HOME
​BUSINESS DIRECTORY
INVESTOR LOGIN
INVEST WITH US
Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce
  • About Us
    • Ambassadors
    • Board of Directors
    • Buy Local Bucks
    • Chamber Team
    • Committees
    • Communications
    • Contact Us
    • Invest With Us >
      • Chamber Membership at a Glance
      • Chamber Membership FAQs
      • Chamber Online Investor Application
  • Advocacy
  • Workforce
    • Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI)
    • Explore Eau Claire Concierge Program
    • Jobs >
      • Job Board
    • Professional Development
    • Think Eau Claire >
      • Visiting Eau Claire
      • Moving to Eau Claire
    • Workforce Playbook
    • Western & Central Wisconsin Wage Survey
  • Education
    • Chamber Educational Foundation >
      • Leadership Eau Claire™
      • Youth Leadership Eau Claire >
        • Application & Tuition
        • Sponsors
    • Young Professionals (YPCV) >
      • Membership >
        • YPCV Membership Application
      • YPCV Board
      • Calendar of Events
      • YP Cares 2020
  • Investor Engagement
    • Chamber Sponsorships
    • Marketing Opportunities
    • Networking Opportunities
    • Our Newest Investors
    • Invest With Us
    • Investor Login
  • Events
    • Chamber Events Calendar >
      • Signature Events >
        • Breakfast in the Valley
        • Business at the Gardens
        • Business Salutes Eau Claire Golf Classic
        • Eau What a Night/Annual Meeting
    • Community Events >
      • Submit a Community Event
  • Blog

Chamber Blog


WMC's Kurt Bauer: Strong Wisconsin economy, complicated election picture

10/19/2018

 
​Kurt Bauer, the President/CEO of Wisconsin Manufacturing & Commerce (WMC), spoke to a full house of Chamber members on Friday at this month’s Eggs & Issues breakfast to discuss the upcoming midterm elections. With Election Day fast approaching, Bauer focused most of his remarks on polling numbers and economic statistics at both the state and federal levels. We’ve provided a few his main points below.
Picture
State and National Polling​
The latest batch of polls looks unpromising for Congressional Republicans in Washington. Right now, RealClearPolitics is giving Democrats a 7.6% edge in the generic ballot, a key indicator in the battle to control the US House of Representatives, which means they are likely to pick up at least 31 seats across the nation, enough to take control. Bauer believes that Democrat voters have been spurred on by a single fact: that, in most cases, people vote not to reward incumbents of the current President's party, but to oppose them. In other words, members of the minority party often hold more electoral motivation, which, in turn, leads to higher minority-party turnouts. Expanding on this idea, Bauer expressed doubts about the Republicans’ momentum following the divisive Kavanaugh hearings. Sure, he conceded, they might currently be motivated to reward their legislators for staying the course, but that motivation, he added, is likely to fade in the weeks leading up to the election. Because of that, he believes Democrats, who are fueled by oppositional motivation, will have larger turnouts on Election Day.

According to Bauer, the results of the Wisconsin gubernatorial race will likely turn on motivation, too. The primary variable that will affect it, however, will be slightly different. Governor Walker is seeking a third term, and in recent decades, only one other governor has been elected three times. As a result, he concluded that “third terms are hard.” Put another way, he thinks that it’s tough for a long-time governor, however popular, to get energetic supporters to the polls. So instead, those governors must rely on past accomplishments to prove why they’re worthy of four more years, which can often prove challenging when faced with a strong and enthusiastic opponent. Paired with the fact that opposition voters are more motivated, he explained, energizing voters will be a difficult task for Walker to fulfill. Relying on those explanations, Bauer estimated that the polls showing Democrat Tony Evers within one point of Walker are accurate.
Picture
The Wisconsin Economy​
​Since Republicans are basing their campaign messages on economic success, Wisconsin residents have likely been told that the economy is booming. So Bauer spent some time answering a simple question: is the economy actually that great? He said yes, and he used statistics from WMC’s Return on Reform initiative as evidence. For instance, he cited the shrinking unemployment rate and the growing labor-force participation rate. The Wisconsin unemployment rate currently sits at 2.9%, which ranks 6th in the nation, and puts it below the rates of any year since Tommy Thompson’s tenure. Likewise, the labor-force participation rate is 66.8%--the 5th best in union and far higher than the national average. Because of those rates, Bauer explained that Wisconsin is in a unique position. Although many employers are looking for workers, they can’t fill all of their open positions. If Congress passes legal immigration reforms, he noted, those open jobs could lend to even more economic success. But if legislators fail to find a solution, he continued, the economy could become unbalanced and stagnate. Overall, he indicated that the Wisconsin economy is truly prospering, and that it’s a great time to invest in the Badger State.
Picture
Picture
Posted by Nathan Kane, Governmental Affairs Intern
​kane@eauclairechamber.org


Comments are closed.

    Categories

    All
    Advocacy
    Awards & Recognitions
    Business Of The Week
    COVID 19 Information
    Leadership Eau Claire™
    Programs
    Ribbon Cuttings & Groundbreakings
    Small Street Journal
    The Perspective
    Workforce Development
    Young Professionals Of The Chippewa Valley
    Youth Leadership Eau Claire

    Eau Claire Chamber

    The Eau Claire Chamber of Commerce has more than 1,200 members.

    Archives

    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015

    RSS Feed

Picture
Find Us
Facebook
LinkedIn
​Twitter
Contact Us 
101 N Farwell St, Ste 101
Eau Claire, WI 54703
 Phone: (715) 834-1204
Fax: (715) 834-1956
​information@eauclairechamber.org 
Picture

​Copyright © 2020 Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce. All rights reserved.
​Privacy Policy

101 N. Farwell Street - Suite 101, Eau Claire, WI 54703
Phone: (715) 834-1204 |  Fax: (715) 834-1956  |   information@eauclairechamber.org
  • About Us
    • Ambassadors
    • Board of Directors
    • Buy Local Bucks
    • Chamber Team
    • Committees
    • Communications
    • Contact Us
    • Invest With Us >
      • Chamber Membership at a Glance
      • Chamber Membership FAQs
      • Chamber Online Investor Application
  • Advocacy
  • Workforce
    • Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI)
    • Explore Eau Claire Concierge Program
    • Jobs >
      • Job Board
    • Professional Development
    • Think Eau Claire >
      • Visiting Eau Claire
      • Moving to Eau Claire
    • Workforce Playbook
    • Western & Central Wisconsin Wage Survey
  • Education
    • Chamber Educational Foundation >
      • Leadership Eau Claire™
      • Youth Leadership Eau Claire >
        • Application & Tuition
        • Sponsors
    • Young Professionals (YPCV) >
      • Membership >
        • YPCV Membership Application
      • YPCV Board
      • Calendar of Events
      • YP Cares 2020
  • Investor Engagement
    • Chamber Sponsorships
    • Marketing Opportunities
    • Networking Opportunities
    • Our Newest Investors
    • Invest With Us
    • Investor Login
  • Events
    • Chamber Events Calendar >
      • Signature Events >
        • Breakfast in the Valley
        • Business at the Gardens
        • Business Salutes Eau Claire Golf Classic
        • Eau What a Night/Annual Meeting
    • Community Events >
      • Submit a Community Event
  • Blog