September 8, 2009

Mason introduces Wisconsin Jobs Initiative
funded with tax increase on millionaires

State Rep. Cory Mason, D-Racine, today unveiled a bill that he says will train and educate thousands of Wisconsin workers. It would be financed by a 1% income tax increase on Wisconsin residents earning $1 million or more, producing $145 million, which would be leveraged by $135 million in federal matching funds.

The measure, called the Wisconsin Jobs Initiative, was presented at the State Capitol in a press conference by Mason and State Reps. Tamara Grigsby, D-Milwaukee, and Kim Hixson, D-Whitewater.

“Everywhere I turn in my district, people ask what can be done to get them back to work," Mason said. "What I am proposing today will train and educate at least 40,000 Wisconsin residents statewide and give employers the skilled workers they need.

“I am proud to stand with Wisconsin’s struggling workers and businesses during these challenging economic times. The Wisconsin Jobs Initiative will enable us to invest in our most valuable resource: our workers. This proposal allows us to stand by the workers who built the Wisconsin economy and help them to transition into 21st century jobs.”

He noted that Congress is poised to pass the American Graduation Initiative which would create matching grants to states that invest in their technical college systems. “With the matching funds from Congress, there is no better time to invest in our workers.”

A press release said the Wisconsin Jobs Initiative would:
1) Provide job skills training and education to thousands of workers through a significant investment in Wisconsin’s technical college system. This investment will also put Wisconsin first-in-line to apply for federal matching dollars made available by President Obama’s American Graduation Initiative. It is estimated that Wisconsin would be eligible to receive at least $135 million in federal matching dollars.

2) Grant financial aid to more than 20,000 waitlisted low-income Wisconsin students statewide so they can get the training and education they deserve from Wisconsin’s UW and technical college campuses, or private and independent colleges and universities;

3) Direct the state Department of Commerce to award competitive grants to businesses to modernize their facilities and equipment, to ensure the retention and creation of 21st Century jobs; and

4) Enhance Wisconsin’s Angel Investment Tax Credit program to support qualified new businesses, to continue to grow Wisconsin’s economy.
Mason will circulate the bill for co-sponsorship and expects a hearing on it this fall.

40 comments:

  1. H.P. Lovecraft9/08/2009 12:22 PM

    I see the Post become the shrill of every Dem they can find.
    The Post is great when they provide news not so good when they go political. Guessing we will see lots more as the hopes of Dems in Wisconsin sink into the abyss

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  2. I see nothing about lowering business taxes to keep businesses here. We can have the most well trained workers in the world but if we keep driving business away we just have a highly trained unemployeed work force.

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  3. You mean shill, not shrill, and you are mistaken on all counts.

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  4. The tech colleges perform a wonderful service but this is such absolute bullshit. The remedy to the problem of companies downsizing or leaving, with people with thirty years experience and salaries near six figures: re-train them to be nurse's aides with salries of $18,000 a year. At least they'll have the cash for more junkets to Las Vegas, Ireland, Germany, China, Australia,

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  5. Here in Rat-Scene, The Rodent City, The Mickey Mouse Company Town we have a corporate crime family which dodges its property taxes whenever it can, cancels its customary profit sharing program and exploits wage slaves obtained from temp agencies. May Mr. Mason and a people's government TAX THE WAX!

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  6. Amen Anonymous 2:05pm - Tax 'um at 100%, drive them out of town and then we can have 5,000 more people applying for the Greeters Job" at Walmart.
    Johnson is the only thing between Racine and a Ghost Town, so let's go all the way. We can turn the Racine St Campus and Waxdale into more prisons...

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  7. @2:05

    Great idea. Tax the Wax. Doesn't profit sharing mandate profit? Didn't they also avail themselves of a legal property tax issue that the governor himself signed and approved? Why don't you move out of Racine? Oh wait - you're probably employed by The Wax Company or an ancillary company that makes money off their employees.

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  8. Great idea tax the wealthy - but don't swgregate the funds - the new tax just goes into the general fund. Then after a year or two the state cuts back on the "jobs training" and uses the money for something else. Meanwhile the local governments have to either be the one who cut the taining or raise the local taxes to continue the programs. Meanhile Cory is a hero - raised taxes al around and he got to spend too!

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  9. 12:47

    Thanks for the spelling but Corry needs to go away say by by

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  10. Cory you are a looser! You are a looser. You are a looser.

    I'm sorry Cory I was wrong for hurting your feelings. Let me take my sign and go home.

    You can stay ... for now... and continue to distroy the Wisconsin economy.

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  11. The Translator9/08/2009 3:21 PM

    So let me get this straight. Currently there are not enough jobs in Racine County, hence our 15+% unemployment rate. Instead of trying to find ways of attracting jobs here, Cory wants to train people for "mystery" jobs that do not exist. Are these the 6 million jobs that Obama's stimulus was to create this year? And how is he going to pay for them..... by taxing the people who create jobs, start businesses and keep jobs here. Great idea, Cory. You make Lehman look competent.

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  12. The Translator: Almost perfect. The only thing you forgot to mention was that he will tax those people who can actuall pack up and leave Wisconsin at the drop of a hat.

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  13. Apparently Economics was not Cory's stong point in school.

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  14. Rotten to the Core-y9/08/2009 4:10 PM

    Democracy is doomed for death when the majority realize they can vote themselves the minority's money. Et tu Mason?

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  15. I just don't get this guy. Tax the only people creating sorely needed jobs to the point they leave. Then who pays the bills. Training for jobs is always a good idea but if the folks with the money leave, then Wisconsin will be funding training for people who will need to leave the state to find the new job they were just trained for by Cory's latest vision of how to dump on the job creators.

    Anyone besides me see the numbers of jobs lost in Wisconsin being some of the highest in the country? While all states are losing jobs Wisconsin is one of the highest per capita of lost jobs a bit behind Michigan.

    Cory, can you come up with an idea that doesn't create new taxes? Just checking I think we already know the answer.

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  16. Wow! Thing that Cory might try a run for Mayor that be a hoot.

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  17. I don't think I will be reading these comments anymore. I am tired of the complainers who do nothing to try to help the problem.

    I don't think I agree with Cory on this. I am going to write him and ask him how he thinks this is going to really help.

    Also, I plan on giving him my opinion.

    I does no good to sit here and whine like a bunch of babies. Do something about it. Run for office. Email your representatives.

    This is your country do something about it. Quit blaming all of the problems on the government. We as citizens need to take responsibility for what is going on. It is easy to blame so one else for your misery.

    I feel blessed. I have work. I have a husband and two kids. I do not have the McMansion. But I have a house. I do not own a new car but I get where I need to go.

    I try to help people when I can. Remembering there is always someone who is worse off.

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  18. It's a tax and train initiative, were are the jobs coming from?

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  19. How many of you want to chip in for another "Cory Mason is bad for Racine" banner to fly over the city?

    Say good-bye Cory, this is your last term.

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  20. What happens to a society when the non-producers vote themselves benefits on the backs of the producers? People don't forget where mason comes from, what his background is. That is his agenda, business and successful people are his piggy bank for his agenda.

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  21. Who is John Gault?

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  22. Why should millionaires, who presumably have done something right: gone to school, started a business, developed a skill, subsidize those who did not?

    Because someone has something, and you think up some grandiose plan that could be paid for by taking that thing away from them, does not make it right. It makes it exactly what it is: theft.

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  23. By and large, entrepreneurs are crooks who take more than their fair share of our country's wealth. (The word "entrepreneur" comes from two French words, "entre" which means "within" and "preneur" which signifies "one who takes." Put them together and you've got a name for an in-house thief who robs the rest of us.) The people's government--not corporate criminals--should control the economy of our country. Government-owned industries could provide jobs for our people: we don't need billionaires whose obscene fortunes are a slap in the face to every poor guy who has to work for a living. Bring in a planned economy with a social safety net for all our citizens and we won't have to worry about corporate porkers and their whims.

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  24. anon 3:58am - Is that you Cory?

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  25. "Government-owned industries could provide jobs for our people"

    Just like in Cuba or Zimbabwe right? Great places to live that's why many of Cubans try risk there life's to flee

    "Bring in a planned economy with a social safety net for all our citizens"

    I think The USSR started that in the 20's and between 1920-1938 how many millions died? Ca not forget the PRC rember the great leap Forward how did that work out?

    No worries, that's what Obama is planing on doing

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  26. Hey - let's tax the Johnson Family to the point that they leave Racine and Wisconsin.

    Life will be great then!

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  27. Mason never saw a tax he did not like. Sure let's penalize those who have excelled in life so that we can give money to those who have not done a damn thing to help themselves.

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  28. Anon 7:15, Bravo.

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  29. anon 3:58am

    Do you care to back up your comment with facts?

    There are still a few communist countries still left in the world. You are free to live there.

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  30. Cory Mason you can not be that stupid! Is history a subject that liberals opted out of? Remember Germany in the 30's and 40's is this what you want? I for one hope that Mr. Mason runs for another term it would be sweet to see him and the draft dodger get thier but's handed to them.

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  31. Anon 3:58 just admitted to his communist beliefs. State-run everything does not work!

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  32. It works pretty well in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France and a lot of other civilized nations. All I know from my sad life experience is that government treated me with respect while the private sector abused me whenever it could get away with it. Our Yankee obsession with Emersonian self-reliance is why our system is so cruel to anyone who wasn't invited to the corporate porkers' money party. Elsewhere in the developed world, people know that the poor did not choose their sorrowful situation. Alas, here in the U.S.A., we blame society's victims for their plight.

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  33. I got an idea lets tax pro sports players that are playing in our publicly built arenas. Like Miller park. Fine we built it an are still paying for it. But, the players are making millions and live where? How about a tax to play on sports team here. They can afford it.

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  34. 9:29 - you said "Alas, here in the U.S.A., we blame society's victims for their plight." Well put and that is the way it is. You and the rest of the plight should go out and do something rather than the government (the rest of the population) cover your ass.

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  35. Typical liberal Democrat: increase taxes.

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  36. News. Not an editoral.

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  37. Dear 9/10/2009 10:30 A.M., I hope and pray that you never lose the fortune which enables you to sneer at the poor. If your stash vanishes, you'll quickly learn that individual effort is worthless in a system run and rigged by the top 1% of population for its sick fun and slick profit. The people's government should control the wealth of the nation for the benefit of all our citizens. Once the government provides jobs and incomes for our people, we won't need entrepreneurs and other private sector privateers.

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  38. 8:13 - Sorry the rich will rule and prevail. That's the American way. As long as some people do nothing but expect entitlements - that's what they'll remain -poor. The choice is up to them.

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  39. If you think that the poor have any choices, Buddy, walk a mile in their worn-out shoes. Choices are a richman's luxury. Thanks to charlatans like Ralph Waldo Emerson and his dingbat disciples, our cockeyed culture blames its victims for their plight on the grounds that they made the bad choice of not reaching for the stars or some other Transcendentalist tripe. In actuality, people possess only as much ability to choose their fate as their finanoial means give them. Chuck Emerson's writings in the cosmic circular file and get real!

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  40. Dear Anonymous 9/9/2009 7:38 A.M., While some Cubans (usually entrepreneurial types whose families lost loot under Castro's regime) want to come here, most Cubans are happy with a government which gives them free health care, education and other necessities. The only freedom worth having is emancipation from poverty. If I could move to Cuba and obtain citizenship there, I'd leave our heartless capitalist country a.s.a.p.

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