Scott Walker in 2011 Governor's State of the State speeches
On Budget & Economy:
Wisconsin's once strong economy is in need of repair
We have an economic crisis in this state that demands our immediate attention. The solutions we offer must be designed to address both job creation and our budget problems. Wisconsin's once strong economy is in need of repair. Too many of our people are
hurting and too many of our employers are struggling. As I travel the state, I hear too many stories of families struggling to put food on the table; and I learn of too many small businesses who are forced to layoff workers because of the economy.
Source: 2011 Wisconsin State of the State Address
Feb 1, 2011
On Corporations:
Expand relocation & economic development tax credits
Yesterday, I signed an expansion of our relocation and economic development tax credits. These measures will help our state attract and retain businesses and jobs. Although we have accomplished a lot in a short time, we should not celebrate too much the
bills that have already passed. We are under no illusion that simply calling a Special Session means that all is better in Wisconsin. The fact that we needed to call a special session at all is a sobering reminder of all the work we have left to do.
Source: 2011 Wisconsin State of the State Address
Feb 1, 2011
On Free Trade:
Global opportunity: Get WI products out to the world
The state's facing a fundamentally changed marketplace to which we have to respond. Like Wisconsin companies, our competition isn't just next door but also across the world. As a result, we must transform our government and business environment to compet
globally. With global competition also comes global opportunity. For instance, 96% of the world's population live and consume products outside of the US. Wisconsin businesses who want to grow, expand and create new, good-paying jobs need to be able to
get their products out to the world in a cost-effective manner. That means a strong transportation network in Wisconsin; re-prioritizing our transportation investments. I challenged the Wisconsin Department of Transportation to look at new ways to
reconstruct our state's busiest interchange--the Zoo Interchange--which is used by 350,000 people a day. Our transportation leaders met the challenge and developed a plan that will start the project ahead of schedule and save the taxpayer's $600 million.
Source: 2011 Wisconsin State of the State Address
Feb 1, 2011
On Government Reform:
End tax on HSAs; reduce frivolous lawsuits
The first act I signed as governor eliminated the taxes on health savings accounts, making health care more affordable for small business owners and family farmers. This change was a long time coming for Wisconsin and brings us into line with the rest of
the nation. Our second act reduced frivolous lawsuits in Wisconsin. The litigation environment in a state is one of the key drivers for business. Now, we've turned the page on lawsuit reform and offer one more sign that Wisconsin is open for business.
Source: 2011 Wisconsin State of the State Address
Feb 1, 2011
On Jobs:
Create 250,000 jobs via special legislative session
The unemployment rate in December dropped to 7.5% but that is still 3 points worse than it was just 3 years ago. We must do better. Coach Vince Lombardi once said, "Success demands singleness of purpose." We are defining success for this administration
by our ability to shape an environment where 250,000 jobs are created.Every action of our administration should be looked at through the lens of job creation. That is why--moments after taking the oath of office as your Governor--I called a special
session of the Legislature to focus on jobs. Already, we are sending a clear message that Wisconsin is open for business! That singleness of purpose is why we hit the ground running on our very first day and why by our second day we had already introduce
legislation to improve Wisconsin's economic environment. All told, we introduced 8 pieces of legislation to instill in our state an environment that encourages job creation, and to send the message to employers that now is the time to start hiring.
Source: 2011 Wisconsin State of the State Address
Feb 1, 2011
On Social Security:
Increase public employee pension payments to 5%
For years, our employees have been asked to do more with less. However, the difficult reality is that healthcare costs and pension costs have risen dramatically and that has created a benefit system that is simply unsustainable. Government benefits have
grown while so many others in the private sector have seen their benefits adjusted in order to protect jobs. Currently, most state employees pay next to nothing from their salaries toward their pension, while the state's taxpayers pay more than $190
million each year on state employees' behalf. Similarly, most state workers only pay about 6% of their premium costs for their health care plan. Asking public employees to make a pension payment of just over 5% (which is about the national average) and a
premium payment of 12% (which is about half of the national average) would save the state more than $30 million over three months. Most workers outside of government would love a deal like that--particularly if it means saving jobs.
Source: 2011 Wisconsin State of the State Address
Feb 1, 2011
Page last updated: Dec 04, 2018