So Gov. Scott Walker says he'll woo businesses from Illinois and Minnesota, touting lower tax rates and, presumably, lack of regulation once he gets done rewriting the laws, the administrative rules, and the state constitution.
Remember those great "Escape to Wisconsin" bumperstickers the state gave away by the millions? He thinks that should be the slogan again, the Biz Times Daily suggests.
Yes, we remember those stickers quite well. They were ubiquitous.
But here's the thing: They were advertising Wisconsin's natural resources and scenic beauty, not corporate tax breaks or an anti-union atmosphere. When Walker's administration is done deregulating environmental protection and refunding preservation programs like the Stewardship Fund, Wisconsin will be much less attractive to tourists. Tourism, by the way, is the state's third biggest industry, behind agriculture and manufacturing, and brings in $13-billion a year.
Some of us also remember a time in the 1980s, when Wisconsin was targeted as a possible nuclear dump site, and some similar-looking stickers appeared, saying "Escape Wisconsin," with a second line of smaller type, "Nuclear dump site."
If Wisconsin becomes a paradise for corporations, developers and polluters, the state will pay a price.
And stealing jobs isn't exactly the same as creating jobs, even if you're stealing them from another state.
Let's end on a lighter note. The Journal Sentinel has done a facetious poll, asking readers which businesses Walker should try to steal from neighboring states. The winner is Chicago's famous Billy Goat Tavern, under the El (public transportation, something you won't see in Walker's Wisconsin)