Don`t kill WEDC — make it better


Don`t kill WEDC — make it better
By Ken Harwood -- Nov 28, 2018 Eight years ago Gov. Scott Walker entered office with a slightly flawed proposal for a high-speed rail corridor from Chicago to Minneapolis sitting on his desk. He stopped the project — that was a mistake. We now know that “new commerce” needs a low-cost, high-speed, coast-to-coast delivery system for goods and this piece of the puzzle would have put Wisconsin at the top of the list for distribution not to mention new manufacturing and assembly opportunities. Walker could have ensured the rail system was used to help Wisconsin businesses by implementing a few adjustments to the proposal — he did not. Now Gov.-elect Tony Evers will find a flawed Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. sitting on his desk. He proposes eliminating the entity — that would be a mistake. To compete for jobs and encourage companies to come to Wisconsin we need an organization that can both shepherd them through the process and offer state and local incentives that will help them build, expand and hire new employees while still benefiting the local community and the state. Evers has a real opportunity to change WEDC for the better... And Seven years ago I wrote... A new role for the WEDC By Ken Harwood -- Nov 14, 2012 ...Of late some mud has been slung at the newly formed Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC). Much of it deserved. The agency discovered it had failed to track nearly $9 million in loans that are not current, the chief financial officer resigned and Governor Walker brought in a new interim leader while suggesting he would be discussing a series of dramatic moves with the board. WEDC will seek new leadership... ...more Notes: My thanks to Cap Times and BizTimes for keeping these editorials around. Please support your local news outlets by subscribing to at least one newspaper. Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter. Thomas Jefferson
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By Ken Harwood -- Nov 28, 2018

Eight years ago Gov. Scott Walker entered office with a slightly flawed proposal for a high-speed rail corridor from Chicago to Minneapolis sitting on his desk. He stopped the project — that was a mistake. We now know that “new commerce” needs a low-cost, high-speed, coast-to-coast delivery system for goods and this piece of the puzzle would have put Wisconsin at the top of the list for distribution not to mention new manufacturing and assembly opportunities. Walker could have ensured the rail system was used to help Wisconsin businesses by implementing a few adjustments to the proposal — he did not.

Now Gov.-elect Tony Evers will find a flawed Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. sitting on his desk. He proposes eliminating the entity — that would be a mistake. To compete for jobs and encourage companies to come to Wisconsin we need an organization that can both shepherd them through the process and offer state and local incentives that will help them build, expand and hire new employees while still benefiting the local community and the state. Evers has a real opportunity to change WEDC for the better...

And Seven years ago I wrote...

A new role for the WEDC

By Ken Harwood -- Nov 14, 2012

...Of late some mud has been slung at the newly formed Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC). Much of it deserved. The agency discovered it had failed to track nearly $9 million in loans that are not current, the chief financial officer resigned and Governor Walker brought in a new interim leader while suggesting he would be discussing a series of dramatic moves with the board. WEDC will seek new leadership...

...more

Don`t kill WEDC — make it better

And Seven years ago I wrote...

A new role for the WEDC

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