Wisconsin Democrat governor hopefuls criticize Foxconn deal

MILWAUKEE (AP) — The eight Democrats running for governor of Wisconsin expressed support for giving more control to local governments and criticized the deal struck by the state to bring a huge Foxconn Technology Group plant to Wisconsin.

At a forum on issues impacting Milwaukee county, the candidates took chances to criticize Republican Gov. Scott Walker. One candidate also used the forum to repeat his desire to legalize marijuana for adults 21 and older.

{youtube}8Dm3riitXJU{/youtube}

The Democrat gubernatorial candidates are: Mahlon Mitchell, a firefighter and president of the state firefighter union; Mike McCabe, a political activist; Matt Flynn, an attorney and U.S. Navy veteran; Tony Evers, who is state schools superintendent; Josh Pade, an attorney making his first run for office; former state Rep. Kelda Roys; Paul Soglin, Madison’s mayor; and state Sen. Kathleen Vinehout.

They will face off Aug. 14 in a primary to decide who will challenge Republican Gov. Scott Walker in November.

There are so many Democrats vying to run against Walker that Mitchell began his remarks by joking that he was “one of 20,000 candidates for governor.”

All of the candidates disapprove of the Foxconn deal. Responding to the question of how to spur economic growth, Evers said the state should invest more money locally, “not on the one-shot deals like Foxconn.”

Flynn, who reiterated his support for marijuana legalization, said he would sue to stop the Foxconn project.

Vinehout promised to increase the shared revenue returned to municipalities by $450 million in her first budget, noting that the amount is less than what Foxconn is receiving in its first budget allocation.

The forum moderated by Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele centered on the issue that local governments receive less state aid than the tax receipts they provide to Wisconsin under a shared revenue system. When candidates were asked whether they supported giving municipalities the power to raise taxes to improve transportation infrastructure, all said they favored giving local governments that power — whether through increasing gas taxes or vehicle registration fees or other means.