Will The Last Young Person In Wisconsin Please Turn Off The Light?

MILWAUKEE – Ads, really? After seven years of being the top executive in the state, Gov. Scott Walker finally recognized a disturbing trend that his failed policies have created in Wisconsin: young people are leaving the state in droves for good-paying jobs and lives elsewhere. The future of our state depends on attracting young people to live within our borders, something Gov. Walker thinks can be done by spending millions on advertising instead of having a comprehensive strategy and plan to recruit and retain young workers.

“You don’t have to be a Ph.D in Economics to recognize that our population is aging and young people have been fleeing our state under Gov Walker,” said gubernatorial candidate Andy Gronik. “It’s absurd that it took Gov. Walker seven years to recognize this trend instead of dealing with the loss of our young people, proactively. And, adding insult to severe injury, Walker’s assertion that he can attract young people back to Wisconsin by paying $6.8 million to run ads in other states is juvenile and doesn’t address the institutional failure of his administration to create the living and work environments that young people desire.”

The bottom line is that young people want good-paying jobs; they want to live in communities that offer a 21st-century economy, and most importantly, they want respect and a seat at the table. Gov Walker’s policies haven’t scratched the surface of all that’s necessary to demonstrate to young people that we want them here in our state.

“I plan to make young people the architects of our future and that’s why I’m already holding youth forums to identify the leaders of our future and the very best ideas for attracting young people back to Wisconsin,” said Gronik.

In August, Gronik proposed a plan to recruit and retain young graduates by helping them pay back student loans instead of paying state income taxes – a plan that gives every company in Wisconsin a recruiting and retention tool.

“I’ll invest in statewide in creating common spaces for work and brainstorming; recreation spaces for bike commuters and dog walkers; and the lightning-fast Internet needed to connect devices in cities spaces and remote areas. Career politicians like Gov. Scott Walker aren’t going to get the job done with gimmicks and conventional thinking,” concluded Gronik. “That’s why I’m already listening to young people on their terms, and not mine, and working on fresh solutions that I will make actionable on the very first day of my administration. It’s time to finally stop telling millennials that ‘they don’t work right’ and let them know that they are the key to the future of our state.”

Gronik for Wisconsin

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.