Scott Walker is so desperate to hide his pathetic economic record in Wisconsin that he is counting Girl Scout troops and Little League teams as new business creation in the state.
As he was running for governor, Scott Walker promised bring ten thousand new businesses to the state of Wisconsin. Instead of bringing prosperity, Walker has wrecked the state’s economy. Finding himself nearly 6,000 new businesses short of his promise, Gov. Walker used a different statistic called business entities kept by the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions (WDFI) to reach his goal.
The problem with Walker’s definition of a business was detailed by Jud Lounsbury,
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The problem with the WDFI numbers is that a great deal of the “business entities” it counts are not, in fact, the “new businesses” that Walker had in mind when he made his pledge. Many are out-of-state corporations that have to file papers in Wisconsin, but have no real physical presence in the state, many are multiple filings for one business, and over 35,000 of the “businesses” Walker is using in his formula are something called “non-stock corporations” which are business-sounding, but are actually Little League Teams, Girl Scout Troops, Lions Clubs, and other community organizations or non-profits.
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And we’re not just talking Little League teams. The Reedsburg Girl Scout troop, Madison Ping-Pong Club, Waupaca Rotary Club, Columbus Historical Society, Oconto Jaycees, Blue Mound Nordic Ski Club, Clyman Lions Club, Three Rivers Bird Watchers Club, Menomonee Falls Choir Association, and Pepin Yacht Club all are in Walker’s list of new businesses created. In fact, in Walker’s list of new businesses, he is counting 241 organizations with “club” in the title, 102 with “friends,” 75 condo associations, 458 associations (mostly real estate), 360 foundations, 211 churches and over 200 with football, baseball or some other sport in the name.
Scott Walker’s job creation numbers have been a total disaster for the state of Wisconsin. According to Biz Journals, Walker ranks 40th out of 45 governors in job creation. He has created half as many jobs Wisconsin as the average for the other 49 states.
Gov. Walker has turned Wisconsin into one of the worst economies in the country, but he wants to be president, so he is out there selling himself as a creator of businesses and jobs. The problem for Walker is that his method of cooking the books is also little league.
Walker’s level of desperation is growing. This is a man who is being touted by right wing media as a serious contender for the 2016 Republican nomination, but his real record in Wisconsin is a complete disaster. Besides the John Doe investigation and his habit of having senior citizens and teenagers who disagree with him arrested, Walker’s biggest problem is that he his economic record is abysmal.
Just like Little League teams and Girl Scout troops aren’t businesses, Scott Walker isn’t a serious threat to win the presidency. In an administration that has been known for its deceit, trickery, and illegality, trying to pass non-profits off as businesses is new absurd low.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
