Wisconsin’s Legislature this week approved the state’s first relief package in response to the 2019 coronavirus. The bill was more than a month in the making and Gov. Tony Evers signed it into law within hours of its passage in the Senate on Wednesday.
Ken Harwood
Advocating for Wisconsin
Ken [at] KenHarwood.com
608.334.2174
Ken [at] KenHarwood.com
608.334.2174
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This Weeks Articles...
- Madison commission asks for three-block `Summer on State` proposal
- Scott Resnick: Fetch shows potential for high-growth technology companies in Wisconsin
- Plan Commission halts Raemisch Farm development over F35s, environmental impacts
- Titletown Development welcomes Miron Construction at Titletown Office
- Madison firm developing lab-grown seafood raises $1.6M in pre-seed round
- Kimberly-Clark to move 250 jobs from Neenah, will open Chicago location
- Milwaukee area beer gardens are growing. This summer`s lineup is to include new sites in downtown Milwaukee, Bayshore and Waukesha.
- Foxconn talks continue in Wisconsin
- New development proposal would mean a tear down of an old Madison icon
- Wisconsin legislators, ag groups push expanded ag export funding bill
- Wisconsin communities receive $90 million from HUD to address homelessness, develop affordable housing
- Affordable housing in high demand as Milwaukee approves $7M for efforts
- Newly Proposed Plan Aims to Address Madison’s Housing Crisis
- Report: Milwaukee housing leaders say affordable housing developments should be located near job hubs, suburbs
- OrthoIllinois withdraws proposal for Wisconsin ASC after controversy
- BMO Tower: Project of the Year — Milwaukee Business Journal 2021 Real Estate Awards
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- Building a Gaming Industry Ecosystem in the Madison Region
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- This bird seed benefits more than just birds
- Hospitality industry struggling to hire
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"Our goal is an environment of decency, quality and mutual respect for all human beings and all other living creatures. Our goal is a decent environment in its broadest and deepest sense."
Earth Day Founder, U.S. Senator, and Wisconsin Governor Gaylord Nelson
See Also:
Quotes:
...moreOn the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, bipartisan climate action has never been more important.
At a time when we face political inaction and a looming climate crisis, the significance of Earth Day`s 50th anniversary is more relevant than ever.Climate change affects every one of us.
This is why we need a national plan with bipartisan support: Climate change does not discriminate between red and blue states. It affects each of us in different ways. Gaylord Nelson realized this when he founded Earth Day in 1970.Outrider believes that political and cultural division disrupts climate progress. That`s why we`re here to help unite parties and communities in taking responsible action.
Ken Notes: Please watch and share this video, working together we can make a difference for our grandchildren...
The Milwaukee Common Council voted Tuesday to approve the Wisconsin Center expansion — clearing the way for the $420 million project to proceed after the economy improves.
The city is not funding the convention center expansion.
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The governor’s halting strategy for the April election frustrated even some of his allies
Republican leaders and conservative justices deserve about 95 percent of the blame for Wisconsin’s dangerous and embarrassing spring election mess. I took them to task in my last post.
But Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ performance during the whole process can be most charitably described as incoherent. If there was any kind of policy or political strategy to his moves over the last month or so, it’s not apparent to me or to many local officials or even some Democratic leaders.
Let’s review.
On March 12, Evers declared an official public health emergency...
...It’s to Evers’ credit, as a person, that he just might be
constitutionally unable to understand his opponents. To be their
opposite is the definition of a good human being. But what’s needed
right now is a smart, tough, energetic political strategist who can play
their game. Someone who can inspire a healthy bit of fear in his
opponents. We need a guy who knows how to throw a punch harder than the
one he just took. And that will never be Tony Evers. ..
...moreKen Notes: Dave Cieslewicz writes a brilliant article here, and while I am a fiscal conservative, I have to agree that Tony is being manhandled and manipulated by both the political right and the conservative press. In fact the usually more liberal media outlets have been none too kind as well.
Dave`s conclusion, which I included (bold) above, is spot on and I nominate Dave for the role of the "smart, tough, energetic political strategist" he calls for. In fact that would again give me an opportunity to discuss issues with Dave and even occasionally point out the error of his liberal to the core ways -- but with the respect both he and Tony deserve and then in the "Tommy tradition" which I embrace we would go out for dinner and a beer.
Gov. Tony Evers on Thursday, April 9, announced the Army Corp of
Engineers has officially been engaged and started mobilizing at the
Exposition Center at Wisconsin State Fair Park to begin the development
of an alternative care facility (ACF) for coronavirus.“We are extremely appreciative of FEMA and the Army Corp of Engineers for their responsiveness as we continue to see an increase in the number of individuals testing positive for COVID-19 in Wisconsin,” said Gov. Evers. “This alternative care facility will be a critical addition to the southeastern region of our state and will be essential to continuing to ensure our healthcare systems are not overwhelmed.”
See also:
Gov. Evers announces alternative care facility at Alliant Energy Center
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Wisconsin’s largest business group is calling for Gov. Tony Evers to end his Safer At Home order as it expires April 24 to phase in economic activity possibly with social distancing in workplaces and more restrictions continuing in Milwaukee County but less in non-urban areas that have few COVID-19 cases.
On a radio show this morning, however, Evers reiterated his health secretary`s recent comments that it`s too early to make that call.
Evers, appearing Friday on WTMJ Newsradio 620`s Steve Scaffidi Show, said he is not ready to consider lifting the “Safer at Home” order. Evers noted the number of COVID-19 cases has yet to peak in Wisconsin.
“The last thing we want to do as a state…is make a mistake on when we move forward and bring things back to normalcy that we all want,” Evers said. “The last thing we need to do is talk about this next fall because we did it too soon.”
Evers said he will “follow the science” to determine when he might consider relaxing Safer At Home...
See Also:
Evers implements temporary ban on evictions, foreclosures
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Politicians from both parties praised the measure as a bipartisan success — one where elected officials came to the table and compromised to develop a substantive policy deal — an increasingly rare approach to governance in a state where the Democrats control the executive branch and Republicans control the Legislature...
COVID-19 is first and foremost a human and public health tragedy. As the likelihood of prolonged social-distancing measures increases in Wisconsin, across the U.S., and around the world, the virus could have a significant impact on business and on the economy.
Understanding and responding to the business risks is rapidly becoming an imperative for businesses of all sizes. And the timeline for companies to react is quickly shrinking.
Guidance and advice are popping up everywhere through webinars, articles, interviews, checklists and more. We’ve summarized a few that we have found beneficial, and we hope you find them helpful, too.
Understand your risks
Global strategy giant PwC developed a dedicated tool to help businesses assess and manage risk. PwC’s COVID-19 Navigator tool consists of a series of questions to help business leaders act decisively by generating insights about where their company stands in six key areas:...
Set priorities...
Make good decisions...
Create new opportunities...
...moreKen Notes: Read and save this one, it is good and the links are valuable....
The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development could begin sending an additional $600 in unemployment compensation per week to those who are eligible by the week of April 26, the department recently announced.
The funding is being provided through the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation program, which was created under the $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, or CARES Act. The extra $600 will be provided through July 31 to those who are eligible for unemployment insurance and pandemic unemployment assistance, which also was established by the CARES Act. Pandemic assistance temporarily expands unemployment insurance eligibility to those who are self-employed, freelancers, independent contractors and part-time workers that are impacted by COVID-19...
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Lorelei Staffeld has gotten used to hearing a busy signal over the past couple of weeks.
Latest coronavirus in Wisconsin updates
“Over a hundred in the last two weeks,” she said when asked how many times she’s dialed up the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development.
Staffeld lost her job at an Appleton plastic factory three weeks ago.
She also legally changed her name a year ago, and is now facing a legal complication because of it... ...moreKen Notes: Lets put this in the proper perspective, we have a system designed for the unemployment swing of the last decade we have an unemployment swing like we have NEVER seen before EVER. We are building hospitals in sports arenas, it may take a while to get a person on the phone, I applaud the fact that they are working as hard as they are. Lets breathe deep, take care of each other as best we can, and come out of this without winners and losers, but rather a new found respect for everyone who actually tried to help...
Niko Vera now spends more time at the park and working side jobs to make ends meet.He got unlucky making a career move.
"I quit my job, probably a week before the lockdown started, and had two interviews that day,” Vera said.
He did get a job offer, but it was disrupted by the pandemic.
"The start date got pushed back to an undefined time.”..
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LastLast April, The Verge reported that the Foxconn “innovation centers” scattered around Wisconsin were largely empty and that renovations were stalled. Several days after that article published, Foxconn held a press conference to announce that it had bought yet another building and told reporters that The Verge’s reporting was incorrect...
...In a statement, Missy Hughes, the CEO of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation overseeing the deal, told The Verge that Foxconn’s report will be audited and reviewed and that negotiations over the contract are ongoing. “Our conversations with Foxconn about aligning the contract with the project continue — it is WEDC’s objective to do so in order to support the project,” Hughes said.
The factory is set to open in May. Foxconn has deemed construction “essential,” and work continues even under Wisconsin’s stay-at-home order. It is unclear exactly what the factory will produce when it becomes operational.
Foxconn did not respond to a request for comment...
The factory is set to open in May. Foxconn has deemed construction “essential,” and work continues even under Wisconsin’s stay-at-home order. It is unclear exactly what the factory will produce when it becomes operational.
Foxconn did not respond to a request for comment...
Ken Notes: Again we are allowing the VERGE to tell OUR story. We need reporters in Wisconsin to aggressively seek the truth, Foxconn has suggested they have met the employee threshold for 2019 and there were 100 or so cars in the parking lot of the new campus -- how many of those were construction vs. Foxconn I couldn`t say. I have no idea exactly what they are doing other than desperately seeking a product that they can profitably market in both the US and abroad. I guess what we need to remember is the Verge and Foxconn both have an agenda, and Missy may have landed the toughest job in the state...
Nearly 70% of the 580 employees working in Wisconsin for Foxconn and its subsidiaries at the end of 2019 started their current positions in the fourth quarter of last year, according to a BizTimes review of data the company submitted to state officials.
Foxconn’s contract with the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. requires the company to submit an annual report to the agency on its hiring and investment activities. Documents submitted with the report provide details on wages, start date, residency state, which entity the employee works for and other information...
...moreKen Notes: Much better reporting here, alas Foxconn is still quiet. I have a question if this is a tax credit, I can not imagine the company made a profit in 2019, so do these tax credits carry forward??
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Air National Guard units based in Wisconsin and Alabama have been awarded squadrons of F-35 fighter jets
MADISON, Wis. -- Air National Guard units based in Wisconsin and Alabama have been awarded squadrons of F-35 fighter jets, the U.S. Air Force announced Wednesday, overcoming vocal opposition from people who live near the base in Wisconsin`s capital city.
The jets will be placed with the Wisconsin Air National Guard`s 115th Fighter Wing at Truax Field in Madison and with the 187th Fighter Wing at Dannelly Field in Montgomery, Alabama. The first jets are expected to arrive in late 2023...
...moreThe jets will be placed with the Wisconsin Air National Guard`s 115th Fighter Wing at Truax Field in Madison and with the 187th Fighter Wing at Dannelly Field in Montgomery, Alabama. The first jets are expected to arrive in late 2023...
Ken Notes: Lets figure put how to make Lemonade here...
Wisconsin’s newly created Office of Rural Prosperity has named its first director, a woman who grew up on a La Crosse County farm and has worked for a member of Congress from Maine.
The office, created by Gov. Tony Evers under the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., is meant to help rural communities, farmers and others navigate state programs that could be beneficial to them.
It would be a "one-stop shop" for rural communities seeking state assistance, WEDC Executive Director Missy Hughes said in an earlier Journal Sentinel interview...
...moreKen Notes:I applauded the effort when it was suggested and hope we see success after C-19. Welcome back to Wisconsin...
A COVID-19 patient at UW Hospital has received the first transfusion of plasma from a local patient who donated it since recovering from the disease.
The UW School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH) and UW Health are part of a nationwide effort to study whether plasma from people who have recovered from COVID-19 given to patients who are seriously ill with the disease can help shorten the duration or severity of their illness.
Plasma is the liquid portion of blood that contains, among other components, the pathogen-fighting antibodies produced by the body in response to an infection. The immune systems of those who recover, or convalesce, from COVID-19 produce antibodies that may help detect and fight the virus that causes it, SARS-CoV-2. Using convalescent plasma involves taking these antibodies and giving them to sick patients still fighting the virus...
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MADISON — Until a few months ago, some health-care professionals were just as likely to view the use of electronic health records as a burden as an asset. Today, with the COVID-19 crisis nearing a disturbing crescendo in many U.S. states, those attitudes may be changing.
Experience thus far in the coronavirus outbreak suggests that digital health records and related online tools, such as telemedicine, are helping hospitals and health systems cope with the surge in requests for virtual diagnoses, analyzing trends in COVID-19 testing and managing cases requiring critical care...
Ken Notes:EPIC could play a huge role in this...
Stay up to date by reading our MadREP Report, a bi-monthly newsletter that features regional economic development news, events and opportunities. ...more
WAUSAU - Four development projects received a boost Tuesday evening as city officials approved various funding for new proposals, in the final City Council meeting before five new members take their seats Tuesday.
The new developments include a riverfront event venue and a large new apartment complex on the west side.
Mayor Robert Mielke was not present for the final City Council meeting he would have chaired before Mayor-elect Katie Rosenberg is sworn-in on Tuesday.
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MILWAUKEE (SPECTRUM NEWS) -- We continue to get answers on our economy and how Wisconsin is being impacted by the coronavirus.
Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation Secretary and CEO Missy Hughes sat down with us to talk about several topics that range from helping small business owners to what are essential employees.
Hughes says the Safer at Home order is complex, but the more business owners become familiar with it, the more they will understand the situation....
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"We need to bring huge additional resources to housing," said Sandel, an associate professor at Boston University Schools of Medicine and Public Health.
That might happen in an upcoming round of additional federal economic stimulus funding. And that could increase the construction of affordable apartments in Wisconsin.
An increase in federal affordable housing tax credits, which are used to help finance apartments for low- and moderate-income people, could be part of that upcoming stimulus package....
...moreKen Notes: With two trillion dollars coming out of the federal deficit, it wold be nice to do something positive with the money. I know I am dreaming again...
U.S. Gain has completed a gas processing facility at Clover Hill Dairy in Campbellsport, Wis., that will enable the production of renewable natural gas (RNG) for transportation fuel and other uses.“Many of the large farms already have digesters, and we work with them to offtake and distribute the RNG produced,” says Bryan Nudelbacher, U.S. Gain’s director of RNG business development. “But the Clover Hill project goes one step beyond that. Now, we’re also actively leading development of gas processing facilities and coordinating transportation of pipeline-grade gas to injection sites, drawing on skillsets from industry experts, as appropriate.”
U.S. Gain worked with Nacelle Solutions, a technology and service company specializing in gas conditioning and upgrading, along with the Bonlender family on the Clover Hill project...
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Ken Notes: WDNews relies on the actual journalism provided by your local media outlets. Without these partners we can not bring you the unbiased news, leads and updates you need to thrive in Wisconsin. Support your local media...
Note: I changed the link here to Toms Twitter account. JS limits the number of articles I can read so I look at TD`s Twitter feed every week. I`ll Still include JS articles but after ten you need to subscribe.
I also updated the picture because, well Tom is getting old and development is taking it`s toll!!!
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Ken Notes: Tom Daykin is the source for ED news in MKE. This is a permanent link to articles in his blog which is updated daily...
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Wisconsin Development and WDNGreen newsletters are now emailed to over 12,000 professionals, planners, developers, news outlets, and elected officials each week. We see over 1,000 opens within the first hour every week for each publication. The websites, WisconsinDevelopment.com and WDNGreen.com are always online and available to view and search where we maintain several years worth of articles. All of our rates are now less than in previous years.
"Our goal is to present a positive view of economic development in the State of Wisconsin”, Ken Harwood, Editor and Publisher.
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Ken Notes: "Ken Notes" may be reprinted in context without permission. Attribution should be Ken Harwood, Editor Wisconsin Development News or Ken Harwood Advocate for Wisconsin.
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608.334.2174
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