This seems obvious, but it apparently has escaped the notice of the people at the Journal Sentinel's  PolitiFact conglomerate, who are busily advertising that they're tracking job growth in Wisconsin to see whether Gov. Scott Walker hits the magic 250,000 number he promised.


A new report from the Center on Wisconsin Strategy (COWS) says the governor has very little to do with job creation.


The Capital Times:


"It's customary and expected that governors get the blame or credit for the overall jobs numbers in their state," says the report from the Center on Wisconsin Strategy. "In truth, they shouldn't get either. Those overall numbers are almost entirely driven by two things -- the level of total domestic demand and the exchange rate of the dollar -- and no governor controls either."

 


"Nobody should be impressed by Walker's claim to create 250,000 jobs," says COWS Director Joel Rogers in a statement. "That kind of growth in Wisconsin jobs would be expected in a normal recovery. Whether we reach it in this one won't be determined by the governor, but the national economy."


 


Rogers is more troubled by the quality of the new jobs, how much they pay and the type of benefits provided.


 


"I haven't heard much concern from the governor about job quality, and all his actions since taking office tend to degrade jobs, not improve them," says Rogers.


The governor's office had no response.