U.S. Chamber's Scathing Review of Scott Walker.

Even the business community is wondering what makes Scott Walker the go to guy, when he’s been a major failure so far.

Cap Times: Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker traveled to Washington, D.C. for America’s

Small Business Summit, hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “I participated in a good discussion about what we’ve done,” Walker said. Unfortunately, the U.S. Chamber, in a report released at the event, didn’t share Walker’s enthusiasm.Its annual scorecard on state economies ranked Wisconsin 44th for overall economic performance and 50th — as in dead last — for short-term job growth as measured between September 2010 and November 2012. It also has Wisconsin 39th in “business climate” — on par with the state’s ranking under Gov. Jim Doyle.Several recent major layoffs in Wisconsin suggest things are getting worse rather:

• Fidelity National Information Services Inc., plans to cut 301 employees.• Eaton Corp. announced it will lay off 130 hourly production employees and 33 salaried employees at its Pewaukee Cooper Power Systems Division facility as it outsources production to Mexico.• Baraboo-based Foremost Farms, one of the state’s largest dairy cooperatives, said it is closing a cheese plant and idling another plant indefinitely, resulting in more than 100 employee layoffs.• BuySeasons Inc., an Internet costume retailer in New Berlin, laid off dozens of workers.

Those layoffs followed the news that Caterpillar is eliminating up to 300 positions at its Milwaukee-area factories by June. Combined, you’re looking at close to 1,000 job cuts over the past month, many in well-paying positions in financial services, manufacturing, agriculture and retailing.  Here is a graphic.Jack Norman, past research director at the Institute for Wisconsin’s Future says “I think we’re seeing a local version of the austerity vs. investment debate.” 

A former liberal radio talk host who likes to ask the “follow-up question” at Democurmudgeon.blogspot.com