Empower Wisconsin | March 15   2022

MADISON — If Gov. Tony Evers were a comedian, he’d starve.

The Democrat’s got terrible timing.

Just ask the folks in Kenosha.

After Evers was slow to send in enough Wisconsin National Guard soldiers to restore order in the riot-ravaged city, he sat on a big pile of federal COVID relief funding to jumpstart Kenosha’s economy. For Nine Months.

As state Sen. Van Wanggaard (R-Racine) and Rep. Samantha Kerkman (R-Salem Lakes) recently noted, Evers has finally recognized the importance of and the ability to spend American Rescue Plan Act funds for the Kenosha Innovation Neighborhood (KIN).

The governor announced “he would invest” $15 million in the project, aimed at bringing education, workforce training, entrepreneurial development, and job placement to the city’s former Chrysler plant site.

It’s a great idea, the lawmakers said.

It’s such a great idea that Wanggaard and Kerkman “formally asked Evers to do exactly this NINE MONTHS AGO.”

“Imagine how much progress could have been made on this vital redevelopment project in the last 9 months. Of course, we know that Evers is typically slow to react to help Kenosha,” Wanggaard said in a press release.

The governor last July refused to consider using a fraction of the billions of dollars in federal COVID relief funds at his disposal to support the project. The lawmakers requested Evers use $9.75 million of the ARPA funds. The request fell on tone deaf ears.

“If (Evers) doesn’t get what he wants, he refuses to take other suggestions. He was slow to react seriously and listen following last year’s riots, and now, he just turned his back on redeveloping Kenosha. He’s more interested in playing the blame game than helping. And Kenosha suffers again,” Wanggaard said at the time.

The highly partisan governor, of course, works on political time. So he’s finally digging into his federally funded re-election campaign slush fund —  during an election year.

“As Kenosha residents have unfortunately learned with Governor Evers, it’s better late than never,” Wanggaard said.