Issue Position: Economic Development

Issue Position

For over seven years, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) has been a constant source of controversy, inefficiency and ineffectiveness. Millions have been lost or unaccounted for, taxpayer-funded loans have been used to buy luxury cars and Scott Walker still hasn't met his 250,000 jobs promise from 2010.

Despite over a billion dollars in tax breaks for big corporations with the Manufacturing and Agriculture Tax Credit (MAC), manufacturing jobs have decreased, manufacturing wages have gone down and western Wisconsin led the nation in farm bankruptcies in 2017. With MAC fully phased in, 11 multi-millionaires (making over $35 million a year) received $22 million in tax breaks and they didn't have to create one single Wisconsin job. Trickle-down economics doesn't work and neither do $4.5+ billion Hail Mary passes to foreign corporations like Foxconn.

As Governor, Tony will:

Disband WEDC and return the majority of economic development dollars to local communities and regional organizations. We shouldn't make businesses come to Madison to beg for help -- we should work within our communities and local chambers of commerce to rebuild our main streets and grow our existing businesses.
Ensure access to high speed broadband in every Wisconsin home and business
Invest in our roads, bridges, ports and airports, which not only brings new businesses and industries to Wisconsin, but leads to more good paying Wisconsin jobs
Increase our investment in education, includes starting kids off right with strong early childhood programs, fully funding well-rounded k-12 public schools and returning to the Wisconsin Idea that values higher education, research and a commitment to making our community a better place.

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