Time to put our money where our mouth is
The first month of the new legislative session has ended, and things are beginning to pick up around Madison. Committees are starting to meet, legislation is being introduced and the governor is scheduled to give his 2013-15 budget address Feb. 20.
For me, the highlight last week was the first official meeting of the Workforce Development Committee. Although it was just an informational hearing—no bills have been referred to our committee yet—we heard from experts in the field who helped all of us on the committee learn about our workforce development system.
By no means is it an easy system. Nine state agencies receive funding or have oversight over nearly 40 workforce development programs. Furthermore, with 92 percent of our workforce development funding coming from the federal government, our hands are often tied as to how or when we use those funds.
The day after this meeting, I sat down with several members of the Southwest Wisconsin Workforce Development Board. These folks not only operate and oversee our area’s Job Centers, but they help execute several federal workforce development programs. When the economy nosedived in 2008, nearly 25 percent of overall layoffs in the state came from southwestern Wisconsin.
After participating in these meetings, I could not be more excited about the Middle Class Jobs Now package introduced by Democrats in the Legislature. It is a good first step toward closing the skills gap, offering better job training, creating incentives to attract businesses to Wisconsin and helping keep our local businesses open and workers employed.
One part of this package is the “Made in America” bill. There is a trend of many states purchasing prefabricated bridges and building materials from China. This is unacceptable. We must invest in businesses here at home. This legislation requires state and local units of government to give preference to U.S.-made products when purchasing materials.
Another bill in this package creates the Workforce Growth Skills Training Program. Essentially, this legislation would create a competitive grant program, run by the Wisconsin Technical College System, that would help businesses and economic development organizations address worker training needs. The grants could be used for scholarships, infrastructure construction, purchasing equipment, faculty costs, and curriculum development, just to name a few.
These bills and the rest of the legislation in the Middle Class Jobs Now package are a good first step at getting Wisconsinites back to work, but there’s even more work to do. Wisconsin ranks 42nd in job creation. Forbes magazine projects our state will experience the second-worst job growth through 2016. We must do something now. The fact that the state only contributes 8 percent toward our overall workforce development budget is atrocious.
With all of the rhetoric on both sides about investing in our economy and local workers, I sincerely hope we start to put our money where our mouth is. We should pass a state budget that dramatically increases funding for our workforce development programs.
Rep. Janis Ringhand, D-Evansville, represents the 45th Assembly District. Readers can reach her at P.O. Box 8953, Madison, WI 53708; phone 888-534-0045; email Rep.Ringhand@legis.wi.gov.
Feb 13, 2013 at 5:54 p.m.
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vnvet- Did Doyle before him have more "education"....didn't do anyone any good, did it?
Feb 13, 2013 at 5:33 p.m.
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Panama,
I understand you. More spending, more borrowing, and higher taxes for all will promote prosperity! The central planners will tax all of us (well some of us) into wealth?
What is republican economic policy? Seems like I was never taught this in graduate school....does it differ from democrat economic policy? Again, I am not familiar with this line of teaching....
Feb 13, 2013 at 5:15 p.m.
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TCB, you REALLY have trouble focusing. Your argument is so weak that instead of addressing the real issues, you've resorted to deflecting the argument away from Scotty. You, like many other Conservatives, have chosen to live in a make-believe world where "trickle down" refers to an economic theory rather than how waste flows and tax cuts are touted as economic stimulus. Neither have proven effective - EVER. Meanwhile fact and reason appear to have little, if any, effect on Republican economic policy. Scotty's lack of effectiveness speaks for itself.
Feb 13, 2013 at 3:58 p.m.
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Panama,
I understand you. Walker has failed to deliver on his promise of 250K jobs-so he should be recalled. (I guess more people disagree-since he won in a landslide against a former dem mayor)
Obama has succeeded in creating 18 Million new households dependent on foodstamps, 17% unemployed, 25% african american unemployed, he spend 5 trillion in new debt and has nothing to show for it, doubled the price of gasoline, single handedly ended the recession in June of 2009-5 months into his historic 1st term, he killed OBL, and has created zero net new jobs-but has "saved" 6 million jobs (or is it 60 Million) - Obama deserves to be on Mount Rushmore. Hey, but the market is near record high! (good for those 1%ers).
Obama's frist term was a resounding success-he should focus on anthropogenic climate change and gun control-especially controlling those citizens who legally register and buy guns. By the way-how many killed today in Chicago but criminals who legally bought their gun?
Hope and Change!
Feb 13, 2013 at 3:21 p.m.
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Truth1...I was referring to his attempt at obtaining an education , or lack there of.
Feb 13, 2013 at 2:50 p.m.
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vnvet- What could Walker have done 30 years ago?
Feb 13, 2013 at 1:08 p.m.
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"So you think its govts role to create jobs?"
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Still having trouble reading TCB? Exactly which word or phrase led you to that erroneous assumption? Your lectures are getting old, TCB. Same old hypocritical BS. You seem to think Obama hasn't grown the economy because he lacks business experience. The same holds true for the man of your dreams, Scotty. So whats your point? The government CAN create jobs, but that type of growth is not sustainable. Only a growing economy leads to sustainable job growth. If Republicans also believe that to be true then why doesn't Scotty rely on businesses to make an investment educating and training the type of workers they want and need? Someday perhaps, businesses will come to realize an investment in their workers reaps greater benefits than using much of their profits to compensate their CEO's or buy political influence. But then how would Walker finance his reelection?
Feb 13, 2013 at 1:02 p.m.
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Truth1...yes, Walker is living proof of that.
Feb 13, 2013 at 12:09 p.m.
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panamared,
So you think its govts role to create jobs? You must really be upset with Obama. Redistributing poverty - not wealth.
Govt needs to create the environment to create jobs. Obama likes to pick the winners-afterall his experience in running business, meeting payrolls, hiring and developing talent is well known. Maybe Obama will tour the shuttered GM plant and promise more spending, more borrowing, higher taxes, higher minimum wage...I think the GM plant would be a great second site for Solyndra....
300 Million tax cut from education? Its only a proposal-spare the sky is falling nonsense. Go ahead and spend your $121 over 2 years- (the average WI household)....hopefully this additional income will not change your habits too much. The state is expected to take 15.2 Billion in income taxes over the next 2 years-how many "children" will be impacted with these draconian tax cuts? Answer below:
0.
Feb 13, 2013 at 11:15 a.m.
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Of course, over the past two years, we have witnessed how well the Republican economic growth strategy has worked. Wisconsin currently ranks 42nd out of 50 states in job creation. Now Scotty want to "invest" $100 million in our tax money AND millions of "federal funding" to create jobs. This must be Scotty "doing something because it makes him feel good" as described by TCB. Evidently Scotty suddenly realized he needed to do "something" to offset the over $300 million he cut from education over a two year period. Republicans slashed funding to Technical Colleges by 30%, from $119.3 million to $83.5 million but now want to increase funding by 5.9%. Wow! Although according to truth1, NONE of this silly "investment" would be necessary if schools just did their job. Gee, I haven't heard THAT excuse from a Republican yet! The Republican Governor IS doing something - to get reelected.
Feb 13, 2013 at 8:59 a.m.
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Most of this and the spending that goes with it wouldn't be necessary if the public schools would have been doing their job over the last 30 years.
Feb 13, 2013 at 8:47 a.m.
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Rhetoric. Let me translate "we should invest in our economy and workers"....this means we need to raise income taxes, user fees, service charges, permits, levee higher fines" to "pay for more state govt programs and hire more state employees."
Liberals love to "do something" (because it makes them feel good) if more government regulation of business is the magic answer that so many seem to think it is, the whole history of the 1930s would have been different. Putting restrictions on international trade in order to save jobs at home? That was tried with the Hawley-Smoot tariff during the Great Depression.
Unemployment was 9 percent when that tariff was passed to save jobs, but unemployment went up instead of down, and reached 25 percent before the decade was over. Ms Ringhand-dont let the facts stand in your way of "doing something" -you write such a nice story its a shame to spoil it with facts.
Feb 13, 2013 at 7:12 a.m.
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"With all of the rhetoric on both sides"
Funny she makes this statement, after spewing the campaign rhetoric in the previous paragraph.
Feb 13, 2013 at 5:50 a.m.
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Rep Ringhand....you better talk to the liberal posters on the Gazette because they are not happy with Gov Walkers proposals for job training, etc. But maybe because you are a democrat they will like these training programs. But something tells me they just don't like anything he does.
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