MSNBC "The Ed Show" - Transcript: Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation Scandal

Interview

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CHULTZ: The point of Walker`s Wisconsin economic development corporation was supposed to be used public resource to encourage instate business to hire and expand. Instead the Walker administration rewarded companies for doing the exact opposite.

For more on this we turn to the Democratic Leader in the state house tonight and that is Wisconsin State Representative Peter Barca. Mr. Barca, good to have you with us tonight. I want to know and I think residents of your state want to know, what is Governor Walker doing wrong here?

STATE REP. PETER BARCA, [D] WISCONSIN: Well I`m great to be back on your show and it was really a startling revelation when WKOW broke the story that there were two different companies that were being awarded, sizable amounts of money and then later finding out that they were outsourcing jobs overseas. So we`re calling for more stringent controls to analyze this. But the problem has been that there`s been a lack of follow through in tracking these dollars, in tracking what`s happening. And then it comes to this where you wonder how in the world could you possibly allow dollars to be awarded in order to ship jobs overseas.

So we`re -- My blood was boiling when I heard the story where analyzing this plosive (ph) but we need tire controls and it`s been very frustrating to see one more story of this sort come out on Wedeck (ph).

SCHULTZ: Well the question begs, the Wisconsin economic development corporation puts money to two corporations that ship jobs overseas instead of investing on employees in Wisconsin. Are -- Do these companies -- do you know if they have contributed to Walker`s campaign in the past?

BARCA: I don`t now about these two particular companies but the same station WKOW also has broken a story about the sizable number of companies that did get awards that were holding fundraiser for the Governor. And I know that there`s a lot of these good government groups that are analyzing this and there`s been quite a few stories. But clearly it`s not working very well in Wisconsin at all Ed, where tenth of 10 states in the Mid West in creating jobs, it`s an abysmal performance.

And so, I think that`s why the race is virtually tied here for Governor. Mary Burke has been very strong when she heard of this story, she jumped out of immediately and called for a stop to this practice and analyze this. And I think we`re going to see a very tight race because of the fact that the number issue on the minds of Wisconsinites is how can we put people back to work and we`re not doing a very good job at this at this point?

SCHULTZ: So it is documented that these companies that got money ship jobs overseas, it`s been reported in the Wisconsin media, Mary Burke has jumped on this, the polls have tightened. When I was in Wisconsin yesterday, a lot of people were asking me, do I think Walker could get reelected? I mean, don`t think I have to answer that, I mean I have a gut instinct about it. But this is not good and it`s not fair to the taxpayers and this story isn`t going to be going away anytime soon.

We will be back at you Mr. Barca, I appreciate your time tonight, thanks so much. Peter Barca who is the Democratic Leader in the House in Wisconsin. Good to be back with you, back right here again tomorrow night. That`s the Ed Show. I`m Schultz. Politics Nation with Reverend Al Sharpton, starts right now.

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