the Daily Beast: Scott Walker’s Jobs Program Didn’t Work--WEDC, is a big mess.

Hoping the word gets out about WEDC.


Brian Snyder/Reuters
Betsy Woodruff


GROWING PAINS06.25.155:15 AM ET

Scott Walker’s Jobs Program Didn’t Work
Why the Wisconsin governor’s job-creation agency annoys conservatives and liberals alike—and might be the trickiest thing for him to explain to 2016 voters.

Scott Walker, Wisconsin’s conservative governor, is reputed to be one of the most divisive politicians in America. But in one complicated situation, he’s brought people together: Wisconsinites of every political stripe agree that his cumbersomely named Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, or WEDC, is a big mess.

Here’s the thing, though: WEDC has a complex history, and its short saga is a helpful example of the challenges governors face when looking to distill their records for non-wonky national audiences.

First, some quick background. In 2011, newly elected Governor Walker replaced the Wisconsin Department of Commerce with a public-private partnership called (you guessed it!) the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, or WEDC. Walker had won the gubernatorial race a few months prior by campaigning on a promise to create 250,000 jobs in the state over the course of his first term. WEDC (commonly pronounced “weed-ick”) was supposed to help the state reach that goal and to trim some of the bureaucratic fat that existed in the commerce department......



http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/06/25/scott-walker-s-jobs-program-didn-t-work.html