Monday, January 14, 2013

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.

3 comments:

  1. The question always is: which entrepreneurs to invest in? There will be no shortage of businesses applying for corporate-socialist handouts. Those receiving "investments' will usually be the well-connected, you know, cronies. Isn't the private sector supposed to be better at picking winners and losers? Is there some shortage of investment capital in Wisconsin? Is it stored offshore or all being spent funding right-wings stink tanks?

    The extraordinarily high rate of failure among technology start-ups leads me to think that public dollars would be best spent in upgrading infrastructure: such as high-speed internet, education and other endeavors which maintain the quality of life in Wisconsin. There is no reason for a tech start-up to stay in Wisconsin, or even open business here when the government is dis-investing in society.

    Maybe another Teahadist attack on the University will solve the problem. The wise men of the legislature could dictate what should and should not be researched. That should do the trick in attracting the best scientific minds to the state.

    Otherwise, the beatings should continue until morale improves.

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  2. Dont worry about the Universities...Steve nASS has that covered....and really who better to do it?

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  3. Great this is posting a huge sign saying "Free money to con artists, do apply!" While our public schools, social service departments, public safety, civil servants, and just about everyone from newborn to near death gets their services cut and taxes hiked because "we're broke". The anger I feel inside is just about to boil over. Why I stay in this state as an educated professional is beyond me and something to seriously consider changing.

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