Walker would support outsourcing rules

Gov. Scott Walker, who heads the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. (WEDC), said he’d support new rules to ensure that such credits and incentives go to companies that create new jobs in Wisconsin, or to companies that bring jobs back to the state.

The proposed rules were made by Rep. Peter Barca (D-Kenosha), who sits on the WEDC board.

Outsourcing jobs has become an issue in the race for governor, following reports that the WEDC has awarded tax credits to companies that outsourced jobs overseas, and after the Walker campaign ran television ads critical of likely Democratic challenger Mary Burke.  The Walker campaign has accused Burke of hypocrisy for advocating increases in the minimum wage when her family company, Trek Bicycle Corp. of Waterloo, outsources jobs to China, where the average wage is less than $2.

Burke has returned the fire, noting that Trek employs about 1,000 workers in Wisconsin and noting that Walker has failed to create the 250,000 new jobs he promised in 2010.