P.O. Box 1222, Madison, WI 53701 | www.prodane.org | office@prodane.org | (608) 257-4985
Scott Milfred has apparently joined the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce and others on the political right in their quest to convince Madisonians that the sky is falling on Madison's economy. Perhaps if the Chamber's lobbyists, conservative politicos, and the WSJ repeat the mantra, "Madison is a bad place for business," frequently enough, people will believe it's true.
In his column, Milfred cites as problematic a number city policy decisions, all of which increase the quality of life for Madison's residents and most of which were supported by Progressive Dane. What he fails to recognize is that these progressive policies have made Madison the great place it is to live and work.
Milfred complains that Progressive Dane has worked to: make affordable housing available for Madison's workforce, improve public health through smoke-free workplace legislation, ensure that workers earn family-supporting living wages and benefits, protect small locally-owned businesses from their big box counterparts, and protect the public's right to know when special interests try to influence the decisions of our elected officials. There's no hint of the positive impact these policies have on our local economy.
Milfred fails to mention that Progressive Dane has introduced and is working to pass a package of small business initiatives formulated with the assistance of local business owners and groups. He does not mention Progressive Dane's efforts to keep public transportation affordable so that all employees can afford to get to and from work. Nor does he include the efforts made by Progressive Dane to increase city funding for childcare assistance and to improve the quality of childcare so that our workforce can do their jobs productively without worrying that their children don't have safe or appropriate care.
In the minds of conservatives, these policies may pale in comparison to the extensive tax breaks given to businesses by our Republican president and legislature, but they all contribute to economic development right here in our community and do a lot more for the people of our city.
The work of Progressive Dane and others on the political left has helped to place Madison among the top cities in which to do business according to numerous business publications. Just this week, the Milken Institute ranked the Madison metro area as the best-performing area in the Midwest in terms of job creation. Milfred claims these rankings come solely because of our University and related technology firms, but he is wrong. One look at the variety of businesses opening every day throughout the city makes that apparent. Business is flocking to, not fleeing from, Madison.
The continual crying wolf done by those claiming that the sky is falling on Madison's economy does the greatest disservice to our local businesses. Fortunately, Madison's residents are smart enough not to be fooled by false claims and conservative rhetoric and will continue to support good progressive policy in Madison.
Posted by prodane at March 1, 2006 12:44 AM
We, the members of Progressive Dane, join together to form an independent political party in Dane County with a major focus on local issues. We pledge to work to improve the quality of life in Dane County for all people, particularly those marginalized by economic and social discrimination. We will work to improve our local government by making it open, easier to understand, and accessible for all citizens of Dane County. We are working to achieve positive policy change by electing accountable progressive officials and mobilizing citizen action.
Progressive Dane's "In The News" blog keeps you up to date on the latest news from (and about) PD. Check here for information on PD's policy initiatives and to read about what our endorsed elected officials are up to.
