It’s always nice when newspapers can help Democrats pull the wool over the eyes of the electorate. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel does just that in Mayor Tom Barrett’s latest campaign ad:
The Journal Sentinel is featured prominently as a prop and piece of supporting evidence in the latest Barrett for Governor television commercial. The advertisement, released Thursday, has Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett talking directly to the camera about the state of Wisconsin’s economy and job creation. Halfway into the ad Barrett waves a copy of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel with the headline, “State Job Losses Worst in U.S.”
The paper has come under increasing criticism from watchdog groups and conservative opinion leaders for its failure to provide balanced coverage of public policy and political issues.
Democrats and far Left groups have repeatedly said that Wisconsin has led the way in job losses. What their talking point fails to note is that under Governor Walker’s leadership, the rate of job losses first slowed, and then tapered off with Wisconsin’s unemployment rate declining over the past 18 months. Data from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics says that over the past year Wisconsin created 18,498 jobs.
On Barrett’s watch, black Milwaukee residents saw unemployment exceed fifty percent. This same politician is challenging Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker in the June 5th recall election. Barrett apparently plans to spread Milwaukee’s poor economic performance state-wide. Walker and Lt. Gov. Kleefish took the initiative in Milwaukee, since Barrett won’t, and unveiled a $100 million-dollar economic plan for Milwaukee’s poorest areas:
The state will spend $100 million over two years for business expansion, new housing and other improvements designed to create more jobs in Milwaukee’s poorest neighborhoods, Gov. Scott Walker said Monday.
Walker and other state officials announced “Transform Milwaukee,” a program that will coordinate the resources of multiple state agencies with the city and other economic development entities.
It includes efforts to reoccupy foreclosed and vacant properties, provide loans and venture funding for small businesses and industrial development, and improve freight and intermodal transportation to foster the revitalization of industry.
While the Journal Sentinel cheerleads for Barrett and allows itself to be used as a prop in his campaign ads, it ignores the actual economic growth Wisconsin has seen from Walker/Kleefish reforms. It’s amazing that Barrett and the Journal Sentinel would attempt to use this debunked narrative when the only place such a story is even accurate is in the city Barrett runs: Milwaukee.