Joblessness in Wisconsin

First reported initial claims for unemployment benefits in Wisconsin -last four weeks (these are people who first apply for unemployment benefits and the figures are an important indicator of job growth or losses; greater number of claims suggestive of greater job losses)

Week ending December 17th: 14,065 people
Week ending December 24th: 17,646 people
Week ending December 31st: 27.883 people
Week ending January 7th: 38,086 people


It's all about jobs.

If this means things are working, when would one consider that things are not working, and in reality the situation is worsening? Think about that...

Wisconsin job losses -the beat continues

New data (released 12-20-2011) show that in comparison to all other states Wisconsin suffered the greatest jobs loss in Nov: 14,600 jobs lost

Wisconsin Family Care Cap


The current Wisconsin administration placed a cap on Family Care, a program that helps keep the elderly and those who are disabled out of nursing homes (beginning July 2011). Then on December 13, 2011 the administration was ordered to lift the cap by the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid (CMS). On December 28, 2011 a proposal was announced to lift the cap, apparently without mention of the letter from CMS that asked for lifting of the cap. 

The CMS letter can be found here: http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/host.madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/8a/78a9a71a-3243-11e1-a6db-001871e3ce6c/4efca4d49f981.pdf.pdf 

Thus besides the issue of trying to take credit for something they were ordered to do, as the timeline suggests, an important issue we should lose sight of is that the above represents poor competence due to lack of understanding of federal health regulations in the first place (and poor homework).