Contact: Thad Nation
414.412.7814
Technology growth a leading indicator for economic development
MILWAUKEE — A new report by the Milken Institute has ranked the best performing cities in the country for creating and sustaining jobs and economic growth, but the report tells two very different stories for Wisconsin’s larger cities and smaller cities, respectively.
Madison, Green Bay, and the Milwaukee area all saw their rankings rise from 2009 to 2010, while the majority of Wisconsin’s smaller cities saw their rankings decline over the same period. Appleton, Eau Claire, La Crosse, Sheboygan, Janesville, Racine, and Wausau all fell in the rankings, while only Oshkosh-Neenah improved.
The Milken Institute based the rankings on three criteria: job growth, wage and salary growth, and technology growth in 200 large and 200 small metropolitan areas nationwide. The improvement in the rankings for Madison, Green Bay, and Milwaukee were thanks in large part to high scores in technology categories, including high-tech economic output and productivity.
“This report is a tale of the haves and the have-nots – urban areas with greater access to technology and more economic development, and less urban areas that are falling behind,” said Thad Nation, Executive Director of Wired Wisconsin. “But if this story is going to have a happy ending for all of Wisconsin, we need to do everything in our power to improve access to new technologies. And one of the key policy steps we can take is to pass updated telecommunications rules in Wisconsin.”
Modernized telecom rules were introduced in the Wisconsin State Legislature during the last legislative session, but failed to pass before the session ended.
Other Midwestern states, including Illinois, Ohio, and Michigan, have passed similar legislation in the past few months, and Indiana has passed legislation within the past few years. All four states have seen millions of dollars in new telecommunications investment as a result of the legislation.
Governor-elect Scott Walker has suggested he is open to new telecom legislation, saying his administration “will seek to update telecommunications laws to encourage competition and lower prices” here in Wisconsin. [Source: http://www.scottwalker.org/issues/jobs, accessed 11/9/10]
“In order to encourage infrastructure development and investment, improve statewide access to new technology, and grow the local economies of cities across Wisconsin, the State Legislature should pass modernized telecom rules early in the next legislative session,” Nation said.
To view the complete Milken Institute report, please visit bestcities.milkeninstitute.org .
