Minnesota vs. Wisconsin

So, Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin declared for President today.

So, how well has Wisconsin done during the administration of the (to put it mildly) controversial Walker?  Well, this article suggests we compare Wisconsin to adjacent Minnesota.

A closer look at Wisconsin's economy under Gov. Scott Walker

"How big a failure have Walkernomics been? Just look next door at Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton’s Minnesota, which leads Wisconsin in almost every economic indicator. 

In Minnesota, Dayton turned a $5 billion budget deficit into an over $1 billion budget surplus in just one term. By requiring the wealthiest earners to pay their fair share, Minnesota is now in a position to invest more resources into the state’s schools and infrastructure.

In Wisconsin, Walker was unable to take his state out of the red and faced a $2 billion budget deficit. Walker made the decision to cut taxes for millionaires and billionaires, while slashing education funding and refusing to make investments that would benefit middle class families and Wisconsin’s financial wellbeing.

In Minnesota, Dayton has moved forward Democratic policies like increasing the minimum wage, expanding Medicaid, and investing in the middle class, and now we are seen as one of the most business friendly states in the country. Just this year, Forbes ranked Minnesota as the 9th best state for business and careers, 7th in economic climate and 2nd in quality of life. On top of all that, CNBC just ranked Minnesota the country’s top state for business in 2015."

So, Wisconsin's economy with Walker at the helm has been adrift.  Next up: his horrendous positions on climate change and the environment.