Jobs & the Economy

GOP Redistricting Fiasco Gets Worse

MADISON, Wis. — One Wisconsin Now Executive Director Scot Ross released the following statements on the fiasco caused by the Republicans rush to try and rig election districts in the redistricting process. Since taking power in January, Republicans have systematically attacked voting rights and focused on an extreme, divisive agenda to solidify their political power […]

Walker’s Latest Ad Repeats False Claims About Taxes, Jobs

MADISON, Wis. — The latest ad in Gov. Scott Walker’s multi-million dollar campaign continues to distort Walker’s record of failure on job creation and deficit reduction, including the false claim that Walker did not raise taxes. “Gov. Walker believes that if he repeats the lie enough, the people of Wisconsin will believe it,” said Scot […]

Walker Opponents Not Caught Up in Holiday Spirit of Latest Campaign Ad

“The jobs losses, cuts to schools and education, and enrichment of corporations paint a far more Dickensian picture than Walker’s ad,” said Scot Ross, leader of the liberal advocacy group One Wisconsin Now. “Good thing he and the family are ‘volunteering’ for a food kitchen, because his policies are going to make even longer lines […] [Republic]

One Wisconsin Now Statements on Speaker Fitzgerald’s ‘Laughable’ Recall Petition Bill

MADISON, Wis. — One Wisconsin Now Executive Director Scot Ross released the following statements regarding the latest power grab by outgoing Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald (R-Horicon) and current U.S. Senate candidate related to recall petition signing. Fitzgerald announced the scheme just as the recall effort against Gov. Scott Walker announced over 500,000 recall signatures have […]

Business Owner in Latest Walker Ad Thrived During Doyle Administration

MADISON, Wis. — The “business owner” featured in the latest Scott Walker television ad saw his business grow 1,300 percent during the administration of Gov. Jim Doyle, according to a self-professed claim in the Business Times from 2008. The business owner is actually a vice chair at the Milwaukee Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, which donated […]

Gov. Walker’s job creation record lags behind other midwestern states

Wisconsin may be the best Big Ten state on the football field, but when it comes to job creation in the midwest, Gov. Scott Walker has made Wisconsin a big loser. To put things in perspective, Iowa added 13,300 jobs over the past year, Minnesota added 19,600 positions and Illinois added 61,900 jobs. Michigan has […]

Walker’s Elves Attack Workers’ Rights in Private Sector

MADISON, Wis. — In the midst of the holiday season, another historic battle is being waged in Wisconsin over workers’ rights. Nearly 200 workers of Machinists Local 516 at Manitowoc Crane have been on strike since November 15 over last-minute provisions management is trying to force on the union. “Nine months after Walker stripped hundreds […]

Walker’s False Choice on Cutting 65,000 from Health Care, Including 29,000 Children

MADISON, Wis. — Gov. Scott Walker continues to choose corporate special interest donors over the people of Wisconsin — offering a scheme that would cut health care for 65,000 Wisconsinites to pay off part of his $2.3 billion in new tax breaks for corporations and the rich passed since he took office. “Gov. Walker’s corporate […]

One Wisconsin Now’s ‘RecallScottWalker.org’ Plane to Greet Governor at UW-Nebraska Game

MADISON, Wis. — Gov. Scott Walker, who gutted funds for public education, the University of Wisconsin and the technical college system by nearly $2 billion, will be greeted by a plane with a special message from One Wisconsin Now as he attends Saturday’s Badgers vs. Nebraska football game. The message: “RecallScottWalker.org _ One WI Now.” […]

Walker Latest Scheme: Public Can Pay $50 to Hear His Job Ideas

MADISON, Wis. — Gov. Scott Walker, facing a steadily-increasing state unemployment rate despite passing $2.3 billion in tax cuts to corporations and the wealthy, has announced his latest scheme: charge the public $50 to attend a state-sponsored “jobs summit.” Walker’s fee will likely restrict public access, particularly the unemployed and those in need of jobs. […]

One Wisconsin Now Statements On Latest Walker Failure: 2,300 Jobs Gone

One Wisconsin Now Executive Director Scot Ross released the following statements regarding the latest failure from Gov. Scott Walker and the Republican-controlled legislature: a total job loss of 2,300 from July to August and the unemployment rate rising to 7.9 percent. The news comes after Walker signed into law $2.3 billion in new tax breaks […] [Enewspf.com]

Wis. unemployment rate increases slightly in July

Scot Ross of the liberal muckraking group One Wisconsin Now jumped on the latest report. “Gov. Scott Walker and the Republicans controlling the Legislature promised us new jobs and they have delivered nothing but new corporate tax breaks and attacks on Wisconsin’s way of life,” he said in a statement. “This latest startling news, that […] [CNBC]

One Wisconsin Now Statements on Latest Walker Failure: 12,500 Private Sector Jobs Gone

MADISON, Wis. — One Wisconsin Now Executive Director Scot Ross released the following statements regarding the latest failure from Gov. Scott Walker and the Republican-controlled legislature: 12,500 private sector jobs lost in July and the unemployment rate rising to its highest level in almost a year at 7.8 percent. The news comes after Walker signed […]

GE Move Shows Corporate Tax Breaks Are a Failure

Despite Gov. Scott Walker’s six-month sell-off of Wisconsin state government to corporate special interests at the cost of nearly $2 billion over the next decade, General Electric’s X-ray business just announced it is moving its Waukesha headquarters to Beijing, China. Walker and the Republican Legislature just handed out nearly $2 billion in new corporate tax […] [Wisconsin State Journal]

One Wisconsin Now Launches Website: ‘Stuff Simac Says’

MADISON, Wis. — The controversial, extremist and out of touch statements made by Tea Party fanatic Kim Simac are now catalogued and being added to daily at One Wisconsin Now’s website: http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/blog/2011/07/kim-simacs-disappearing-act.html. “Kim Simac can’t hide from her extremist past, no matter how much her paid political operatives try to rewrite her history,” said Ross. […]

Nearly $2 Billion in Walker Tax Breaks Won’t Keep GE from Moving to China

MADISON, Wis. — Despite Gov. Scott Walker’s six-month sell-off of Wisconsin state government to corporate special interests at the cost of nearly $2 billion over the next decade, General Electric’s X-Ray business just announced it is moving its Waukesha headquarters to Beijing, China. “Between Gov. Scott Walker’s endless corporate tax breaks and General Electric’s endless […]

One Wisconsin Now Statements on Walker Signing Surrender to Wall Street, Corporations

MADISON, Wis. — One Wisconsin Now Executive Director Scot Ross released the following statements regarding Gov. Scott Walker’s planned signing of the 2011-13 Wisconsin state budget on Sunday. Walker’s budget includes tax breaks for corporations and the rich that will cost the state of Wisconsin taxpayers $2.3 billion over the next decade. At the same […]

One Wisconsin Now Statements on Participation in WMC Protest

MADISON, Wis. — One Wisconsin Now Executive Director Scot Ross released the following statements regarding One Wisconsin Now’s participation in the protest at the Capitol and headquarters of Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, scheduled for noon today. One Wisconsin Now has led the fight for accountability for the state’s largest and most powerful business lobbying group, […]

One Wisconsin Now Statements on JFC Voter ID Funds

MADISON, Wis. — One Wisconsin Now Executive Director Scot Ross released the following statements regarding the Joint Finance Committee action on $10 million in funds for additional Department of Motor Vehicle funds related to the voter suppression plan. “The amount of funding is woefully inadequate to ensure Wisconsin can properly administer the currently-unconstitutional Voter ID […]

Walker Returns $50,000 in Jack Links’-Related Contributions with $75,000 in Taxpayer Dollars

MADISON, Wis. — Gov. Scott Walker has announced a $75,000 taxpayer-financed grant to a company, who along with its Chief Executive Officer, donated nearly $50,000 in 2010 to the Republican Governors Association, which spent $5 million to elect Walker governor, according to a figures obtained from the Internal Revenue Service by One Wisconsin Now. Walker […]

Another Day, Another Bernier Broken Jobs Promise

MADISON, Wis. — After abruptly announcing her inability to “fairly represent” taxpayers and planned resignation as Chippewa County Clerk due to her election to the State Assembly, Rep. Kathy Bernier (R-Chippewa Falls) has now filed papers to run for president of the Lake Hallie Village Board. Bernier followed up this embarrassing flip-flop by breaking her […]

Diverse Voices Register Opposition to Unneeded Voter Identification Bill

MADISON, Wis. — Opponents of proposed legislation to restrict voter access to the polls, gathered at the State Capitol Wednesday to condemn so-called Voter ID legislation as a costly, unnecessary plan, which could lead to the disenfranchisement of untold tens of thousands of eligible voters in every corner of Wisconsin. Leon Burzynski, President of the […]

One Wisconsin Now Statements Regarding Paul Ryan’s Response to President Obama

MADISON, Wis. — One Wisconsin Now released the following statements in advance of tonight’s Presidential State of the Union address and the planned response from U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin. “I hope that Paul Ryan explains to us why we should trust him and his conservative allies with our finances after they nearly bankrupted […]

GOP: ‘Wisconsin is Open for California’s Budget Crisis’

MADISON, Wis. — Gov. Scott Walker’s misguided plan to create a supermajority for tax increases ignores that the taxes targeted have not been increased by the legislature in over 30 years. Similar supermajority measures in California have led to that state’s near economic collapse, a record-setting deficit and draconian cuts for critical public investments. “Gov. […]

Will Insurance Customers Change Companies When GOP Bill Doesn’t Cut Their Rates?

MADISON, Wis. — Insurance companies across the state could see a mass exodus of existing Wisconsin customers if rates do not drop immediately after passage of an insurance lobby-supported bill to reduce the required insurance coverage for state drivers. The insurance lobby has blamed required insurance levels for raising rates, leaving customers to reasonably expect […]

Can Walker create 250,000 jobs?

It’s a goal that started as a campaign promise, one that drew scorn from critics such as the liberal group One Wisconsin Now. [Milwaukee Magazine]

Steineke: ‘I Don’t Particularly Care What People Think’

MADISON, Wis. — State Rep. Jim Steineke (R-Vandenbroek), who has a long history of driving infractions including drunk driving, hit and run and driving without a license multiple times, when recently asked by a reporter if it was appropriate for him to head Assembly Republicans’ efforts to repeal car insurance requirement responded, “I don’t particularly […]

Tax-Shy Randy Hopper’s $250 Million Yearly Capital Gains Giveaway

MADISON, Wis. — Sen. Randy Hopper (R-Fond du Lac), who paid net state income taxes once in ten years, has proposed an end to capital gains taxes, which primarily benefit the wealthy and would cost $250 million a year, according to the non-partisan Wisconsin Legislative Fiscal Bureau. “How much less than zero does Randy Hopper […]

Leibham Admits Voter ID Bill Will Cost Big Money

“That will potentially cost some additional money to the state and to state taxpayers…” [Sen. Leibham, WUWM News, 1/12/2011] MADISON, Wis. — State Sen. Joe Leibham (R-Sheboygan) admitted to reporters the Republican Voter ID bill will deepen Wisconsin’s $3.3 billion budget deficit. Leibham has refused to give Wisconsin a total cost for this plan, nor […]

Private Health Savings Accounts: Don’t Create Jobs, Hike Deficit

MADISON, Wis. — The Republican plan to give a tax break to high deductible private health savings accounts would increase the deficit $48 million in the next two years, create no jobs and would not increase access to health care. The plan is to be debated today at a joint legislative health committee. “Wisconsin deserves […]

Footnote: How will Walker’s jobs tally be tracked

Scot Ross of One Wisconsin Now said his liberal group is among those that will attempt its own tally in an effort to determine which jobs Walker should and shouldn’t get credit for creating. [Wisconsin State Journal]

One Wisconsin Now Statements on Latest Walker Corporate Welfare Plan

MADISON, Wis. — One Wisconsin Now released the following statements regarding Gov.-elect Scott Walker’s plan to put corporate special interests in charge of he taxpayer-financed Wisconsin Department of Commerce. “Scott Walker is determined to rerun every play out of George W. Bush’s job-killing economic playbook and hand over our state’s treasury and regulatory authority to […]

One Wisconsin Now Statements on Walker’s Corporate Regulatory Giveaway

MADISON, Wis. — One Wisconsin Now Executive Director Scot Ross released the following statements about Gov.-elect Scott Walker’s regulatory reform plan to reward corporate campaign donors by allowing them to rewrite state regulations. “Scott Walker’s regulatory plan is to turn the governor’s office into the state’s largest lobbyist waiting room. This is an unprecedented power […]