Viroqua, Wis. loses 90-plus jobs, untold number of wild hogs

Today Viroqua, Wisc. learned that one of its biggest employers, NCR, is closing its doors to all of its 81 employees. Also closing shop today in Viroqua is the Vernon Area Rehabilitation Center (VARC)’€”a place where some people go to get a job after they get laid off. And Nelson Muffler, the place where people in Viroqua go to get their cars fixed when they need to leave town to find a new job, is closing too. Thank you George W. Bush!Viroqua is just 12 miles from my hometown of Viola, which learned of its own loss of 60 manufacturing jobs (and two bar closings’€”the place people go when they can’€™t find jobs and can’€™t leave town) back in August. Viroqua is also right next door to Westby, which is home to Enemy of all Feral Pigs, Representative Lee Nerison. If only he could protect jobs from leaving the area as well as he protects people from wild hog attacks. But then again, I don’€™t remember the last time I heard about a wild hog attack. Thank you Lee Nerison!

And after reading today’€™s Cap Times, I just hope all those losing their jobs this week won’€™t be needing health care any time soon. The headline reads: ‘€œNewly unemployed often can’t afford to continue health insurance.’€

Seriously though, these job cuts are a huge loss to the area, and it’€™s times like these that it’€™s more critical than ever to ensure our public service programs can continue to make our communities healthy and lasting. Conservatives can try to rewrite the George W. Bush legacy all they want, but evidence of the failure of the conservative economic philosophy continues to pile up.

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