This week in Wisconsin economic development

Given the state’s understandable concern with economic growth, I thought I would take this opportunity to highlight this week’s developments. Wisconsin drops to the bottom of all states in new business startups, according to the Kauffman Foundation. Milwaukee is ranked 39th out of the country’s 40 largest metropolitan areas in startups….

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Why do legislative Republicans fear tenure and shared governance?

I’ve been thinking a lot about tenure and shared governance and the role of the University of Wisconsin System in our state lately. I guess that’s no surprise, considering the changes the Joint Committee on Finance has proposed, without hearing (per their usual modus operandi), to Chapter 36 of the…

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Seriously? Judge Troupis?

In the Friday afternoon news dump, Mr. Scott Walker announced the appointment of Jim Troupis to the vacant seat on the Dane County Circuit Court previously held by Judge John Albert, who retired. Mr. Troupis will hold the seat until he is deposed by Dane County voters in August 2016….

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Responsible? Who, me?

Back in third grade, my classmates and I placed little slips of paper with the titles of books we had read into envelopes stapled to a board in the classroom. We had stars placed on the envelopes for every ten slips of paper. Being of a competitive nature even then,…

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Where’s the Revenue?

Scott Walker and the Republicans in the Legislature are counting on increases in revenue to reduce cuts to public elementary and secondary education. Sen. Scott Fitzgerald mentioned this in an interview with Mike Gousha on April 10th, and Mr. Walker did so in his telephone check-in with Wisconsin April 17th….

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School Choice Wisconsin fails Final Four logic test

Of all the social media responses to the Wisconsin Badgers outstanding victory over Kentucky in the NCAA semifinal game yesterday, perhaps the most bizarre was this one from Wisconsin School Choice: Seriously? Badger basketball victories are an argument for school choice? No, this was not dated April 1st. And it…

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Unclear on the Concept, or What’s a Budget For?

Rep. Rob Hutton (R-Brookfield) announced on Tuesday that majority Republicans “are debating whether to add repeal of the state’s prevailing wage laws to the 2013-15 budget. He said the move would not be aimed at limiting public scrutiny of Assembly Bill 32 and Senate Bill 49 but because the measure’s…

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The Not-Ready-for–Prime-Time Budget (from the Not-Ready-for–Prime-Time Governor)

Conservatives have described Scott Walker, in his undeclared run for President (I choke as I type that phrase), as “not ready for prime time.” They cite his flip-flopping, his handling of the Liz Mair hiring/firing resignation, and his inability to answer expected questions. What they don’t cite is Walker’s inability…

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The Tyranny of the Two Minute Time Limit

Woe to the citizen who is not a practiced public speaker coming before the Joint Committee on Finance in one of the four hearings on the state budget. The two-minute limit awaits you, and comes faster than you can ever imagine.   Introducing yourself takes 10 to 15 seconds, depending on…

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