It seems like every Wisconsin-related news story that I share these days needs to be prefaced with: “NOT from The Onion.” Such is the case with the latest news that Governor Walker plans to develop “a new way to measure Wisconsin’s employment needs.” I know it sounds absurd, but it’s true.

From Today’s TMJ 4:

Gov. Scott Walker says he is developing a new way to measure Wisconsin’s employment needs.

Walker has complained about the accuracy of monthly unemployment data based on a survey of about 3.5 percent of Wisconsin businesses. The more accurate data, based on a census of nearly all Wisconsin businesses, comes quarterly and has a six month lag.

Say what?

Walker said Tuesday that gap makes it difficult to use those numbers for making quick responses to the state’s employment needs. He says he is moving forward with a real-time labor management system so the state can react to job needs better.

Walker previously mentioned the idea in his State of the State speech.

I must have missed that part of his speech. Or blocked it out.

See, here’s the problem:

Walker promised in 2010 to create 250,000 private sector jobs over four years. He’s far from meeting that pledge.

Hmm…Scott Walker reminds me of my niece when she was four years old. I dreaded playing games with her because she wanted to make up the rules as she went along. When I tried to explain that the rules are in place for a reason, and that she needed to follow them, she refused to listen. She was just too darned stubborn, but I let her get away with it because she was cute.

But Scott Walker is neither four years old nor is he cute, and I don’t think we should let him get away with changing the employment measurement process. He should learn to follow the established rules and process or get out of the game.