Business community wants economy open

Kurt Bauer, president of Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, says business owners are feeling anxious and panicked during the COVID-19 shutdown.

We thought based on theinfection Being regionalized,largely in Milwaukee, DaneCounty, -- excuse me, Adrienne:WISCONSIN’S SAFER AT HOME ORDEREXTENDED.I’M ADRIENNE PEDERSEN.TODAY, ON "UPFRONT," --GOv.

TONY EVERS: LET ME BECLEAR, THIS WILL NOT BE LIKETURNING OFF A SWITCH, BUT RATHERA DIAL.Adrienne: GOVERNOR EVERS EXTENDSHIS COVID-19 SAFER-AT-HOME ORDERUNTIL MAY 26.NEXT ON "UPFRONT," THE VIEW FROMTHE BUSINESS COMMUNITY.CAN WISCONSIN BUSINESSES ANDTHEIR EMPLOYEES HANG ON?PLUS, NEW MILWAUKEE COUNTYEXECUTIVE DAVID CROWLEY ONTAKING CHARGE DURING A PANDEMIC.AND WISCONSIN’S PARTY CHAIRMENOFFER THEIR TAKES ON WHATHAPPENED IN THE STATE SUPREMECOURT RACE.Announcer: taking on the issuesimportant to Wisconsin, this is"upfront," with your hostAdrienne Pedersen.Adrienne: THANKS FOR JOINING US.THE GOVERNOR’S EXTENDEDSAFER-AT-HOME ORDER IS SHAPINGUP TO BE THE NEXT BIG PARTISANBATTLE IN WISCONSIN.THE GOVERNOR ON THURSDAY SAID HEWOULD EXTEND THE ORDER UNTIL MAY26, THOUGH HE MIGHT DIAL IT BACKEARLIER.GOV.

EVERS: I know a lot offolks are concerned about theeffects this will have onworkers and businesses acrossthe state, and believe me,nobody wants to open our economyas much as I do, but the bottomline is workers, businesses, andconsumers cannot be confident ifwe are not confident about oursafety and health.Adrienne: THE GOVERNOR SAID HEWOULD WORK WITH THE GOVERNORS OFSIX OTHER MOSTLY MIDWESTERNSTATES TO RESTART THEIRECONOMIES.HE ALSO SIGNED THE COVID-19RELIEF PACKAGE THAT PASSED THELEGISLATURE OVERWHELMINGLY LASTWEEK.BUT THE EXTENSION PROMPTED ABACKLASH AMONG REPUBLICANS.HERE’S A SAMPLING OF REACTIONS.SENATOR DAVE CRAIG CALLED ON THELEGISLATURE TO CONVENE, AND FIREHEALTH SECRETARY-DESIGNEE ANDREAPALM.SENATE MAJORITY LEADER SCOTTFITZGERALD SAID THE SENATEHASN’T BEEN PART OF THECONVERSATION, AND THEY’D BELOOKING FOR LEGAL OR LEGISLATIVERELIEF.SENATOR ALBERTA DARLING URGEDTHE GOVERNOR TO RECONSIDER, ANDCALLED IT SIX MORE WEEKS OF MANYWISCONSINITES BEING OUT OF WORKAND LOSING THEIR JOBS.BUSINESS LEADERS ALSO EXPRESSEDDISAPPOINTMENT WITH THEEXTENSION.ONE OF THEM IS KURT BAUER OFWISCONSIN MANUFACTURERS ANDcommerce, and he is joining usnow on "upfront."I know you are upset about thegovernor extending this order,why?KURT: we were hoping to beginthe process of getting back towork this week when the originalorder expireWe thought based on theinfection Being regionalized,largely in Milwaukee, DaneCounty, -- excuse me, Waukesha.It is a statewide issue, so wethink a one-size-fits-allapproach does not work.We can begin the process ofsafely opening up the state ifwe do it regionally and bysection because each region hasa separate risk profile we canmitigate.Adrienne: what would that looklike?What are specifics in terms ofbusinesses you think couslowly start to open?KURT: every sector is different,so if you look at warehousework, manufacturing,agriculture, and even ouroffices.We have about 40 employees.Half the staff could work fromhome one day and the next daythe other half of the staff.There are ways to do this, andof course, this is maintainingproper health hygiene, washingyour hands, social distancing,making sure you sanitize workplaces.We have a commitment asemployers to make sure employeesare safe on the job.That is true on any day of theweek, let alone with thecoronavirus outbreak.This is a commitment to makesure people are going to be safeon the job.I think we can start to do thata lot sooner than what thegovernor thinks.Adrienne: how do you make surebusinesses do that?People have called the newsroom,who were concerned already,saying businesses were notnecessarily going by the socialdistancing that they should be.KURT: I cannot speak to everybusiness in the state.I can tell you that we have beenreinforcing frequently with ourmembership with the stateChamber of Commerce andManufacturers Association, andthe state safety Council.So, obviously, keeping peoplesafe at work is part of ourmission.It is a responsibility allbusinesses must take seriously.Adrienne: President Trumpreleased guidelines forreopening, and he said he didnot think states should reopenuntil the state sees 14 days ofdownward trajectory in new casesand has robust testing.Wisconsin does not, so youdisagree with those guidelinesfrom the president?KURT: I think we are gettingthere.If you look at the data fromthis week, we are on the righttrajectory.You are looking at Wisconsin’sdeath rates, hospitalization,and case rates are small bycomparison, and I don’t thinkthey justify going to May 26,which is longer than New YorkState, which is the epicenter ofthe outbreak in the UnitedStates.I think we are heading in theright direction.One way or the other, we need toplan for the eventual reopen.It has to be methodical andsafe, and different businesseshave different checklists theyneed to work off of in order toget back to work.They have to contact theiremployees, talk to their supplychain and their customers, theirfinancial institution to makesure they have enough capital.There are a variety of steps.We cannot just do thishaphazard.Adrienne: WMC representsthousands of employers.What are you hearing from them?KURT: they are very concerned.We are looking at 16%unemployment rate in Wisconsin,taken up a percentage pointevery three days.By the end of the month, we willbe at 20%.That is Great Depression level.And the Wisconsin workforce sayswe will get to 27%Frankly, I think we could gohigher if we go until May 26until we reopen up.There is a lot of anxiety andpaniBusinesses are scared becausethey do not know how they willbe able to stay open.We appreciate what Congress hasdone to fund us during theshutdown, but I think they arefrustrated and now is the timeto start getting back to work.The governor said safer at homewas successful during his pressconference, so it is time tobegin the process of getting oureconomy going.Adrienne: have you hadconversation with the EVERSadministration?If so, what have they been like?KURT: we sent a letter a weekago and never heard back.We have had conversations withvarious cabinet heads, and wehave had them on our conferencecalls that we have been holdingwith our membership.I will give them credit fordoing what they have to do inorder to protect the lives.We think that is of paramountconcern, our job is to protectlivelihoods.Let’s not discount the fact thatwhen you have the unemploymentrate you have now, and that wewill likely have in a month,there are mental and physicalhealth concerns to go along withthat, as well.You have to look at the totalityof the challenges.This economy is in a freefall.Every day we delay means morepeople lose their jobs, morebusinesses go bankrupt, and wedelay the process of economicrecovery for Wisconsin.Adrienne: would you considerlegal action?KURT: there has been talk aboutthat.I don’t think that will comefrom the business community.Adrienne: we appreciate yourtime, KURT BAUER.KURT: thank you.Adrienne: VICE PRESIDENT MIKEPENCE WILL RETURN TO WISCONSINON TUESDAY.HE’LL TOUR THE G.E.

HEALTH CAREPLANT IN MADISON TO SEE THEPRODUCTION OF VENTILATORS.COMING UP, NEW MILWAUKEE COUNTYEXECUTIVE DAVID CROWLEY ON WHYHE SUPPORTS THE EXTENSION OF THESAFER AT HOME ORDER, AND HOWCOVID-19 IS DISPROPORTIONATELYSTRIKING THE BLACK COMMUNITY.And later, how TWO MIL