Wisconsin Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate Fires Campaign Consultant For Large Portions Of Copied Jobs Plan

From three previous Democratic campaigns.

Large portions of Wisconsin Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mary Burke's jobs plan for Wisconsin appear to be copied directly from the plans of three Democratic candidates who ran for governor in previous election cycles.

Burke's economic plan "Invest for Success" copies nearly-verbatim sections from the jobs plans of Ward Cammack, who ran for Tennessee governor in 2009 before withdrawing from the race, a 2008 plan from Delaware Gov. Jack Markell, now-Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe's plan from his failed-2009 bid, and John Gregg who ran for governor of Indiana in 2012 and lost to Mike Pence.

Another section takes the same language as a White House press release.

Furthermore, a small section of language is copied from a Harvard report.

Gregg's plan is no longer online but BuzzFeed News accessed the text through an archiving service, while Cammack's plan is available here.

Markell's plan can be seen online here.

McAuliffe's plan is likewise no longer online but BuzzFeed News has seen the text through an archiving service as well.

A spokesman for the Burke campaign told BuzzFeed News an "expert" named Eric Schnurer who also worked on the other campaigns as responsible for the similar text, a case of self-plagiarism.

Schnur is not listed as an advisor to the campaign nor or his ideas attributed to previous campaigns in Burke's plan.

The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reported Friday that Schnurer had been fired.

Cammack's plan

Here's Cammack:

Requiring our land-grant institutions to make supporting small farms a priority. These institutions can provide a wide range of support to small farmers to help them to improve farm profitability. Research and new technologies have played a significant role to increase yields and reduce costs throughout the agricultural system. Many of these advances can be targeted to help small farmers who could and benefit greatly from having site-specific information to increase yields, and therefore, improve economic performance. We can make new advances in technology – GPS systems to guide farm machinery and reduce overlap, early pest detection, identification of soil nutrient deficiencies, detection of plant stress, use of yield monitoring equipment – all advances that can significantly help the small farmer.

And here's Burke:

These institutions can provide a wide range of support to a new generation of small farmers to help them to improve productivity and profitability. Research and new technologies have played a significant role to increase yields and reduce costs throughout the agricultural system. New technologies – like GPS systems to guide farm machinery and reduce overlap, early pest detection, identification of soil nutrient deficiencies, detection of plant stress, use of yield monitoring equipment – can significantly help farmers be more productive.

Here's Cammack:

Expanding intern programs to provide help to small farmers and also give students direct agricultural education and experience.

And here's Burke:

Expanding intern programs to provide help to small farmers and also give students direct agricultural education and experience.

Here's Cammack:

Helping farmers with succession planning by developing new programs that match new farmers with those retiring who have no successors interested in continuing the family farm.

And here's Burke:

Developing new programs that match new farmers with those retiring who have no successors interested in continuing the family farm.

Here's Cammack:

Supporting the development of public-private partnerships by working to match small farmers with business professionals to help farmers improve management, develop new markets plans and improve use of risk management tools and risk reduction strategies.

And here's Burke:

Supporting the development of public- private partnerships by working to match small farmers with business professionals to help farmers improve management, develop new markets plans and improve use of risk management tools and risk- reduction strategies.

Gregg's plan

Here's Gregg:

At the same time, small-and medium-sized businesses have been hiring new employees at a faster rate than large companies since the beginning of the economic recovery in 2009.

And here's Burke:

And in the short-term, small-and medium-sized businesses have been hiring new employees at a faster rate than large companies since the beginning of the economic recovery in 2009.

Here's Gregg:

Successful entrepreneurship requires a good idea and strong work ethic. But it also requires money to finance its development, and technical and management skills to prosper. In today's economic climate, many small business owners – especially first-time entrepreneurs — find it almost impossible to borrow the money they need to start or grow their business. . As Governor, I will create a Hoosier Capital Access Partners....

And here's Burke:

Successful entrepreneurship requires a good idea and a strong work ethic. But it also requires capital to finance its development, and technical and management skills to prosper. In today's economic climate, many small business owners especially first-time entrepreneurs – find it almost impossible to borrow the money they need to start or grow their business in Wisconsin. In spite of our world-class institutions of higher learning and research, some promising ventures to come out of Wisconsin seek greener pastures where they can find startup funding.

Here's Gregg:

The Small Business Innovation Research program is a highly competitive program that funds small businesses from all over the U.S. in conducting Research and Development (R&D) with the highest potential for commercialization. Through a competitive awards-based program, SBIR enables small businesses to advance their technological potential and to profit from its commercialization.

And here's Burke:

The Small Business Innovation Research program funds small businesses that undertake R&D on innovative technologies with high potential for commercialization. Through a highly competitive award program, SBIR selects small companies, often startups, to receive funding to propel their innovations into viable, profitable ventures.

Here's Gregg:

That means bringing greater speed and certainty to permitting decisions without gutting environmental and public safety protections;

(This same language is likewise found 2010 Democratic gubernatorial candidate Alex Sink's plan.)

And here's Burke:

Administration will bring greater speed and certainty to government permitting decisions without sacrificing environmental and public safety protections.

Here's Gregg:

These are the steps I'll take as Governor:

• Establish a "Reshoring" Incentive. After decades of "offshoring" – the practice of moving American manufacturing to countries abroad in search of cheaper labor companies are beginning to realize that moving much of their manufacturing and supply operations away from their U.S. consumer base has hurt their ability to meet their customers' expectations. A recent survey of 287 manufacturing companies doing business internationally found that the majority of the respondents (61 percent) were currently considering "reshoring" – or shifting their manufacturing operations closer to their U.S. customers to provide better service, cut costs, and speed growth. Nearly half (49 percent) of the respondents reported facing issues with delivery time, operational planning, maintaining low inventories and competitive total cost, and general flexibility, as a result of offshoring their manufacturing and supply operations – and 46 percent have experienced product quality concerns. At the same time, soaring energy and transportation costs are also encouraging businesses to think about bringing production back home.

And here's Burke:

"Offshoring" (or "outsourcing") American manufacturing jobs to other localities where labor is cheaper has been the dismal trend for over thirty years. But today, many companies are beginning to realize that moving their manufacturing and supply operations overseas has hurt their ability to serve their customers. A recent survey of manufacturers with operations abroad found that well over half (61%) were considering "reshoring" – or "in-sourcing" – their manufacturing operations back to the U.S. to be closer to their customers, to provide better service, and to cut transportation costs. Nearly half of these manufacturers (49%) reported that overseas they experienced problems with delivery time, operations, planning, flexibility, and total cost – and 46% experienced quality control issues. Rising energy and fuel costs are also encouraging businesses to bring production home. But there is no lack of competition to attract these companies.

Here's Gregg:

Launching a GO Man Action

Team, a committee of economic development professionals that serves as a single point of contact for businesses considering locating or expanding in Indiana. The team will work with Indiana companies, out-of-state, and international businesses, on projects involving significant investment and job creation opportunities. ഠഠ Consolidating financial assistance for manufacturers. GO Man will streamline access to
financial assistance for manufacturing companies from state and other sources, with the ability to offer loans, loan guarantees, and equity financing, and make referrals to appropriate private investment groups, that are customized to the specific needs of companies seeking to relocate operations to Indiana, or grow their existing production capacity. Working with large Indiana manufacturers to identify their important out-of-state suppliers who could be relocated to the state lowering costs and increasing efficiency for our existing companies, and bringing new jobs to Indiana.

And here's Burke:

As Governor, I will launch a Wisconsin IN- Sourcing Initiative (WIN) that will specialize in recruiting (and retaining) manufacturers back from abroad by:

a. Launching a WIN Team, a committee of economic development professionals that serves as a single point of contact for businesses considering locating or expanding in Wisconsin. The team will work with manufacturing businesses – especially those with international production sites – to introduce them to the many advantages that Wisconsin can offer to meet their specific business needs.

b. Streamlining access to financial assistance for manufacturers.

The WIN Team will consolidate all available financial assistance for manufacturing companies from state and other sources, with the ability to offer loans, loan guarantees, and equity financing, and to make referrals to appropriate private investment groups to finance the relocation or expansion of operations to Wisconsin.

c. Working with manufacturers to identify their important suppliers who could also be relocated to the state – this will have the added benefit of making our state more attractive to manufacturers and also lowering costs and increasing efficiency for our existing companies – bringing even more new jobs to Wisconsin.

Markell's plan

Here's Markell:

Career Pathways, which exist in some Delaware schools today, offer students the opportunity to begin training for a high-wage career in high school by taking a series of progressively more advanced courses in a particular area like electronics, computer programming, allied health or engineering. Career Pathways programs blend academic science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) coursework with cutting-edge vocational training to give students both the knowledge and the know-how to compete in the new economy; students complete the regular high school curriculum, but they also have the opportunity to take specialized college courses in their "career path" or professional discipline.

And here's Burke:

Wisconsin high school students to begin training for a high-wage, high- growth career before they graduate from high school by taking a series of progressively more advanced courses in a particular area – like electronics, computer programming, allied health or engineering. Career Pathways programs blend academic science, technology, engineering and math coursework with cutting-edge vocational training to give students both the knowledge and the know-how to compete in the new economy. Students complete the regular high school curriculum, but they also have the opportunity to take specialized college courses in their "career path" or professional discipline, creating a seamless pathway from high school to a credential or further education.

Here's McAuliffe:

Our colleges and universities have made great progress in aligning requirements for course work to make transferring credits easier.

And here's Burke:

Our university and college systems have made great progress in aligning requirements for course work to make transferring credits easier.

Here's McAuliffe:

Transferability of credits between colleges will assist in reducing expenses associated with repeating courses or losing the time and money invested in courses that are not recognized for credit between institutions.

And here's Burke:

Full transferability of credits between public institutions – particularly from our technical colleges and the state's universities – will assist not only in reducing expenses associated with repeating courses but also the time and money lost taking courses that are not recognized for credit between institutions.

Here's the White House:

Each institute serves as a regional hub, bridging the gap between applied research and product development by bringing together companies, universities and other academic and training institutions, and Federal agencies to co-invest in key technology areas that encourage investment and production in the U.S.

And here's Burke:

As Governor, one of my first priorities will be to ensure that Wisconsin earns a place among the new federal "Manufacturing Hubs," bridging the gap between applied research and product development by bringing together companies, universities and other academic and training institutions, and federal agencies to co-invest in key technology areas that encourage investment and production in the U.S.

Here's Harvard's Pathway to Prosperity report:

Under the two-year program, high school juniors and seniors complete up to 900 hours of work-based learning and related courses. Many also earn college credits. Apprenticeships are now offered in fields ranging from healthcare and manufacturing to IT, hospitality and agriculture. Apprenticeships are available in nearly half of Wisconsin's school districts, and the program serves about 2,000 students at a time. Over 75 percent of youth apprenticeship graduates enroll in a technical college or university, and over 60 percent complete their degrees, which is far higher than the national average. What's more, over 85 percent of graduates are employed after leaving high school, and a stunning 98 percent of participating employers say they would recommend it to others.

And here's Burke:

Wisconsin Youth Apprenticeship Program: Under this voluntary program, high school juniors and seniors can complete up to 900 hours of work-based education and training in a variety of fields with participating employers. Over 75 percent of participants go on to enroll in a technical college or university and over 60 percent complete the degrees; far higher than the national average. Furthermore, over 85 percent of graduates are employed after leaving high school, and 98 percent of participating employers recommend the program.

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