Data Wonk

• Journal Sentinel Gets Snookered by Walker

  May 1st, 2014 by Bruce Thompson

  Newspaper’s vaunted Politifact column approves of Walker’s very misleading claim about state job growth.

• Decline of the Dairy State

  Apr 16th, 2014 by Bruce Thompson

  Walker’s policies may help depopulate farms. How will cities be affected?

• Why Utah Scores High on New Economy Rankings

  Apr 2nd, 2014 by Bruce Thompson

  Yes, it’s conservative, but it strongly supports rail transit and urban living. Final story of a series.

• Why Wisconsin Lags in High Tech Economy

  Mar 5th, 2014 by Bruce Thompson

  Are the state’s liberals too opposed to change? Part II in a series.

• Wisconsin Lags in Building a High Tech Economy

  Feb 19th, 2014 by Bruce Thompson

  Which states and cities lead the way in building a new economy? Part I of a three-part series.

• Myths About the Minimum Wage

  Feb 7th, 2014 by Bruce Thompson

  Economists don’t agree that raising the minimum wage reduces employment. It actually increases jobs in fast-food industry.

• Ending Income Taxes Won’t Bring Jobs

  Jan 22nd, 2014 by Bruce Thompson

  Gov. Walker says states without the tax do better. Statistics say otherwise.

• Why Walker’s Job Strategy Has Failed

  Oct 17th, 2013 by Bruce Thompson

  He’s followed a much-touted strategy used by successful companies. Why hasn’t it worked?

• Which Governor is Best At Growing Jobs?

  Aug 22nd, 2013 by Bruce Thompson

  The truth is far more complicated than either party would claim.

• The State’s Spin Machine

  Jul 30th, 2013 by Bruce Thompson

  Dept of Workforce Development spins job numbers to make Walker look good. Does it matter?

• Cities Lead the Way

  Jul 3rd, 2013 by Bruce Thompson

  Latest census figures shows all state population growth in urban areas.