Wisconsin to Remain Paper-Biz Battleground After Election
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It was one of the surprises on election night, with most results telling the story of an election that was neither a solid red hold or full blue tsunami but rather a somewhat typical flip (plus about 10-15 more) in House Seats for Democrats based on the President's party in power, while the GOP picked up seats in the Senate. Turnout was high everywhere. What came out-of-nowhere was the defeat of Wis. Gov. Scott Walker (R) who had worked on a message of more civil politics as well as important business benefits related to tax cuts, labor control, and cutting regulations. The effect of a change in the executive branch in Wisconsin could mean more to industry, including the P&P industry, than any state Governor election this cycle.
Regardless of other partisan positions held by the bold policy GOP governor, when it came to the paper industry's side, he was considered a friend to many business owners as well as to a growing percentage of workers in the region who, marking a generational change, viewed a healthy business environment more important for their financial prospects and opportunity more so than higher wage guarantees. For the paper industry, a return to previous Wisconsin Democratic politics that might harm their ability to remain profitable is probably more unlikely than in any other state where there's been an election of a Democratic challenger due to the success of who they've just defeated. Regardless of one's personal political beliefs, the fact remains that Walkers' reforms early during this decade did endure and eventually silenced what was once the loudest organized protest in the nation at the time against him by organized labor unions.
