Barca Testifies on Walker's WEDC Audit - Not Following Laws, failed to verify the job creation [View all]

[riversedge]

Walker has had a piggybank filled with taxpayer $$ for his cronies.


GreenBayProgressive ?@rkiefert 4m4 minutes ago

Barca Testifies on WEDC Audit - Not Following Laws, failed to verify the job creation efforts of businesses http://www.newiprogressive.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5561:barca-testifies-on-wedc-audit&catid=38:the-state-news&Itemid=56 #p2

Barca Testifies on WEDC Audit PDF Print E-mail
State & Local
Written by Assembly Democrats, Laura Smith
Wednesday, 09 September 2015 17:10

walker-wedcLegislative Audit Bureau Report Shows Walker's WEDC Not Following Laws or Own Policies, failed to verify the job creation efforts of businesses that receive taxpayer funds.

MADISON – Assembly Democratic Leader Peter Barca (D-Kenosha), a representative on the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) Board, today testified about the WEDC audit before the Joint Legislative Audit Committee. The Legislative Audit Bureau (LAB) report outlines continued failure at WEDC to follow state law and its own policies. The audit also found that WEDC failed to independently verify the job creation efforts of businesses that receive taxpayer funds.

“Taxpayer funds are at risk every single day that goes by without effectiveness and accountability at our state’s economic development programs,” Rep. Barca said. “After reviewing this report, it is clear that WEDC is not living up to its mission. If we don’t get things right at our lead economic development agency, we certainly aren’t going to have much luck creating family-supporting jobs in Wisconsin.”

As WEDC Board Members extremely concerned with the problems outlined in the audit, Senator Lassa (D-Stevens Point) and Rep. Barca urged the audit committee in May to hold a hearing immediately. The Audit Committee took more than four months to get the meeting scheduled.

At its core, WEDC has been mired in scandal and a history of serious financial issues and violations of state and federal laws. Since its hasty creation in 2011, WEDC has faced numerous problems that have resulted from poor planning and leadership and management failures. Sen. Lassa and Rep. Barca have worked diligently to improve WEDC, however the audit shows that WEDC has a nonchalant attitude toward following the law and its own policies.............