The Great Midwestern Divide: Why Minnesota and Wisconsin’s Political Schism Matters

[Suppressed]

The Great Midwestern Divide: Why Minnesota and Wisconsin’s Political Schism Matters
The governorships of conservative Scott Walker (R-Wis.) and progressive Mark Dayton (D-Minn.) have yielded dramatically different results.
JULY 26, 2017   BY THEO ANDERSON
http://inthesetimes.com/article/20312/two-paths-diverged-in-the-midwest-scott-walker-mark-dayton


Scott Walker promised to make Wisconsin "open for business"—but his right-wing policies have harmed the state's workers, the economy and the environment. (Katherine Welles)

When Scott Walker became governor of Wisconsin in 2011, he put up signs along state borders proclaiming the state “open for business.”

The signs, Walker said, marked a profound shift in the way Wisconsin “treats job creators.” Within months of taking office, he pushed through a series of tax cuts aimed at corporations and the rich. Manufacturing and agricultural businesses, for example, saw an estimated $874 million sliced from their taxes over 10 years. Walker promised that such measures would supercharge the economy and lead to 250,000 new jobs in four years. Forbes applauded his agenda and compared it favorably to Minnesota, where “Gov. Mark Dayton pushes for tax increases on the rich.”

[...]

Yet the results of Walker’s “open for business” agenda haven’t been as promised; “job creators” have been derelict in their duty. Last year, the number of jobs in the state increased by about 17,000, bringing the total jobs created under Walker to roughly 185,000—some 65,000 short of what he’d promised to accomplish by January 2015. During Walker’s tenure, Wisconsin has consistently trailed most other states in job growth.

Minnesota, meanwhile, tacked the other way and raised taxes on the rich in order to invest in schools. The 2013 budget levied a two percent tax increase on couples who make more than $250,000 per year. The hike generated $1.1 billion over two years, about half of which was earmarked to cover the state’s budget deficit. Much of the rest went to education: $234 million in general funding for public schools, $134 million to expand all-day kindergarten statewide, and another $80 million to invest in early childhood education and special education.

[...]

[Suppressed]

Comments?

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

Ridiculous, idiotic article. Liberal states are nightmares that people are fleeing from. Period. All across the country people are moving out of them as fast as they can.

[Suppressed]

Ridiculous, idiotic article. Liberal states are nightmares that people are fleeing from. Period. All across the country people are moving out of them as fast as they can.

Any specific rebuttals to the points made in the article?

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

Any specific rebuttals to the points made in the article?

I don't know Wisconsin's situation so I cannot say, but all across the country, liberal areas are nightmares that people are moving out of in droves. Are people flooding into Wisconsin or Minnesota? I don't know.

[INVAR]

Any specific rebuttals to the points made in the article?

No point arguing Leftist bull tripe stereotypes as is generously offered in that insipid piece that lauds Liberal Statism and paints Conservative, low tax, anti-Union ideals as destructive to the "common-good".

"...he pushed through a series of tax cuts aimed at corporations and the rich"; ..."His and the GOP legislature’s union-busting efforts have seen the state’s unionized workforce decline ...And he has greased the skids for corporate exploitation of natural resources"; "“job creators” have been derelict in their duty...the total jobs created under Walker to roughly 185,000—some 65,000 short of what he’d promised"; "Minnesota, meanwhile, tacked the other way and raised taxes on the rich in order to invest in schools...And the economy has prospered"; "A social-democratic program entails investment in all aspects of the public good..."

The entire article is a Marxist treatise that goes to absurd lengths to teach that higher taxes on the "rich" and government regulations are a boon and benefit to an economy, while cutting taxes and government regulation leads to environmental catastrophe and societal destruction.  If those assertions were true, you would not be having an exodus of population from Leftist bastions like IL.

Urban Midwestern Leftists who fashion themselves as "progressives" are fleeing to Red/Conservative Southern states.  Driving up to Northern IL for Thanksgiving, we saw as many plates from Tennessee, Texas and Alabama on 57 than we saw Illinois plates.  In my sister's neighborhood, the number of homes for sale was astounding.  Office parks are empty and malls are vacant and closed.  Meanwhile in Nashville and the surrounding 'burbs - there are no vacancies - traffic is become a nightmare and the population is booming as all those "progressives" are fleeing the high-tax, high-regulatory bastions of Democrat strongholds for lower tax states that have better employment opportunities.

[Suppressed]

What is it that makes Minnesota flourish under leftist policies while Wisconsin doesn't under conservative ones?  What is that factor that separates them?

[INVAR]

What is it that makes Minnesota flourish under leftist policies while Wisconsin doesn't under conservative ones?  What is that factor that separates them?

Bullshit reporting and massaging stats to fit the narrative.

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

What is it that makes Minnesota flourish under leftist policies while Wisconsin doesn't under conservative ones?  What is that factor that separates them?

Is Minnesota flourishing compared to a typical red state?

[TomSea]

I'd say Dayton(D) had Pawlenty (R) before him, who helped shore up the economy while Walker(R) took over from a Democratic administration that ran Wisconsin into the ground. Wisconsin's biggest city is near Chicago, so there is some overlap there.

Look at other things about Minnesota, it has had one of the best educational systems but that has declined under Dayton, most lists one sees list Minnesota among the 10 states that are worse to do business in and one of the 10 most taxed states.

That can't be good.

The environment is probably being protected, Northwoods, that has to be somewhat good. States with super booming economies might feel negative effects.

Minnesota could flip because of disenchantment with bringing refugees in.

[INVAR]

Is Minnesota flourishing compared to a typical red state?

I bet the answer would depend on whom you ask.

If you ask a Somali refugee or a Welfare recipient - it's never been better.

But ask an American citizen whom is a small business owner - you will likely get a different answer.

[Fishrrman]

Suppressed asks:
"Any specific rebuttals to the points made in the article?"

What's to rebut?

Wisconsin cut taxes and increased jobs.

Minnesota raised taxes and increased education spending.

Again, what's to rebut?

[Gefn]

What is it that makes Minnesota flourish under leftist policies while Wisconsin doesn't under conservative ones?  What is that factor that separates them?

Cheese

[WingNot]

Minnesota was great when it was full of you basic Sven & Ole's.   Minnesota was settled by Scandanavians. Mostly heart stock, farmers, and they weren't too bright. The great thing about those early settlers is if you are Swedish, Sven and Ole are Norwegian. And if you are Norwegian… well, then, they are Swedish, don’t you know? 
Now Muhammad and Achmed have run the good folks out and left the tree huggers, stupid SJW, lesbians and democrats.  The State has turned to shit.

[IsailedawayfromFR]

I look to suspicion on any 'facts' coming from a leftist mag committed to leftist principles.  The Founders are a Who's Who of leftists like David Du Bois and Daniel Ellsburg, past alumni of Sid Blumenthal, and initial subscriber Paul Wellstone solidify its left wing bias.

I happened to have just met a couple moving from Minnesota to Texas who decided 'to get the hell out'.  Since he just recently retired as a VP for Hormel there, he is certainly a 1 percenter who did not wish to stay there as the article says is 'factual'.

[Joe Wooten]

I don't know Wisconsin's situation so I cannot say, but all across the country, liberal areas are nightmares that people are moving out of in droves. Are people flooding into Wisconsin or Minnesota? I don't know.

A helluva lot of folks are leaving the Sheepul's Republic of Illinoisy to Wisconsin. Not too many heading for Minnesota.

[Joe Wooten]

No point arguing Leftist bull tripe stereotypes as is generously offered in that insipid piece that lauds Liberal Statism and paints Conservative, low tax, anti-Union ideals as destructive to the "common-good".

"...he pushed through a series of tax cuts aimed at corporations and the rich"; ..."His and the GOP legislature’s union-busting efforts have seen the state’s unionized workforce decline ...And he has greased the skids for corporate exploitation of natural resources"; "“job creators” have been derelict in their duty...the total jobs created under Walker to roughly 185,000—some 65,000 short of what he’d promised"; "Minnesota, meanwhile, tacked the other way and raised taxes on the rich in order to invest in schools...And the economy has prospered"; "A social-democratic program entails investment in all aspects of the public good..."

The entire article is a Marxist treatise that goes to absurd lengths to teach that higher taxes on the "rich" and government regulations are a boon and benefit to an economy, while cutting taxes and government regulation leads to environmental catastrophe and societal destruction.  If those assertions were true, you would not be having an exodus of population from Leftist bastions like IL.

Urban Midwestern Leftists who fashion themselves as "progressives" are fleeing to Red/Conservative Southern states.  Driving up to Northern IL for Thanksgiving, we saw as many plates from Tennessee, Texas and Alabama on 57 than we saw Illinois plates.  In my sister's neighborhood, the number of homes for sale was astounding.  Office parks are empty and malls are vacant and closed.  Meanwhile in Nashville and the surrounding 'burbs - there are no vacancies - traffic is become a nightmare and the population is booming as all those "progressives" are fleeing the high-tax, high-regulatory bastions of Democrat strongholds for lower tax states that have better employment opportunities.

I live here in Illinoisy and I can attest to those facts. The malls are empty, there is a glut of empty office space, and a lot of abandoned factories. We pay huge property taxes to the local schools and they are getting worse. The bureaucrat unions are demanding even more money as folks leave. The Chicago public schools have about 12,000 fewer kids, yet they demand more money to operate and the city gives in.

[LMAO]

 This article is a little bit of an overstatement

Wisconsin and Minnesota have a fairly similar unemployment rate.  Wisconsin‘s  unemployment rate as of October 2017 was 3.4. Minnesota’s  in October 2017 was 3.3. For a little while, Wisconsin’s was a tad lower than Minnesota’s

 Minnesota has the Mayo Clinic, and it’s Northern and Northeast portion of the state is an iron ore and taconite producer

The problem Minnesota is going to have in the future is all the new Medicaid sign-ups under Obamacare. Right now they’re getting federal dollars for doing such but that won’t last