Area residents speak out against Wisconsin’s Foxconn deal

Assembly hopes to vote on Foxconn incentive
package just 22 days after deal was announced 

ONALASKA, Wis. — On July 26, Gov. Scott Walker, President Donald Trump and other lawmakers from Wisconsin were on stage to announce Foxconn was coming to Wisconsin.

Monday, the Wisconsin Assembly approved a $3 billion tax incentive package for the Taiwan-based manufacturer.

Just as the Assembly was approving the deal, area residents were speaking mostly against it at the Onalaska Public Library. The listening session was hosted by Rep. Jill Billings and Wisconsin Sen. Jennifer Shilling.

Around 70 people showed up. A lot of concerns were raised about the bill getting pushed through, as Gov. Walker hopes to have it signed by Aug. 26, while the legislature has yet to pass a state budget.

“I’m shocked at how many things we’re ramming through quickly,” Barb King said at the listening session. “I think this is a very poor investment. We really just outta say no unless we have an awful lot of reassurance.”

Earlier last week, a nonpartisan analysis showed that taxpayers wouldn’t see payback from the deal for at least 25 years.

Passage of the bill is needed for Wisconsin to fulfill its end of a deal struck with Foxconn to build a $10 billion display panel manufacturing plant that could employ up to 13,000 people – something other people at the meeting said might be obsolete technology in a few years.

“Look at how different things are now,” Barb Fleischman told the audience.

Last Friday, the GOP revised the incentive bill to Foxconn, which included hiring Wisconsin workers.