WI Jobs Policy Agenda 2011

8/3/2019 WI Jobs Policy Agenda 2011

1/12

WMC: CELEBRATING100 Y EARS OF WINNING FORBUSINESS!

1911-2011

Jobs forthe Future Policy Age

2011-20

A Vision for Economic Renewal: Creating Better Jobs and aBrighter Future for Our Families and Our Communities


2/12

Policy Agenda

Jobs or the Future is an ambitious policy agenda aimed at ostering

economic renewal and job creation or our state. Te goal is toposition Wisconsin to lead the way out o the current recession,creating a prosperous uture or our amilies and our communities.

Un ortunately, when you compare the 50 states, Wisconsin does notlook very attractive rom a business perspective. Most independentrankings put Wisconsin in the bottom ten worst business climates inthe country. Tese rankings appear in various national businesspublications, which contribute to a national perception that Wisconsinis not a competitive state in which to do business.

As a result, improving our overall business climate needs to be a toppriority o policymakers. We must move aggressively to addressthe issues that undermine our competitiveness. Adopting thepolicies outlined below will improve the business climate by reducing the costs and barriers to business expansion and jobcreation, imposed by government. We must begin now to build astronger economy or our amilies, our communities andWisconsins uture.

JOBS FOR THEFUTURE


3/12

FOSTERING A COMPETITIVE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT

Te current economic downturn is expected to stifen global competition, as companies and nationsstrive to position themselves to lead the economic recovery. o survive in this environment,Wisconsin businesses are working to develop new, innovative products and processes, improvequality, cut costs and increase productivity. Business leaders seek to partner with policymakers tobuild on past eforts and urther strengthen our economic environment to promote investment inWisconsin job creation. o accomplish this objective, we will work with the Governor and theLegislature on the ollowing initiatives:

1. Foster a Competitive Regulatory EnvironmentA consistent regulatory environment will allow Wisconsin businesses to compete on a levelplaying eld with their counterparts in other states. o accomplish this goal, we should attemptto harmonize regulatory statutes and administrative rules with those imposed under

ederal law and in competitive states.

2. Enhance Fairness and Predictability in Our Legal SystemWe should attempt to harmonize Wisconsins legal system with the system in other states, inorder to remain competitive and promote investment and job creation. Speci cally, we shouldmake the rules regarding expert testimony consistent with those o the majority o states, adoptcomprehensive product liability re orms, limit punitive damage awards, and eliminate joint andseveral liability.

3. Enhance Business CompetitivenessWe should strive to make Wisconsin businesses more competitive in national and world marketsby reducing the tax burden. Speci cally, we should reduce and make uni orm the top corporateand personal income tax rates.

4. Establish a Pro-Jobs CultureIn order to make all o state government an efective partner in growing the economy andcreating jobs, we should work to change the command and control culture within stateregulatory agencies. Agency personnel should be actively helping businesses get necessary permits, ostering economic development and job creation.


4/12

FOSTERING A COMPETITIVE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT (contd)

5. Ensure Uni orm Employment RegulationsWisconsins essential employment regulations governing issues such as wages and bene ts shouldbe applied airly and consistently on a statewide basis. State law should preclude the adoption o a patchwork o con using and con icting employment regulations by local units o government,and should be consistent with the employment laws o competitive states.

6. Promote Quality Health CareHealth care costs are a major concern to everyone in Wisconsin. o address this issue, we should

ocus our eforts on improving the current private sector health care delivery system andcontrolling costs through wellness initiatives, disease prevention, and investment in healthin ormation technology systems that improve patient sa ety, drive quality and enable e cientdelivery o health care. We also should help consumers make better health care decisions by improving the collection and analysis o health care outcome data, making quality transparentand encouraging consumers, business purchasers and insurance companies to direct resourcesto providers who demonstrate a commitment to patient sa ety, improving quality and reducingunnecessary or inappropriate treatment.


5/12

IMPROVING PUBLIC SYSTEMS

A stable and efective government is essential to the health o our economy, our communities, andour quality o li e. We rely on government to provide needed community services, education,in rastructure, an appropriate regulatory ramework, and to care or our neediest citizens. Techallenge is to deliver these undamentals at a reasonable cost to keep our level o taxation air andcompetitive. We should constantly look or ways to improve government e ciency and efectivenessto ensure Wisconsins cost o government is in line with other states. It is equally important to ensureour level o business taxation does not make us uncompetitive or unattractive to new businessinvestment and resulting job creation. o accomplish these objectives, we seek to partner with theGovernor and the Legislature on the ollowing initiatives:

1. Encourage Balanced Budgeting Encourage balanced budgeting through adherence to generally accepted accounting principles,and adequately und the budget-stabilization und to address the problem o uctuatingstate revenues.

2. Control Property TaxesControl property taxes imposed by municipalities, counties, technical college districts and otherspecial districts, allowing or reasonable growth while keeping Wisconsin competitive withother states.

3. Encourage ConsolidationEncourage and acilite the consolidation o local government units and school districts.Encourage police, re, utilities, and other government services to cooperate, collaborate andpossibly consolidate to improve efectiveness and lower costs.

4. Manage Beneft CostsProvide school districts, state, and local governments with maximum exibility in managingcosts associated with health care and retirement plans, and encourage them to be competitivewith the best plans available in the private sector.

5. Reduce Cost Shi ing Support su cient reimbursement or hospitals and clinics under the existing Medicaid program,and the leveraging o the state's air share o ederal matching unds in order to reduce the costshi that currently occurs to patients and private insurers because o underpayment inthat program.


6/12

IMPROVING PUBLIC SYSTEMS (contd)

6. Improve Public Accountability Improve public accountability in government by ensuring elected o cials are ultimately responsible or approving new regulations, and that such regulations are explicitly authorized by the legislature.

7. Encourage E ciency Encourage a thorough examination o e ciency in government and implementation o leanprinciples and programs to improve the e ciency and efectiveness o government service andreduce costs.


7/12

PROMOTING INNOVATION AND JOB CREATION

A strategically ocused economic development partnership will be necessary or Wisconsin to leadthe economic recovery and create meaning ul, well-paying jobs or our citizens. rans erringacademic research into use ul products and new businesses will create new jobs. Using the tax codeto encourage investment in Wisconsin companies will create jobs. Aligning our diverse economicdevelopment programs and incentives to more efectively respond to the needs o companies lookingto locate or expand here will help grow our economy. A cooperative public/private partnership

ocused on investing in innovation and job creation will lead to better jobs or our amilies, ourcommunities and Wisconsins uture. o accomplish this objective, we seek to partner with theGovernor and the Legislature on the ollowing initiatives:

1. Encourage Economic DevelopmentRestructure the Department o Commerce and consolidate Wisconsins various economicdevelopment programs to improve e ciency and efectiveness. Align programs and strategiesby establishing a single point o contact across all agencies or new business prospects, andencourage regional economic development strategies that build on a regions economic strength.

2. Enhance Tax IncentivesEconomic development tax credits should be trans erable, tradeable, and re undable tomaximize their value, especially or start-up companies. We should also consider providingother incentives to attract new businesses and encourage existing business to expand

in Wisconsin.

3. Encourage Reinvestment in WisconsinGrow existing businesses and create jobs by restoring the 60 percent exclusion or capital gains.

4. Accelerate Technology Trans erWe should work to accelerate the pace o technology trans er rom Wisconsins public and privateuniversities to harness the economic bene ts o academic research and development,trans ormed into use ul patents and start-up companies.


8/12

INVESTING IN OUR PEOPLE

For Wisconsin companies to success ully compete in a global economy, they must continually seek toadd value to products and services through innovation and the application o higher level knowledgeand skills. As a result, a resurgent Wisconsin economy depends on the availability and retention o anincreasingly trained, educated and diverse work orce, with the exibility to creatively adapt to thechanging needs o the economy. Policymakers should make investments in Wisconsins publiceducational institutions rom the college and university level through technical colleges, the K-12system and incumbent work orce training programs a key priority. o accomplish this objective, weseek to partner with the Governor and the Legislature on the ollowing initiatives:

1. Enhance Educational Achievement

o expand opportunity and develop the work orce o the uture, we should work to enhanceeducational achievement in the K-12 system. Tis can be accomplished by:

Focusing resources to develop strong curriculums in science, technology, engineering and math. Fostering the development o advanced placement programs with colleges, universities and

technical schools. Supporting measurable evaluations and accountability standards or students, teachers and

schools, and improve public access to evaluation data. Expanding educational options, including the development o charter schools and public/private

school choice programs in communities that desire them.

2. Encourage Personal ImprovementTe work orce o the uture will need the higher level knowledge and skills provided by a robustpost-secondary public and private educational system. Wisconsin can expand opportunity andencourage personal improvement by:

Ensuring the University o Wisconsin has unding appropriate to, in a cost-efective manner,ul ll its mission o ostering a climate or economic growth through research, technological

advancement and increasing levels o educational attainment. Ensuring the Wisconsin echnical College System has unding appropriate to, in a cost-efective

manner, ul ll its mission o training the next generation work orce.

Providing greater exibility to UW campuses and Wisconsin echnical Colleges in settingenrollment and tuition levels, and greater autonomy in managing capital construction projectsand operations at individual institutions.

Supporting Wisconsins public and private colleges and universities by enhancing studentnancial aid.

Promoting business and education partnerships in research and training strategies as a means o advancing economic development.


9/12

INVESTING IN OUR PEOPLE (contd)

3. Enhance Employment Training OpportunitiesIn a rapidly changing and highly competitive global economy, there is a need or continuouswork orce training and retraining directed by employers. Improvement can be acilitated by consolidating and rationalizing Wisconsins numerous employment training programs toimprove e ciency, efectiveness and responsiveness to speci c employer needs.


10/12

INVESTING IN FUNDAMENTALS

A resurgent economy depends on the efective movement o goods, services and in ormation toacilities and markets in other states, and around the world. o be competitive, Wisconsin businesses

need: an e cient transportation network o roads, ports, rail lines, airports, and mass transit tomove products and people; a robust communications in rastructure to move in ormation and

acilitate trade; and an adequate and afordable energy in rastructure to uel economic growth.Government plays a undamental and necessary role in improving and maintaining the criticalin rastructures that undergird the economy. In order to position Wisconsin to lead the economicresurgence, we need to make investment in the undamental in rastructure o our state a key priority

or public resources. o accomplish this objective, we seek to partner with the Governor and theLegislature to promote the ollowing initiatives:

1. Maintain and Improve Transportation In rastructureo acilitate the e cient ow o goods and services, Wisconsin must maintain and improve its

transportation in rastructure by drawing on dedicated revenue streams which should be devotedsolely to this purpose. Sustainable revenue sources should be identi ed, including revenuestreams, that can continue to support in rastructure investment in the uture as our reliance ontraditional motor uels declines.

2. Encourage Energy E ciency and Clean Energy Technology A ready supply o clean, reliable, low-cost energy is essential to maintain a strong Wisconsin

economy. We should promote energy e ciency, conservation, investment in biomass and otherrenewable energy with appropriate incentives, and encourage research and development o cleanenergy technology by providing tax credits, grants or other incentives. At the same time, weshould repeal the virtual moratorium on nuclear power plants so that nuclear power may beconsidered a sa e and clean energy option or the uture.

3. Facilitate Electronic Commerceo oster economic development and e-commerce, as well as expand educational opportunities,

Wisconsin should encourage the deployment o broadband services in underserved areasthrough the use o direct grant monies, bonding authority or other nancial incentives.


11/12

1US Census Bureau2US Department o Labor, Bureau o Labor Statistics3American Electronics Association: Cyberstates Report4Bureau o Economic Analysis and US Census Bureau, Compiled by Congressional Quarterly

5US Department o Energy Energy In ormation Administration6US Department o De ense7Price Waterhouse Coopers Money ree Survey 8Forbes : Best States or Business

Population Growth2000 2007 1

Employment Growth %1998-2008 2

High Tech EmploymentPer 1000 Workers 3

Union Membership %o Total Employment 2

State and Local Tax as % o Income 4

Per Capita Income Tax (Individual) 4

Per Capita Income Tax (Corporate) 4

Average Electric Bill orIndustrial Customers 5

Per Capita De enseSpending 6

Per Capita VentureCapital Investment 7

Regulatory Environment 8

% / Rank % / Rank % / Rank % / Rank % / Rank % / Rank % / Rank13.7% / 7 16.0% / 4 12.2% / 9 14.1% / 6 18.0% / 3 8.6% / 15 4.3% / 30


# / Rank # / Rank # / Rank # / Rank # / Rank # / Rank # / Rank40.97% / 29 49.14% / 19 43.95% / 24 55.75% / 15 57.22% / 13 90.95% / 1 34.10% /



$ / Rank $ / Rank $ / Rank $ / Rank $ / Rank $ / Rank $ / Rank$0 / 44 $924 / 23 $1,111 / 12 $0 / 44 $960 / 18 $1,330 / 8 $1,131 / 13

$ / Rank $ / Rank $ / Rank $ / Rank $ / Rank $ / Rank $ / Rank$131 / 31 $107 / 41 $173 / 20 $0 / 47 $149 / 28 $166 / 23 $165 / 24

$ / Rank $ / Rank $ / Rank $ / Rank $ / Rank $ / Rank $ / Rank$4,367 / 38 $10,675 / 20 $12,279 / 17 $4,171 / 39 $3,491 / 43 $15,463 / 11 $18, 551 /

$ / Rank $ / Rank $ / Rank $ / Rank $ / Rank $ / Rank $ / Rank$1,091 / 28 $1,389 / 20 $1,119 / 26 $1,674 / 12 $1,576 / 16 $6,024 / 1 $521 / 44

$ / Rank $ / Rank $ / Rank $ / Rank $ / Rank $ / Rank $ / Rank$36.56 / 18 $51.13 /15 $51.05 / 16 $65.71 / 10 $78.25 / 8 $63.25 / 12 $17.66 / 30

Rank Rank Rank Rank Rank Rank Rank

25 1 3 10 11 2 37

B ENCHMARKING SUCCESS

C OMPARING W ISCONSIN TO H IGHLY C OMPETITIVE STATES

Florida Georgia North Carolina Texas Utah Virginia Wisconsin


12/12

WMC is a business association dedicated to making Wisconsin the most competitive state in the nation. Currently, theassociation has nearly 4,000 members that include both large and small manufacturers, service companies, local chambers of commerce and specialized trade associations. Promoting a healthy business climate since 1911, it is a merger of the Wisconsin Manufacturers Association, the State Chamber of Commerce and the Wisconsin Council of Safety.

WI Jobs Policy Agenda 2011

Documents

Transcript of WI Jobs Policy Agenda 2011