Ron Johnson's main campaign theme is that for the last thirty years, while he has devoted his life to being a "job creator," Russ Feingold has been nefariously spending his time being a "career politician" and working tirelessly to destroy to the country.
In truth, like the "career politicians" on Mount Rushmore, Feingold has spent most of his adult life devoted to public service. And, if Johnson's really wants to juxtapose the two men's accomplishments over the last thirty years, I'll gladly oblige.
By Johnson's own account, he did not start or create, the job creator, PACUR. His brother-in-law, Pat Curler, through heavy backing from his father, billionaire plastics titan Howard Curler, started the company in 1977 and named it after himself: PAt CURler. Pat Curler was the President of the company when it started and, as Johnson charactorized the early days: "It was an opportunity for Pat to get into business for himself, and I just kind of came along for the ride as the accountant."
"Just came along for the ride as the accountant," doesn't really sound like a "job creator" to me. It sounds like someone that... "just came along for the ride as the accountant."
In 1986, the Curler family would sell Pacur to England-based Bowater and Johnson would be named as Pacur's general manager. For the next eleven years, Johnson would be simply an employee of Bowater-- not really what I think of as a "job creator."
Eleven years later, in 1997, Johnson would buy Pacur.
Therefore, the question: Has Johnson created any jobs since he bought the company in the 13 years he has owned the company and been calling the shots? By all accounts, PACUR has employed around 100 people since the mid-eighties and has not provided any dramatic job increases during Johnson's time as owner.
Realistically, the only job creating Johnson has helped-out with since he bought Pacur in 1997, is in China and SE Asia, where Bemis, (which is controlled by Johnson's wife's family and is far and away Johnson's largest customer), has opened up eight new plastic plants in recent years.
Which brings us to the largest hole in Johnson's "job creator" claim: Since day one, the vast majority of PACUR's business has gone to Bemis and its subsidiaries. In fact, during the first several years, they were their only customer. If your main function is to provide products for Bemis, then isn't Bemis (the one that is "creating" the business) the job creator? Especially if your business was created by your wife's family and Bemis is currently is controlled by your wife's family and its no accident they're throwing business your way.