FDA

Little in the Governor’s “Jobs Package” Deals with Jobs

October 4, 2011 by Uppity Wisconsin

When I heard the Governor had convened a “Special Session on Jobs” I was anxious to take look at the proposals.

Business owners tell me they need access to capital, lower health insurance costs and a skilled workforce. Just last week the Eau Claire Leader Telegram headline read Employers: Jobs are there, Skills are not.

Being from the country, I like to kick the tires and lift up the hood before I buy anything. Was anything that small business owners needed on the list?

This weekend, I got down to the tire kicking level. Amazingly, I found something besides ‘jobs’ on the agenda.

There are a few bills that help make it easier for businesses to get loans. One bill would make credit for farmers easier to obtain by expanding state loan guarantees; another bill increases the cap on loan guarantees for small businesses. There are several bills that create tax credits for investments.

Nothing on the list deals with rising health costs. Very little addresses the lack of skilled workers.

And who would have guessed a bill to protect drug companies and medical device companies from lawsuits if their product had FDA approval would bring jobs to Wisconsin?