Contact: Philip Shulman, phils@wisdems.org
(MADISON, WI) — Today on the one year anniversary of Donald Trump tweeting to the world to boycott Wisconsin-based Harley Davidson, Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Ben Wikler, State Senator Janis Ringhand, and cheesemaker and small business owner Anna Landmark called out Trump for his repeated broken promises to Wisconsinites. They highlighted that his tax-scam bill has made it easier for corporations to ship jobs overseas while doing little for Wisconsin’s workers. In addition, Wikler, Ringhand, and Landmark all stressed that Trump has compounded the problem with his ongoing chaotic trade war with China; farmers, manufacturers, small businesses, and Wisconsin families are paying the price for Trump’s recklessness.
“Donald Trump promised us his tax bill would bring back jobs and improve wages, but all it turned out to be was a handout to corporations and the richest amongst us, and further incentivized companies to ship jobs overseas,” Wikler said at the press conference. “The pain is real and it is tangible: farms are closing down, manufacturers are laying off workers, and small businesses can’t get off the ground because of how disruptive Trump’s policies are. We cannot afford another four years of his disastrous policies.”
Senator Ringhand, who sits on Dairy Task Force 2 and has met with farmers from across the state, highlighted that everyone is hurting at the hands of Trump’s disastrous and chaotic trade war with China.
“Whether you are a small business owner in Waukesha or Washburn, a farmer outside of Madison or up in Lincoln, Trump’s trade policies are causing pain everywhere,” Senator Ringhand said. “This is all happening after he told us he’d be opening up our markets and make it easier to sell our products — he broke that promise. And what we are seeing is that there is no end in sight — that the pain is just going to get worse. And while there are some farms and manufacturers who haven’t felt squeezed yet, it seems to not be a matter of if, but a matter of when. It feels like everyday we are getting closer to going over the brink — to a point of no return where our agriculture industry, manufacturers, and small businesses will never be able to recover.”
Cheesemaker and owner of Landmark Creamery, Anna Landmark has seen the effects of Trump’s trade war first-hand in her community. She has watched friends have to downsize and even shut down their businesses under Trump’s watch. Landmark noted that there is a real ripple effect that touches the entire community, including her business.
“I myself am bracing for a downturn and expect my revenue streams to go down,” Landmark said. “Cheese shops, grocery stores, and other retailers that carry my product are going to reduce how much they purchase from us because of the impact of Trump’s trade war. I have wanted to open a production plant but have been unable to because in the current climate it is next to impossible to secure a loan at an affordable rate, and because I am expecting a downturn in my revenue it is not feasible for me to take this next step as a business owner. With this plant I could create good paying jobs, increase my own revenue and continue expanding. This is the type of thing that helps grow our economy, but because of Trump’s tax-scam and trade war I, and others who are looking to expand their businesses, are unable to do so. In our industry, an attack on one of us is an attack on all of us. The ripple effect is very, very real.”
