"I came here to listen," said state Sen. Chris Larson (D-Milwaukee) during a lively, well-attended Monday night community meeting at the Washington Park Senior Center.
Many of the legislators' solutions seemed to be long-term—and involved recalling Walker in 2012 and flipping control of the state Legislature from Republican to Democrat.
But audience members had other hands-on, short-term solutions for Milwaukee's chronic job crisis:
- Rev. Joseph Ellwanger, representing Milwaukee Inner-City Congregations Allied for Hope (MICAH) and Milwaukee Transitional Jobs Collaborative, said that he was "amazed" by the success of the city's transitional jobs demonstration project. These are minimum-wage, entry-level positions, but they serve the important function of helping to provide a stepping stone for individuals with few in-demand job skills or a poor work history.
"They have gone on to better jobs," Ellwanger said of the project's participants.
- Sen. Larson urged the crowd and the Legislature to support his Wisconsin Jobs Initiative, which he introduced with state Rep. Cory Mason (D-Racine) last week. The bill would tax annual incomes over $1 million at a rate of an additional 1%, which would generate at least $70 million in its first year. That new tax would then fund jobs skills training to at least 35,000 students in the Wisconsin Technical College System. Despite publicly acknowledging the importance of Wisconsin's technical schools in the state's economy, Walker and his Republican allies slashed $34.2 million from the system in the biennial state budget.
Larson criticized the Republicans' strategy of giving tax breaks to corporations and the wealthy without asking for any commitments to create jobs in return.
"If they're not creating jobs, they lose the right to be called 'job creators,'" Larson said.
- Khalil Coleman told legislators to oppose Assembly Bill 286—introduced by state Rep. Joel Kleefisch (R-Oconomowoc) and co-sponsored by state Sen. Alberta Darling (R-River Hills)—which would allow employers to fire employees and refuse to hire job-seekers who have committed felonies.
"Kill this bill," Coleman said.
State Rep. Sandy Pasch (D-Shorewood) agreed, and called Darling and Kleefisch's bill "absolutely disgusting."
- Milwaukee County Supervisor Eyon Biddle announced that his attempt to "ban the box" passed the county board last month.
"That means that in January 2012 we will no longer be able to ask anyone about their criminal past when they apply for jobs with Milwaukee County," Biddle said. "And we only got that done because people stood behind us."
He also asked the crowd to call their supervisors and Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele in support of the Biddle-Lipscomb Ready to Work Initiative, authored with Supervisor Theo Lipscomb, which would train work-ready individuals and help them access jobs with the county or in the private sector.
- Michael Lauer, executive director of Wisconsin Jobs Now!, asked the crowd to sign on to the People's Blueprint for Good Jobs. The plan includes four simple steps: fund technical colleges and training programs so that workers are equipped to do the jobs Wisconsin needs; support job-creation in Wisconsin-based companies; boost transparency so that taxpayers know which companies are receiving tax breaks; and make sure that everyone—including millionaires and billionaires—pay their fair share in taxes.
"If companies that receive tax breaks or other incentives aren't creating jobs, take the money back," Lauer said.
Lauer asked the audience—as well as the legislators—to sign on to the plan so that his organization could present it to Walker to provide the governor with simple steps to create jobs in Wisconsin.
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The JS reported this morning there is a massive labor shortage in Alabama and Georgia. Potato farms in Alabama and Blueberry farms in Georgia. We need to get these farms to make formal job offers to the unemployed and welfareites in Wisconsin. Those that refuse to work must forfit their unemployment and welfare. A good way to reduce the unemployment rate in Wisconsin is to have the unemployed move out of state.
I just love folks who post wingnut crap who have zero knowledge of the situation. Currently there are 10 unemployed workers for every 3 jobs out there. So when you state " There are both plenty of jobs here in Wiscosin, the United States, and the rest of the world", you show your ignorance...
Just read another article about the housing shortage in Williston North Dakota because 6000 people have move in to take the jobs available.
I bet there is a farm labor job open on this continent for just about every unemployed person in Wisconsin. If the unemployed in this state would move away and take these jobs our unemployment rate would plummet. I wish Scott Walker would figure out a way to get these people to motivate themselves and take the jobs. Walker is just too big of softy. I wish Sheriff Clark would run for governor. He'd put all those lazy unemployed and welfare scammers in bootcamps and bus them to where the work is.
Sorry, anonymous, theis is America, not some 3rd world dictatorship. There are lots of folks without jobs that own land in Wisconsin, why should they move to take an unskilled farm labor job out of state that pays less than minimum wage?
The anger with Gov Walker is fueled by the mess he has made of Wisconsin’s economy. Since his policies began to take hold, Wisconsin’s unemployment rate has spiked. While the jobless rate nationally has remained relatively steady, Wisconsin’s rate is up from 7.3 percent earlier this year to 7.8 percent now. The September job figures were dismal. According to the state Department of Workforce Development, Wisconsin had a net loss — yes, an actual loss — of 900 private-sector jobs. A total of 11,500 government jobs were lost.
Faced with those figures, Walker should be using his “Back to Work” special session of the Legislature to get serious about the jobs crisis.
Instead, he has let it degenerate into a bizarre session that seems to be emphasizing everything but job creation.
Last week the “Back to Work” session saw Republican legislators focusing on:
1. Changing rules and regulations for sex education classes.
2. Reducing access to women’s health programs.
3. Changing rules for hunting antlerless deer.
4. Creating new regulations for displaying fertilizer in farm stores.
5. Increasing class sizes so that teaching and learning will become harder in our public schools.
http://host.madison.com/ct/news/opinion/column/john_nichols/article_330544c4-a8a8-51ef-b8e2-5f8cce7fd3c5.html
Yes, the jobs are already here. People just won't step up and take them. After years of sitting on the couch with their game controllers and gadgets, young people are in no condition to go out and work. So instead they protest.
If all people wanted was to have something to do... yes, there are jobs out there, but they are all in parts of the state, nation, planet where labor cost is lower because cost of living is lower. The illegal alien comes here, because we pay better then they can get at home. Then they can take the money they make here and take it back home to live like rich people.
The problem is that the people here have bills and expenses here, and they need a job that at least keeps up with that. They want a job that allows them to pay down their debt, even if to make their escape to where they can afford to live. No way will that far away job pay enough to send money back home to pay Wisconsin lifestyle costs.
Yes, Scott Walker and the Tea Party want to convert Wisconsin to a low income state, so they can attract business owners from high income states that are looking to cut costs. But there is no attempt to cut costs here for the workers that remain. Even cutting taxes to match the lowest taxed state will not work if we also cannot cut cost of living even lower. The new jobs will not allow its workers to become "valued costumers".
No, the jobs that are needed are the TEMPORARY jobs, the ones geared totally to putting the tribal knowledge of our downsizing workforce into a "training document", one that can be take to the lowest cost labor force and rebuild the work-site there... plus the local "2-men and a trailer" needed to execute the move. And they must do it in a way that allows profit to be made while the move takes place. This is where the tax credits, the relaxed regulations, the lower corporate taxes are absolutely necessary so that process can become profitable.
Like cash for clunkers was designed not to remove aging cars from the environment, it was to be that little extra cash to allow the new car deal to be closed. It was for people that had good credit, had a job, could never be used by some inner city worker down on their luck to take that beater off the street. Same with the $8000 home buying credit, to provide that little bit needed to close the deal. "Git R Done"... so long as there is no loss taken by the company.
The complaint was about "they have no critical thinking skills, no common sense". After a lifetime of just doing enough to get by, of doing no more than they were told, or punch that clock then go home to party, these people had no drive to actually "serve" in a jobs that demands knowledge and accuracy. No ability to do mundane tasks for days on end, and then to be on their A-game when the emergency or crisis arises. That's the key, to be ready to use that important training and skill, even if the normal routine does not keep it practiced and well-rehearsed.
These people basically got through school when their minds were young and able with the idea that "once I leave school, I am done learning". Some even dropped out and still got that high paid job that rewarded them as much for showing up and doing their time as much or more than their work output. Just show up on time, meet minimum quotas, don't make more than a few mistakes, and you get healthcare and a pension. That was the old days.
I've watched these people, words trip off their tongue so fast, you get the idea that they are quick thinkers, can think their way through any situation. But watch their work, listen to their conversations. Their hands and eyes are on unthinking auto-pilot, their conscious brain is totally focused on what they are planning for when they clock out. Their heart is not in the job. How can they do well when they carry that attitude into healthcare?
No wonder business owners want "Torte Reform", the reduction of consequences falling back onto the corporation that hired these people. The employee who screwed up will merely say "Shit happens", and wash their hands of the whole affair.
Sounds like those "union" types I used to work with. They went through life with a bad haircut and a bowling jacket. Many did not have a high school diploma and would drink shots with beer. Always looking to make the most money with the least amount of effort. They would buy boats, nice cars, nice homes, and max out their credit cards and pretend they were middle class. Then when they got laid off, they would just put on their worn cap and sit drooped over the bar nusring a beer bitching about rich people. Some wised up and finally figured out they were loser flunkies. Others honestly they believed they were really worth $25 a hour because their union told them so. Now they are making $0 per hour because all along they were nothing more than a common tavern drunk hiding behind the apron strings of mother union. They are lucky to be a Walmart greeter today. Many just hide in their mom's basement smoking cigarettes and watching Jerry Springer. Mom's don't let you kids grow up to be factory workers.