and June, according to preliminary, seasonally adjusted estimates by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics and the state's Department of Workforce Development.

That's the largest two-month drop by number and percentage (5.67 percent) in the 25-plus years of state data in the Current Employment Statistics program, which samples a small percentage of employers monthly.

And with the Wage Theft Law and the repeal of Prevailing Wage law, things are only going to continue the downward spiral.

The Walker Agenda Is Still Working! Part CCXLIV

On the day that Scott Walker told the country that they should elect him to be president because he was so successful as governor, 100 people in the La Crosse area are getting a first hand taste of Walker's success:

An architecture, engineering and construction firm in La Crosse told state officials Monday that it will shut its doors, eliminating 100 jobs.

The closing of TCI Architects / Engineers / Contractor Inc. will bring to an end a 38-year-old company that has done more than $400 million in government work and a large number of commercial projects in Wisconsin and beyond.

In its notice to the state, TCI said it has been unable to raise additional capital to finance its operations and provide reserves. The company cited "a changing market place."

The tools, they are working...

The Walker Agenda Is Still Working! Part CCXLIII

Even after five years of Scott Walker and his apologists telling us that his agenda is working and that Wisconsin is "Open For Business," it appears that reality hasn't gotten the memo:

Oilgear Corp. will sell its 200,000-square-foot Milwaukee factory and headquarters building and move to smaller space in the area, a company executive said Tuesday.

The move comes as Oilgear shuts down manufacturing at the plant at 2300 S. 51st St., eliminating 45 jobs. Oilgear notified government officials of the plant closing last week.

Catherine Cerny, human resources director for the company, said a prospective buyer for the complex has emerged. Oilgear expects to complete the sale this year, she said.

"We're negotiating right now and have already been approached by people who are interested in the property," Cerny said.

The firm will relocate the Milwaukee production to its plants in Traverse City, Mich., and Fremont, Neb. That will leave Oilgear with about 85 employees here. Remaining will be the corporate office personnel and engineering staff.

And you mjust know it's only going to get worse before it gets better.

The Walker Agenda Is Still Working! Part CCXLII

Scott Walker is traveling the country, telling people that he should be president because his agenda was so successful in Wisconsin.

There are now 300 people in Ripon who could testify that it's still not working - and neither are they:

ConAgra Foods plans to close its west cookie plant in Ripon.

The move will put about 300 full-time employees out of work, according to the company. Workers were told Monday today and layoffs are expected to be finished by December. Employees have the option of applying for other open positions within ConAgra.

The plant in question is the company’s west plant, which makes soft baked and chocolate dipped cookies.

The employee union told FOX 11 the popular Rippin’ Good Cookie Outlet Store will also close.

I have repeatedly pointed out that as Walker takes money out of the economy and gives it to wealthy campaign donors, this causes a ripple effect in which people cut back on things, including cookies:

Through a statement, the company told FOX 11 it made the decision based on the need to operate its overall plant network as effectively and efficiently as possible. The statement went on to say declining demand and overall operating costs do not allow the company to meet the needs of the business and customers.

Ironically, Ripon is the birth place of the GOP. One could say that the chickens have come home to roost.

Scott Walker Touts His Record

By Jeff Simpson

Scott Walker, made a surprise appearance in Wisconsin(the state he supposedly works in) to tout his record. 

RACINE — As he ramps up his expected bid for president, Gov. Scott Walker touted his record on business Wednesday night in front of about 500 people at Festival Hall.

What better place than Racine to show up and see Walker's policy in action?

CITY OF RACINE LEADS STATE IN UNEMPLOYMENT ONCE AGAIN!!!!
The Department of Workforce Development released their local employment and unemployment rates for the State of Wisconsin today. Preliminary May 2014 rates decreased or remained the same in 23 of Wisconsin’s 32 largest municipalities from rates in April 2014, and they decreased in all 32 municipalities compared to rates in May 2013. The latest May 2014 rates ranged from 3.2 percent in Caledonia to 9.7 percent in Racine.
 

Yes we all can not wait for Scott Walker to rollout his special version of heavy spending and no jobs to he rest of the country! 

Walker Is About To Outdo Himself

Thanks to Scott Walker's policies and budgets, Wisconsin is lagging behind every state in the Midwest, and most of the nation, in job creation and wage increases. Things are so bad that Walker has been trying to rewrite his own job creation history.

Now that Walker has passed right to work (for less) legislation and is about to devastate the state with the worst budget ever, he might want to get a bigger pencil with a really big eraser for another rewrite as he is about to break his own record for layoffs in one year:

By the end of last week Wisconsin employers had already notified the Department of Workforce Development (DWD) of 3,543 planned layoffs, putting the state on pace to eclipse 10,000 in 2015.

That would be the highest number of layoffs announced in Wisconsin since 2011, when Gov. Scott Walker first took office. The total number of layoff notifications topped 9,000 that year.

By comparison, employers notified the state of 6,511 layoffs in 2012, 7,029 in 2013 and just 6,186 layoffs in 2014. The state records the notifications on the date when they are informed about the layoffs, which can then sometimes take effect over the course of a year or several years afterwards.

Many of the 2015 layoffs will impact hundreds of employees here in South Central Wisconsin. Last week alone, 93 employees at the Eaton Corp. plant in Watertown and 119 workers at McCain Foods in Fort Atkinson were told they will be out of a job by the end of the year.

"I just think our economic climate is not very healthy here," said Rep. Deb Kolste (D-Janesville), who sits on the Assembly Committee on Workforce Development.

Rep. Kolste said both workers and employers are feeling the pinch of the state's economic woes.

"We haven't created an environment where there's been robust wage growth and we are a consumer nation and if people aren't spending money - then we don't have the job growth," said Rep. Kolste.

And just think - he wants to repeat this level of "success" nationally.

The Walker Agenda Is Still Working! Part CCXLI

Remember when Scott Walker said that Wisconsin was "Open for Business?"  Remember when he said that attacking the unions would help create so many jobs?  Remember when Walker said that all the tax breaks to Big Businesses would help create jobs?

Yeah, well, neither do these 119 people:

McCain Foods USA Inc. will close its plant in Fort Atkinson, eliminating 119 jobs.

The job cuts are expected to begin June 26 and run through Dec. 18, the firm said in a notice to state officials Thursday. The company didn't say why it is shutting down the plant.

Most of the employees are represented by United Food & Commercial Workers Union Local 1473. Neither a union representative nor a McCain representative were available for comment late Thursday afternoon.

Walker's agenda hasn't worked for four years and it will never work.

The Walker Agenda Is Still Working! Part CCXL

Scott Walker is traveling the country telling people he should be president because he has done so well for our state and he wants to do the same to the country.  The country should pay close heed to how well Walker is really doing, which isn't at all well:

Unemployment rates are up in every Wisconsin county and major city.

The state Department of Workforce Development reported the figures for January.

The show unemployment increases across the board for the month. The figures are preliminary and subject to significant revision month-to-month.

Racine had the highest unemployment rate for the month at 8.1 percent, up from 7.5 percent in December. Milwaukee was second highest at 7.4 percent.

Menominee County had the highest unemployment for any county at 11 percent.

I wonder how proud the people who bought into Walker's lies are feeling now.

The Walker Agenda Is Still Working! Part CCXXXVIII

The "good news" following Scott Walker's reelection keeps coming in:

The Kmart store in Eau Claire will close to the public in early February, according to a corporate news release.

The store, located at 2424 E. Clairemont Ave., will remain open to customers until February. A liquidation sale begins Nov. 16.

The store closure is part of a series of actions to reduce on-going expenses, adjust the asset base and accelerate the transformation of our business model, the news release states.

The store has 93 employees, most of which are part time. Associates that are eligible will receive severance and have the opportunity to apply for open positions at other area Sears or Kmart stores.

Again and again, we continue to see stores pulling out of Wisconsin because they are underproducing. And the reason they are underproducing is because the people simply don't have the money to spend on anything but the very basics, and all too often, the people don't even have enough money for just the basics.

This blame for this issue falls directly on Walker, who tanked the economy so that he could give our money to his wealthy campaign donors.

Scott Walker - Job Creator!

Doesn't the guy on the left look a bit like Scott Walker - complete with the cabinet-induced bald spot?

The Walker Agenda Is Still Working! Part CCXXXVII

Scott Walker stagnated the state's economy to the point of anemia.  People that are lucky enough to still have jobs are finding their take home pay smaller.  The predictable result is that people spend less.  And when people spend less, the economy takes another spiral downwards.

And when the economy takes another downward spiral, the results are becoming all too familiar:

The JCPenney store at Regency Mall in Racine will close during the first quarter of 2015, a spokesman for the company said today.

“As we continue our turnaround, an important part of our work is identifying opportunities that enable JCPenney to maximize long-term growth and profitability. Doing so is essential to meeting our long-term goals for future company growth. While it’s never an easy decision to close stores, especially due to the impact on our valued associates and customers, we feel this is a necessary business decision,” said JCPenney spokesman Joey Thomas.

The company has no plans to close other stores in Wisconsin, Thomas said.

The JCPenney store closure is another major blow for Regency Mall, which lost its Sears store that closed in January.

In other words, people weren't spending enough for the story to remain viable and so they decided to cut their losses. This means more lost jobs and even less money in the economy.

I am truly at a loss to see how this is a good thing at all.

The Walker Agenda Is Still Working! Part CCXXXVI

With Scott Walker winning reelection, we might as well get used to news like this, since it's going to just keep getting worse:

Ohio label maker Multi-Color Corp. has informed state of Wisconsin officials that it will permanently close its plant in Watertown on or around Jan. 2, resulting in the loss of 58 jobs.

The company said in a mass layoff notice filed with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development that curtailment of operations will begin immediately, although some employees may have to stay after the planned closing date to assist in the transition. None of the employees are represented by a union.

Despite the inane rhetoric, something tells me that Wisconsin isn't going to be moving forward for a long, long time.

Rebecca Kleefisch: Jobs Ambassador

There is a radio commercial run by a third party in support of Rebecca Kleefisch.

Part of the commercial has this disturbing part about how she can shoot a turkey and send "Madison special interests" running for cover, making it seem like that she is willing to shoot people that she doesn't agree with.

Another part of the commercial describes Kleefisch as a "jobs ambassador."

Does that mean she goes traveling around the world to visit the jobs that companies have sent overseas with the help of WEDC funding (taxpayers' money)?

The Walker Agenda Is Still Working! Part CCXXXV

With ten days to go to the election, we get this timely reminder of just how well Scott Walker's job plan is working out (emphasis mine):

CNH Industrial will indefinitely lay off about 150 workers at its local tractor plant on Dec. 1.

Jeff Vassh, president of United Auto Workers Local 180, confirmed the news Friday. He said the company informed workers about 10 days earlier at a regular quarterly meeting.

Vassh said CNH will shut down second-shift tractor assembly as of the layoff date and slow tractor production from 40 a day before the layoffs to 30.

There are currently about 850 production workers, all union employees, at the plant, which makes Case IH Magnum and New Holland 8000 series tractors, Vassh said.

“It’s all market-based,” he said — layoff decisions had nothing to do with the quality of the work or the product, Vassh added. The agricultural equipment industry as a whole is in a slump, also affecting CNH competitor John Deere & Co., for example.

Walker killed the market when he took $3 billion out of the economy and out of our pockets to give to his wealthy friends.

We really can't afford 4 more months of this much less four more years.

Scotty Flip Flop!

By Jeff Simpson


Flip

Walker Administration, January, 2011: The monthly jobs numbers are "unreliable employment statistics out of Washington [that] misinform the public and create unnecessary anxiety for job seekers and job creators about the shape of our state’s economy.”

Flop:

 Walker Administration, October 2014: The monthly jobs numbers are “more great news for working families and it’s more proof that Wisconsin is heading in the right direction.”

The Walker Agenda Is Still Working! Part CCXXXIV

While Scott Walker and friends are jumping up and down, pointing at Mary Burke and screaming, "Plagiarism!", the state continues to hemorrhage jobs and a sickening rate:

About 60 percent of the workforce at Milwaukee's Shelter Mortgage Co. will be laid off in November, following the company's acquisition earlier this month, according to a letter filed with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development Tuesday.

Shelter was a subsidiary of Brown Deer-based Guaranty Bank until January 2013, when Guaranty sold its Shelter Mortgage division to a Chicago private equity group in a move designed to free up capital. New Plymouth, Pa.-based national mortgage lender New Penn Financial LLC acquired Shelter for an undisclosed sum in early September.

Almost one month since Shelter's later acquisition, a letter Tuesday said 63 employees will lose their jobs over a 90-day period starting Nov. 30. Shelter employs about 100, a New Penn spokesman told the Milwaukee Business Journal earlier this month.

At this point, people are wishing Scott Walker stole someone else's job plan besides ALEC's, because it sure as hell isn't working.