Corporate welfare better spent on roads and schools

Apparently Wisconsin’s deal with Foxconn was not a cautionary tale for the states of New York and Virginia. Those two states have won the Amazon lottery, landing a plant in both states that come with promises of new jobs. But like in Wisconsin, the pricetag was steep. New York promised Amazon nearly $3 billion in taxpayer financed incentives. Virginia promised more than $500 million. What are the risks? Just ask Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker. When Walker and President Trump announced the Foxconn deal it was hailed as a major milestone to re-establishing the Made In America brand. But since then, some have soured on the lavish incentive package, the environmental rolllbacks. Meanwhile, the cost of the project soared and the size of the factory and proposed jobs seems to be shrinking. And some suggest the state’s deal with Foxconn played a part in Walker’s failure to win re-election. But that didn’t stop New York and Virginia from rolling out the red carpet for Amazon. Our lawmakers should put an end to this corporate welfare. The billions being spent for the promise of jobs that may never be realized is billions of dollars not available to fund schools or our roads. Either would be a better investment than corporate welfare to a company like Amazon which is already wealthy, yet pays almost nothing in taxes.