October 8, 2010

WPRI condemned Ron Johnson's labor practices

The WPRI is a nonpartisan [*spit take*] think tank

Flash back — April 10, 2009:
Wisconsin Policy Research Institute senior fellow Christian Schneider reviews draft legislation circulating in the Wisconsin State Assembly. He's inflamed by what he discovers: It seems an employer tax credit was proposed by Assembly Democrats for small businesses which hire certain otherwise disadvantaged individuals, including ex-felons. This outrage, announces the seniorly fellow, is simply "social engineering" under cover of exploiting the economic recession.
Flash forward — October 8, 2010:
Johnson's campaign would not say how many inmates his companies employ. State records, obtained by the AP through a State open records request, indicate the companies have participated in the work release program since 1998.

Ron Johnson's companies offer private health insurance to the regular employees at the Oshkosh factories. But Melissa Roberts, an executive assistant with the Wisconsin Department of Corrections, said the companies don't have to cover the inmate workers. "The benefit [the subsidy?] is that they don't have to pay health benefits," she said.
$10K times nine inmates times twelve years equals $1.08M.

Government health care, Ron Johnson has often shouted, is the "greatest assault on [his] personal Freedoms in [his] lifetime."

But today the WPRI sure hearts it some Ron Johnson.

In a strictly nonpartisan sense, of course.

Earlier — Ron Johnson: Communist China is where it's at

4 comments:

Free Lunch said...

I strongly support the work release program, even if employers save a few bucks. Even if the employer does not hire the prisoner once he is released, there is some benefit. The greatest benefit, of course, is if the prisoner is allowed to keep the job when he gets out of the slammer.

It's a non-story and Johnson should have said so.

Display Name said...

Could be, FL, but isn't there plenty of fun in pointing out the hypocrisy in the WPRI v. RoJo positions? Sure, there's plenty of gubbmint programs like this that WPRI and Republicans rail against, but sometimes the Republican owners of companies gladly partake in such tasty pork.

Free Lunch said...

I have no problem mocking Johnson for this. Please, go ahead. RoJo is just another reactionary who thinks that welfare programs should only benefit him, no matter how rich he is and that the poor should starve.

Since he dislikes Feingold's many years in government, I assume that he will soon condemn Scott Walker for having done nothing in the private sector.

illusory tenant said...

If by condemning you mean donating $10K to Walker's campaign.