Last week, another blow was leveled on Southern Wisconsin. The day after the Obama Administration brokered a deal with Chrysler, its investors, and the United Auto Workers, Kenosha learned that its Chrysler Engine Plant would be closing its doors.

The White House restructuring deal continues to elicit justified anger, and provides Wisconsinites with more questions than answers. Kenosha workers and Wisconsin taxpayers are rightfully outraged that their jobs and their money are going to Mexico instead of Kenosha. Taxpayers have the right to ask the Obama Administration whether this is a good use of their hard-earned dollars, and whether they’ll ever see a return from this dubious investment.

In the past week, officials at Chrysler and the White House have provided mixed signals, broken promises, and a raw deal for Kenosha and Southern Wisconsin. I was told explicitly on April 30, by President Obama’s top economic advisors Larry Summers and Ron Bloom that no plant closings would be announced. Less than 24 hours later, local media outlets made clear that this was false. Chrysler provided similar assurances days before they announced that the Kenosha factory would be closed as part of the bankrupt corporation; and not included in the new Chrysler. In other words, it’s a plant closing that puts hundreds of Kenosha workers out of a job.

The Obama Administration continues to advance the dangerous precedent set by the Bush Administration: the White House picking the winners and losers in the marketplace on the backs of taxpayers. Crony capitalism has never looked uglier and the consequences have never been more painful.

From Chrysler executives to White House officials to Congress, there is plenty of blame to go around. With our community reeling from mass layoffs, we must channel our frustration into constructive action. Rather than simply expressing anger, responsible policy makers must be proactive in implementing solutions. Now — more than ever — we need to offer innovative economic reforms to strengthen Wisconsin jobs and put Wisconsin products and workers in the position to thrive in the 21st century global economy.

We must orient our economic policies in the Midwest toward inviting investment rather than blocking it. From the imposition of new taxes on energy consumption to further tax increases on manufacturers, small businesses, and families, Washington is seeking to add to Wisconsin’s serious economic challenges.

Just this week, the Obama Administration has outlined a plan that would essentially add another layer of taxes on American companies doing business abroad, handicapping some of our most successful job creators and giving an advantage to their foreign competitors. For America’s job creators, we should level the playing field for American-made products to compete against foreign competitors. I have proposed to scrap our corporate income tax — the second highest in the industrialized world — and replace it with a business consumption tax that would be imposed on foreign goods entering the U.S. and repealed on our American-made exports. We must promote the export of U.S. products rather than the export of U.S. jobs.

It is imperative that elected officials reform our job-killing economic policies, but Southern Wisconsin has never relied on politicians as the source of our strength. The seeds to our recovery have always been found within — the ingenuity of our entrepreneurs, the tireless resolve of our workers, and the compassion of our community. Two decades ago, Kenosha was a dealt a similar series of economic blows. By rallying together and diversifying its economy, Kenosha emerged stronger than ever. The resilience of Wisconsinites has been tested before and is being tested again — but my faith in individuals, families, and communities fills me with hope.

I am optimistic that this storm will pass from Wisconsin communities rocked by mass layoffs. We will rebuild, revitalize, and continue our fight to make tomorrow better than today.

U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan represents Wisconsin’s 1st Congressional District, which includes Kenosha and Janesville, where a General Motors plant recently closed.