Yesterday Milwaukee County Executive candidate Chris Abele unveiled his job creation and economic development plan.
“The status quo is simply not working, and we need to fundamentally change the way Milwaukee County does business and economic development,” Abele said. “It’s time to end the culture that too often accepts ‘no’ as an answer, and transform it into a culture that strives to find a way to say ‘yes.’ I’ll work with everyone – Democrats and Republicans, workers, CEOs and small business owners – to turn Milwaukee County around, help businesses grow, and create new private sector jobs.”
Abele’s job creation plan would focus on five key points:
- Hold the line on taxes
- Leverage County assets to help businesses start up and grow
- Streamline, consolidate and centralize economic development strategies and regulatory climate
- Aggressively market Milwaukee County across Wisconsin and the country
- Property tax grace period for new small business startups that create new net jobs
I know a lot of Democrats – including several friends of mine – are strong supporters of Chris Abele, but when I hear “hold the line on taxes” and “streamline and consolidate regulatory climate” I think of Wisconsin’s current Governor (and former Milwaukee County Executive) Scott Walker.
If Chris Abele wants to win the support of more than a small cadre of Democratic supporters, he’s going to have to do more than recycling the essentially the same rhetoric used by Scott Walker during his term as County Executive.
“Selective tax breaks” is a Scott Walker type idea and would violate the state Constitution for Milwaukee County to try it. Why is this guy claiming to be a liberal?
Abele will do whatever his notecards tell him to do.
Personally, I agree with you – the government has no right to pick winners and losers. Special consideration to businesses moving here, threatening to move or in “special” industries necessisarily punishes the others.
I assume then, you’re also against the green energy tax credits and other such benifits to initiatives you agree with as well as those you don’t?
As to the constitutionality issue – if you’re correct then pretty much every municipality in the country is in trouble. No more TIFs and the like.