Frank Lasee Hates Wisconsin

Frank Lasee, who represents Wisconsin's Second Assembly District hates his state. No member of the legislature has bashed Wisconsin as much as Lassee.  Before we look at Lassee's latest rant, lets look at Wisconsin as others see us.

• The Milliken Institute which ranks the cost of doing business in each state ranks Wisconsin 21st. (Highest is the worst.) They measure the cost of wages, taxes, electricity, and real estate. We are closer to 43th than to tenth.
• The Council on State Taxation in its 2005 report ranked us 30th on business taxes as a percentage of private-sector Gross State Product (4.5%). Important note: Wyoming was the worst at 9.5%.
• The Beacon Hill Institute ranked Wisconsin 16th (#1 is the best) overall in its State Competitiveness Index, 2005

So along comes Lasee trumpeting the Forbes Magazine Best State For Business Ranking. Lasee says:

...Forbes Magazine, an international business publication, released its first “Best States for Business” study last week (access it here). Not surprisingly, Wisconsin ranked near the bottom of the list. We were 39th overall among the 50 states...

... Wisconsin underperformed badly in nearly every category. We ranked 42nd for regulatory environment, 39th for economic climate, 38th for growth prospects, 30th for labor, and 27th for business costs...

Lasee is a traitor to Wisconsin, which he calls his home:

• He never trumpets the far more credible studies noted above which rank Wisconsin highly.
• He never challenges the biases and prejudices in the Forbes Study (Low environmental regulations receive a higher score. Corporate lawyers view of tort laws determines 'business friendly.')
• He never looks at the obvious contradictions: Forbes ranked Wyoming as the best state for business costs, while the Council on State Taxation said it was the worst.
• Economic climate is a measurement of tax giveaways to business!

Lasee never defends Wisconsin when we are trashed by these highly biased surveys.  Lasee even ridicules our quality of life ranking, a lofty 6th place:

Our quality of life was ranked 6th in the nation. Had this category been removed we would have been even lower on the list.

At the time I am writing this post, Forbes is conducting an online poll of its readers as to which factors they consider the most important.  Even among Forbes' prejudiced readers, the survey tonight shows that when responding to: What’s most important when considering relocating a business?

Quality of life(16%) beats out all categories except for business cost (19%)

Lasee is either working for Illinois or Iowa; Minnesota wants no part of him.

Comments

[kr]

He is even talking directly to people trying to convince them not to move to Wisconsin. Talk about a fetish.

[FF]

When Frank tells the truth it doesn't mean he hates this state. Wisconsin's business climate sucks, there are no two ways about it. I love it here because the people and culture are great, and family is here. But if I were starting a business, particularly a manufacturing operation, no way would I start it here. Horrible regulatory and tax climates.

Like when you were Mayor, I called you a Communist. I didn't hate you, I just wanted you to reform your Marxist ways. I failed, but I felt compelled to tell the truth.

[rod]

Check out Frank Lasee at the following website. http://wcca.wicourts.gov/simpleCaseSearch.xsl;jsessionid=36EC7D1ECAEA779D9C63E3EB4A94DF7D.render11?.
At least one person named Frank Lasee and born about 1961 has had difficulties with lawyers. It's now wonder he wants to cut off lawyers and law schools.

[Norm]

Frank tells the truth. Too bad you never have seen it.

[Steven]

reality sets in...WI business climate is terrible...the company I work for is registered out of state only via po box. sadly...some other state gets tax revenue it doesnt deserve. If WI was friendlier to business we would have more jobs and wouldnt see large employers like Polaris moving over 500 jobs to drug cartel run Mexico. WI must be bad if residing amidts the drug cartels is better!