Will $80 million windfall end in tax relief or government spending spree?

By   /  June 6, 2013  /  City Government, economic development, Featured, Local Government, Minnesota, News, State Government  /  No Comments

$80 Million in New State Aid:  Legislators say at least half should go to property tax relief, while cities appear poised to spend it on projects like this arts center in Hopkins. Arts Center Photo.

It’s an irresistible government program, and those who fall under its influence are much like characters from “The Lord of the Rings.”

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Twice as lousy: WI may duplicate useless SBA program

By   /  May 14, 2013  /  economic development, Economy, Featured, News, Wisconsin  /  2 Comments

capitol dome

As Wisconsin lawmakers debate a new $25 million venture capital program, a similar, decades-old multi-billion dollar federal program goes untapped by Badger State venture funds.

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Earmark ban leaves MN water project high and dry

By   /  May 9, 2013  /  City Government, County Government, economic development, Featured, Minnesota, News  /  1 Comment

Earmark Ban:  Water pipeline left high and dry with cutoff of federal funding.

WORTHINGTON, Minn. — When Congress banned earmarks, few anticipated the $560 million Lewis and Clark Regional Water System would become a national poster child for the unintended consequences of the politically popular measure.

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Audit latest black eye for embattled Wisconsin Economic Development Corp.

By   /  May 1, 2013  /  Accountability, economic development, Featured, News, Power Abuse, Scott Walker, Transparency, Wisconsin  /  3 Comments

The Legislative Audit Bureau found the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. "did not have sufficient policies, including some that were statutorily required, to administer its programs effectively." The report, released Wednesday, is the latest to show significant accountability concerns at the two-year old quasi-public WEDC.

By Ryan Ekvall | Wisconsin Reporter
MADISON – Another audit, another finding of incompetence and waste at the state’s top jobs agency.
The operation at the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. apparently is so muddled that the Legislative Audit Bureau could not adequately “assess the effectiveness of WEDC’s economic development programs.”
The bureau’s audit, released Wednesday, found information WEDC [...]

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Latest audit finds more trouble at embattled WEDC

By   /  May 1, 2013  /  economic development, Featured, Legislature, News, State Government, Wisconsin  /  No Comments

A newly released audit shows the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. is riddled with accountability problems and, in some cases, did not follow state statute.

MADISON – Another audit, another finding of incompetence and waste at the state’s top job creation agency.

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