Just out today those job loss numbers were wrong. No one is proposing or following an austerity program here. We had modest cuts in spending without tax increase. Europe has raised taxes and cut spending. Europe had no choice they waited until bondholders stopped buying their debt and since the weak countries could not print money they lost their sovereignty as Greece and Italy became beggars. Europe is a lesson but that is that they have followed liberal policies of Big Government and have failed and that we must cut federal spending or face the choice of extreme currency devaluation or austerity. But that has little to do with Wisconsin.

I see Bert continues to out right ignore the accurate numbers that came out today, referenced and posted to him many times. I expect new spin form the liberals blogs posted here tomorrow about those numbers. Bert you're a few days behind.

First, cutting the state budget by $1BN is effectively an austerity plan. It led to the elimination of 18,000 public sector jobs, and invariably killed many necessary public works projects.
Second, I think your conservatard talking points are messed up with respect to the Euro crisis. It's true that giving up control of monetary policy is a disastrous move, but normally your crowd is FOR that kind of thing. (The gold standard is just such a move. Countries only recovered from the Great Depression upon dropping the gold standard and taking direct control of their own currencies). Your point about "liberal" policies causing the European crisis is nonsense. Spain was running a surplus before the recession. Similarly, Sweden and Finland, with 70% individual tax rates and true socialist programs, have remained incredibly strong despite the trouble in the Eurozone. No, the double-dip recession that most of those countries are in is due entirely to the right wing idea of slashing spending in the face of recession. The outcome there was as predictable as the outcome here has been - further decline.

bert... why would you rely on a survey of only 3.5% of WI business as being accurate over reports from 94% of WI business? That's just dumb.... Where are the 3.5% located and what type of business are they? Manufacturing is growing in WI!! Unemployment is down. Revenue is up 4.2%... why do you not accept the facts?

bert vacant public sector jobs were eliminated... Gov. Walker campaigned on that.. if those jobs have sat vacant for so long they are not needed. As for some of the other lay-offs, stimulus funding creates 'temporary' jobs... once the funding runs out so does the job. Other lay-offs.... those districts did NOT use Act 10 and have a history for over a decade of 400-1000 lay-offs EVERY year.

Schools are now doing budgets for next year... those districts are reporting NO lay-offs or possibly 1 position... Many districts giving teachers raises... One district is giving teachers an 18% raise. Something that would not have been possible without Act 10.

Guess you don't read much, do you Bert? The jobs numbers (the real WI jobs numbers) were published this week. Wisconsin has created more jobs than lost. When you realize the truth, you'll be a fool voting for Barrett because his unemployment rate in Milwaukee has gone up 28% since he took office. He doesn't show up for ceremonies to honor the fallen Police and Fire in his own city. He dumps raw sewage into our Great Lake and is bought and paid for by the union bosses to raise our taxes every single year. No way is he going to win. Third strike - he's OUT! We should really recall him as Mayor. He doesn't deserve that job either.

Apparently the "dumbest" PHD was closer to the truth than BLS estimate according to better data announced today. This data is from 160,000 Wisconsin employers blowing away your theory of jobs from out of state.

http://www.scottwalker.org/blog/2012/05/breaking-wisconsin-gained-more-23000-jobs-2011

http://www.revenue.wi.gov/media/videos/index_player.html?link=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fv%2F9Jo9d0t-ANM

Ah, yes, point to a press release from Scott Walker to defend the imaginary numbers released by Scott Walker. I'm sure he will be out with a rebuttal to the BLS report of ANOTHER 6,200 jobs lost in April, claiming that we really GAINED 1,000,000 jobs!

These are apples and orange. Two sets of numbers measuring two completely different things. Fact is, the jobs report that EVERY OTHER STATE, the Federal Government, and virtually all economists use is the BLS jobs report. It's the same report Walker used while campaigning, and has only changed his mind since the outcome brings to light the damage of his policies.

Bert:

I think you are confusing the BLS jobs report with the monthly jobs survey. The BLS jobs report is based on the numbers that Walker released yesterday. It is used to 'adjust' the monthly survey reports...

Even Tom Barrett can't argue the monthly survey of 3.5percent of employers is more accurate than actual number submitted by 96 percent of employers in the state. He is only complaining that the truth should have been released after the election. The numbers Walker is using were submitted by employers in Wisconsin, so jobs in other states are not counted. Either way Barrett still has no real plan to do better anyway.

bert... the numbers released are FEDERAL reports.... BLS is off they even admitted it... they changed their benchmarks. Get a clue... you going to base anything you do on a 3.5% survey?

And the numbers Walker came up with were compiled by his hand picked appointee. The National Bureau of Labor statistics has access to more information and probably has more accurate numbers.

If you work in IL, and live in WI, you still pay WI taxes. Doesn't mean WI created any more jobs. But, it's easy to pull the wool over the eyes of sheep.

Greg:

The numbers that Walker released yesterday are being submitted to the National Bureau of Labor statistics--just as they are every other quarter...

greg you need to check again... a person that did these numbers signed the recall AGAINST Gov. Walker.... the person explaining the numbers is a doyle appointee and his son signed the recall AGAINST Gov. Walker....

Hey, what about Barretts Trolley?

Meanwhile, in reality world, $1BN in cuts to education and infrastructure has killed jobs and kicked the can down the road. Our kids will be rebuilding our infrastructure at many multiples the cost of simply maintaining them, and they will be doubly burdened by being ill-prepared to compete for jobs.

You must be confused with Doyle robbing from the transportation fund for years

Bert you and I both know the only jobs lost by the education cuts were in districts with declining enrollment like MF, or in districts with irresponsible school boards like Kenosha, Milwuakee, or Janesville. In districts like Milwaukee or Kenosha it is not Walkers fault they have incompetent leadership. Your anger should be dircted at those school boards and that is who need recalling.

Bert's plan was carried out in California, it's not going so good. The 18,000 un-needed jobs that Bert keeps claiming were eliminated, will pale in comparrison to the real jobs that are being eliminated in California. Wisconsin is going to show a surplus, while Bert would rather have us in debt.

That should be Stand on Scott walker.

That should be Stand on Scott walker.

Many have stated that the recall has nothing to do with Barrett. I agree, it's about union power and the money that is generated by the unions, for the democrats.
Nothing to do with:
Jobs
Women
John Doe
Class size
Teacher jobs
Guns
Lies
Student loans
Health care
Pensions
Or anything else the left can dream up in the next 3 weeks. Just union power, and a bunch of suckers that bought into the lies.
This is a mark my words statement.

Those types of jobs usually aren't advertised with 'now hiring' signs. Try the internets--it looks like hundreds of good jobs are available...

http://www.wisconsinjobnetwork.com/jobs.asp

Verizon starts you with healthcare and dental from day 1....

Awww come on... barrett has accomplished to pollute Milwaukee waters on more then one occasion... He also accomplished to NOT complete the campaign promises he's made since 2004. He also has accomplished to piss off the Milwaukee Police Officers. He's accomplished raising unemployment in his city by 25% and raise the black employment by 45%.... He has also accomplished to beg for 25 million from the newly reported 'surplus' WI has even after being given 100 million for Milwaukee.

I recently had a conversation with a recently retired teacher from the Elmbrook School District, who informed me that each school district has different contractual arrangements, including the opportunity to negotiate health insurance rates. I knew MPS had done this, teachers had opted to pay more out-of-pocket for a better health care plan (I've done the same in the private sector). Sort of blows holes in the "Act 10" was mighty meme, doesn't it?

There are many fields where talent and experience can take the place of academic knowledge, it is true. However, there are also fields where specific training is essential, for example, accountant, doctor, dentist, attorney. A J.D. isn't a specific requirement for political office in modern America, I believe, but a thorough understanding of law is. If Walker had had this understanding, many of the issues we have had in Milwaukee County and at the state level could have been avoided (Blue Shirt contract cancellation, illegal firing of state workers, "budget repair" bill, mining bill, Open Records and Meetings law, etc. Or if he even had advisers that he was willing to listen to--this unreceptivity to learning is another serious issue with Scott Walker.

The $3.6 billion dollar deficit is still with us according to Walker's own filings and GAAP. Like the job claims, as Barrett says, none of this can be verified within the campaign timeframe. Barrett's background is in economics and law. I believe him over Walker, absolutely.

None of the raids on the retirement funds, savings, and jobs of middle and working income people that have taken place since 2000 would have been possible without the low information voter. The radicals know how to play their low information base like the proverbial fiddle. There are many conservatives out there who are not low information (my father is 82 and sharp as a tack). Unlike the wealthiest, who regard America without patriotism, as a piece on a chessboard, there are many conservatives who are patriots, who love their country, the land, its people, and the type of government that has allowed them to prosper. These people are intelligent. I hope they are intelligent enough to realize that the Republican Party has been hijacked by radicals, including Scott Walker, and if they can't vote Democrat, take a step back and start the work on cleaning up their party.

It's clear the Walker campaign is doing whatever it can to distract from that 'divide and conquer' moment with Diane Hendricks that got caught on tape. And since the TV ad mentions job loss, attack on that issue and hope the viewers will be distracted from the bigger one. Ms. Hendricks really can't complain about high corporate tax rates in Wisconsin, since ABC Supply paid no corporate state income tax in2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008. (Data for subsequent years is no yet available). So it's private sector unions (right to work) she'd like to see gone, for whatever reason. And our new Governor looked happy to oblige with a 'first step', which implies a second, third, and fourth step . . .

That tape was so old it is collecting a state pension. The dems have been sitting on it all of this time. Now they played their hand and it flopped big time. Politicians on both sides say things to their supporters and the public knows it. The public also sees the left changing direction daily and grasping at straws, so these actions are having the same effect as a second grade tattle-tale.

Depends on weather you define "destructive thing for education" from the adults in the system perspective or from the perspective of what is best for the children. When we view this from the perspective of what is best for children, the Doyle budget cuts were far more harmful to education than Walker's cuts. As for the the less fortunate one can only assume since the Democrats complain about the education cuts that they would have either borrowed money leading to greater damage for all, or followed the Illinois path of higher taxes leading to a death spiral that leads to harming all the things they claim to care about . But you an I both know the only thing they really care about is restoring the corrupt system they had in place to fund their campaigns.

@Randy... You are right we wont know, if the Walker plan is effective, until we can compare same source data. Unfortunately, due to varying fiscal years and the lengthy time it takes to accurately compile many of the statistics, it will be about 15 more months before all the data is available for comparison.

How convenient for Gov. Walker.

So, if comparing our 'apples' (the data that shows Wisconsin losing jobs) to the 'apples' of other states indicates that we're doing more poorly than other states, then won't comparing our 'watermelons' (the supposedly more complete data that shows us gaining jobs) to the 'watermelons' of other states show pretty much the same picture? That we're gaining fewer jobs than other states without Gov. Walker's policies? I can't see that the statistical error would work only against Wisconsin.

May I also point out how well it worked for Joanne Kloppenburg to make an announcement based on preliminary and uncertified data?

@Randy... I think with the 'Passing-Signing-Publication Delay' that no worker made the additional retirement and Healthcare contributions until their September paycheck. As far as the 'near no change' in the property tax, people would begin to feel that in 2012.

All the release of the latest data, showing a positive jobs number, has done is cast a shadow on all of the earlier data. Something sure is wrong when the earlier survey of 3.5% of employers shows about a -.66 correlation to the employer census data. The Pro-Walker and Anti-Walker groups simply have no consistent and reliable data to make any competent conclusions.

"May I also point out how well it worked for Joanne Kloppenburg to make an announcement based on preliminary and uncertified data?" Exactly.
Even more reason to let the Governor finish out his elected term.
The recall was never and is not now about job creation. Just be honest and it will be easier to see your own forest.

My understanding is that the more accurate numbers put Wisconsin in the middle of pack, not bad considering all the uncertainty from the recall efforts. The real point is that Barrett has no plan, has never shown he can do anything, and a worse record for job creation. I am not saying all is well, but we appear to be moving in the right direction, we should let him finish his term without this nonsense going on an then make the judgement. If jobs are going to be the issue, then Barrett should have not been the Democratic choice for the opponent.

This is the sort of classy response I've been reading in the year I've been here at the Patch. It started with the Kloppenburg race, with insulting nicknames and sophomoric cat-calling, and it continues.

I ask an intelligent question and get called a whiner.

The answer is, I will never have to eat crow for doing what I think is right, win or lose. If Scott Walker remains in office, I'll hunker down and ride it out, just like I've done before.

Or John Doe will do it. The ice is getting thinner under Walker.

Here's a better question: What does Barrett have to offer?

@Nick.... I'm not predicting an outcome on the recall, as this whole thing is unprecedented. But, you continue to sound so,so, fully invested in one and only one outcome.

I guess I'm prepared for it to go either way;I raised the drawbridge;battened the hatches;I restocked the Alligators in the moat, too. Now, if only those college kids, that live here in the summer, would remember to raise the drawbridge, when they come back to the castle for the night.

It's the "Koch Machine".
That story smells of B.S. The source had so many details but no clue as to the sisters livelyhood. I like that the villian is someone that bought TV ads, rather than the monsters that got into a gun fight.
How does this story relate to the blog?

Hide your kids, hide yo wife

It's not that hard to explain. You've got an election going on that has absolutely nothing to do with jobs. Its not about jobs, it's not about a war on women, it's not about a John Doe investigation, it's not about a prank phone call, it's not about the Koch Brothers or ALEC or the poor, sick and elderly dropping like flies, unable to survive.

It's about power and control. The party out of power wants to get back into power so they can control things the way they see fit and they've found a way to attempt to do that prior to the regularly scheduled election via our state's weak recall provision.

That's why the jobs number arguments don't make sense, that's why bemoaning the demise of our educational system doesn't jive with what you see anytime you drive by a public school, that's why you don't see the "weakest amongst us" piled up like so much cordwood on street corners.

On the subject of private sector jobs. I personally hate when ANY politician says that "they created jobs" or are "going to create jobs". It's not their job to "create" anything. They need to get out of the way and let us do the creating. If the government tried to create a horse it would end up with a camel, and probably a retarded one at that.