"Right vs. Left in the Midwest"

[applegrove]

Right vs. Left in the Midwest

By LAWRENCE R. JACOBS at the New York Times (Opinion)

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/24/opinion/sunday/right-vs-left-in-the-midwest.html

"SNIP...............................


Which side of the experiment — the new right or modern progressivism — has been most effective in increasing jobs and improving business opportunities, not to mention living conditions?

Obviously, firm answers will require more time and more data, but the first round of evidence gives the edge to Minnesota’s model of increased services, higher costs (mostly for the affluent) and reduced payments to entrenched interests like the insurers who cover the Medicaid population.

Three years into Mr. Walker’s term, Wisconsin lags behind Minnesota in job creation and economic growth. As a candidate, Mr. Walker promised to produce 250,000 private-sector jobs in his first term, but a year before the next election that number is less than 90,000. Wisconsin ranks 34th for job growth. Mr. Walker’s defenders blame the higher spending and taxes of his Democratic predecessor for these disappointments, but according to Forbes’s annual list of best states for business, Wisconsin continues to rank in the bottom half.

Along with California, Minnesota is the fifth fastest growing state economy, with private-sector job growth exceeding pre-recession levels. Forbes rates Minnesota as the eighth best state for business. Republicans deserve some of the credit, particularly for their commitment to education reform. They also argue that Minnesota’s new growth stems from the low taxes and reduced spending under Mr. Dayton’s Republican predecessor, Tim Pawlenty. But Minnesota’s job growth was subpar during Mr. Pawlenty’s eight-year tenure and recovered only under Mr. Dayton.



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[rurallib]

1. And then there is Iowa

we have a republican governor and crappy job numbers, but the incredible Branstad

( from an email from Progressive Iowa)


New Study Shows Iowa Ranks 46th In Job Growth Under Terry Branstad
2013 ranking announced just days after Branstad admitted the inaccuracy of his job creation claims

Des Moines -- Iowa ranks 46th out of 50 states in job growth, according to figures released today by the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University. The figures were released just days after the Branstad admitted their past job creation claims were exaggerated.

"This is the latest example of Governor Branstad's complete failure to work for middle class Iowa families," said Matt Sinovic, executive director of Progress Iowa. "The Governor admitted to overstating job growth on Friday, and today we find out we're ranked 46th out of 50 states. To create good jobs the Governor should invest in Iowa's middle class, instead of funding tax giveaways to foreign corporations."

The Branstad administration claims job growth of 128,000 since taking office, although those figures have received widespread scrutiny as they do not account for jobs lost. Net job growth has been much slower than the administration has admitted, with just 48,200 net jobs added since January of 2011.

Iowa fell to 46th after being ranked 14th the previous year. Only New Mexico, Kentucky, Alabama, and Alaska fared worse in the Arizona State study.