The governor's race and jobs: Walker says he's attracting businesses to Wisconsin; Mary Burke says he's failing



MOUNT PLEASANT (WITI) -- Issues like same-sex marriage and the John Doe investigation have dominated recent headlines, but both Democrats and Republicans think the race for governor will turn on another issue: jobs.

Attending his third groundbreaking in as many weeks on Wednesday, June 25th in the Racine-Kenosha corridor, Gov. Scott Walker emphasized his administration's ability to attract businesses and jobs to southeastern Wisconsin.

"The last year, or year-and-a-half, you've seen a couple thousand jobs either related to businesses coming here from Illinois, or growing here. I think this is a reflection that this is a hot spot," Gov. Walker said.

Last week, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released its most comprehensive data for the year.

It showed Wisconsin gained more than 28,000 jobs -- ranking 37th in the country in job creation -- with a growth rate about half the national average.

"The plan Governor Walker put forward when he was running in 2010, the promise he made to create 250,000 jobs, he's falling short on, and he doesn't have a plan on how he's going to turn it around," Mary Burke said.

The labor statistics show Wisconsin trailing all of its Midwestern neighbors, including Illinois -- a point Democratic candidate Mary Burke is hammering.

"We're last, dead last, out of ten Midwestern states in the time that Governor Walker has been in office. Of course, it's disappointing, and the reason I'm running for governor is I believe we can do a lot better," Burke said.

"The best thing is to compare. Even if you use the same statistics that Madison School Board member Mary Burke's doing -- compare it to the three years she worked for Jim Doyle. In that same ranking (under Doyle) those three years ranked below where Wisconsin's been for the last three years," Gov. Walker said.