Gov. Walker’s WEDC Secrecy Is ‘Arrogance’

MADISON, Wis. — One Wisconsin Now Executive Director Scot Ross released the following statements regarding a news report in the Wisconsin State Journal that the Gov. Scott Walker’s office is redacting names of companies seeking taxpayer funds for the privatized Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation.

“Gov. Walker has failed to create the jobs he promised us and given WEDC’s incompetence, the public needs to know more than ever the way Gov. Walker is spending our money and that decisions are being based on the merits, not on who’s donating to his campaign,” said Scot Ross, One Wisconsin Now Executive Director.

“Gov. Walker’s donors have received 60 percent of the nearly $1 billion of taxpayer funds given out by WEDC. Gov. Walker sat by while WEDC gave money to companies that then outsourced Wisconsin jobs. And rather than change the culture of cronyism, corruption and incompetence of his administration, Gov. Walker is now trying to deny the public’s right to know. It is utter arrogance by Gov. Walker to think the public won’t see this for what it is: a desperate reaction to his sagging poll numbers.”

A recent report from One Wisconsin Now found that owners or employees of 30 percent of businesses receiving assistance from WEDC contributed to Gov. Walker’s campaign or the Republican Governors Association (RGA). Both Gov. Walker’s campaign and the RGA have received over $1 million from WEDC recipients. Meanwhile these same businesses received almost 60 percent of WEDC economic development funds – $570 million in total.