“Got-to-move-out-of-state-to-find-work” culture

 I attended the Rock County Board of Supervisors meeting last night.  It is what I do.  I am a non-smoking, non-drinking 50 something with a craving for politics and some journalistic snooping.   It also speaks to the fact I have no life.  The Supervisor over my district a while ago left the post because she moved out of the district.  The guy who took her place then left also because he too moved out the district.  Neither of them was what I would describe as grey.

Last night in midst of the County Business at hand, Supervisor Adam Peer resigned because he is taking a job in Alexandria, Virginia.  He is 29 years old. You can take a look at the mug shots of the 29 Rock County Supervisors on the Rock County Web sit.  Few of them if any look under 50.

Now is an aging elected leadership of a multi-million dollar budgeted county a bad thing?  Heck, I do not know.  But, I do know that Supervisor Peer is part of a long trend in Wisconsin of a culture of, "got-to-move-out-of-state-to-find-work."

Not long ago the University of Wisconsin system put together the "Commission on Enhancing the Mission of the UW Colleges."  One of their recommendations was to offer students free tuition who signed a pact with the devil to stay in Wisconsin for 10 years after graduation. 

The point to today's diatribe is that you have to have a job for the graduate to stay for.  I don't know if Mr. Peer is a product of the University of Wisconsinsystem.  In the few times I have attended County Board meetings Supervisor Peer impressed me as a thoughtful, sincere, and well spoken dude.  The kind of guy a company in some other state would love to have.  I fear Mr. Peer is one of a long line of people who have fled Wisconsin for their career-minded lives.

I would take the job too.  Not that anyone will offer a 50 something guy a job anymore.  I might try to live in both locations since I am tired of spending a life-time moving for jobs myself.  This is the area I grew up in and I would like to make it my last stop.  But, if the opportunity presented itself even in my 50s I would have to look at the options long and hard in this "got-to-move-out-of-state-to-find-work" Wisconsin culture. 

  

This week's Wisconsin soldier to remember is Kirk Straseskie of Beaver Dam, and a sergeant with the B Company Marines.  He died while participating in the rescue of the crew of a CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter that crashed in a canal near Hilla, Iraq, on May 19, 2003.  Kirk was 23 years old.  

3,298 Americans have been killed in Iraq since Spring 2003.

71 Wisconsin Soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring 2003.