Food Glorious Food

As I talk about the $130 income tax cut the typical Wisconsin family will see in the Governor's executive budget, I usually give folks a little context. For example, you could use your tax savings to buy 520 cookies at the four for $1 sale at the Kwik Trip. Your $130 could buy you 43 Culvers Deluxe Butter burgers. You could also buy 26 Hot-and-Ready pizzas. (Yes, I know Little Caesars is not a Wisconsin company, but did you know their founder quietly paid Rosa Parks's rent for years? Plus, it's tasty.)  Of course, you do not have to spend your tax cut on food, but I have food on the mind this week. Perhaps that's because Wisconsin is owning the food world! Wisconsin’s 43.7 billion in food shipments in 2015 put us at number three behind only California and Texas, two enormous states in both geographic size and population. And speaking of food...

#WINNING

We got a nice low country boil shipment from my buddy, Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser of Louisiana this week! Check out my unboxing video as I reminisce about when the Wisconsin Badgers beat LSU this past football season at Lambeau Field!  I bet Billy that we would win and of course we did, and this week he sent a whole lot of shrimp and the all the trimmings.  (Wish I was collecting on my Packers bets 😠.)  On Wisconsin!

Bacon and Magazines

What do bacon and magazines have in common? They'll both continue to be made in Wisconsin thanks to some newly trained and talented employees who will use the help of our Wisconsin Fast Forward program to prepare for the workforce. Patrick Cudahy and Quad Graphics will both be the beneficiaries of some job training dollars that we announced this week in Milwaukee. Word of Hope Ministries will use $200,000 in Fast Forward grant money to train 150 workers for EACH of the companies. After the riots in Sherman Park in Milwaukee last year, the Governor committed to $4.5 million in new job training efforts in the area to get folks into our 80,000+ open jobs.  This round of Milwaukee grants totaled $476,319 and will train 583 workers! 

Feeling Energy

When I am in Madison I often get to visit with groups who are spending the day lobbying legislators.  This week I met with a group of leaders from Fond du Lac and the top team members of Alliant Energy. Anytime I get to discuss my interest in Wisconsin's all-of-the-above energy strategy or our office's role in developing the state of Wisconsin's economy is a good day. If you're going to be in town, don't hesitate to stop in! I'd love to see you. 

Forward,

Rebecca Kleefisch
Lt. Governor