Time to investigate, put an end to WEDC

The news just keeps getting worse, but those in charge seem unwilling to do anything about it. We have heard for years about the failings of Wisconsin’s job creation agency, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation. And they deeper they dig, the more trouble they find. The latest internal review by WEDC finds the agency handed out 27 subsidies to companies promising new jobs that were never formally reviewed by staff. They simply gave the money away. More than $124 million worth. That includes a $500,000 unsecured loan to a company which created zero jobs and never bothered to pay the state back. State Senator Jennifer Shiling says she has seen lemonade stands with better financial safeguard in place. However even as the scandal worsens, Wisconsin’s legislative leaders have remained silent about fixing the problem. And let’s not forget, aside from handing out money like drugs at the Tomah VA, the job creation agency has failed to do its job of creating jobs. Wisconsin remains mired in last place among Midwest states in creating new jobs. Clearly this agency is failing, and it is costing taxpayers dearly. Lawmakers should order an immediate investigation into WEDC to find out if any laws were broken, and they should shut down the agency before they waste any more of our hard-earned money.