Contact: TJ Helmstetter, tjh@wisdems.org

“Governor Walker’s latest TV spot shows how desperate he is to change public opinion about his unpopular taxpayer-funded $4.5 billion Foxconn giveaway. But voters know the truth: this taxpayer-funded giveaway to a Chinese corporation comes at the expense of Wisconsin’s schools and roads, and our children and grandchildren will be stuck footing the bill for Scott Walker’s warped priorities.” — TJ Helmstetter, DPW spokesperson for 2018 governor race

FACTS: 

  • This $4.5 billion giveaway to a Chinese corporation is the largest state taxpayer giveaway to a foreign corporation in American history.
  • The Foxconn deal comes at the expense of Wisconsin schools, roads, and priorities for working families. Wisconsin families are working harder than ever but can’t seem to get ahead because Scott Walker spends their money on Foxconn, rather than the things they really need.
  • Walker’s administration has a lousy track record on corporate tax breaks, including failing to track job numbers, losing track of millions of taxpayer dollars, and even giving subsidies to companies that outsourced Wisconsin jobs. Wisconsin taxpayers stand to lose unprecedented amounts in this Foxconn deal under Walker’s poor management.
  • Thousands of innovative businesses in Wisconsin want to grow and provide good jobs, only to see Governor Walker lavish $4.5 billion in taxpayer money on a Chinese firm with a poor record of following through.
  • Under the best-case scenario, it will be at least 25 years until the state could potentially break even on its investment, and may never actually pay back taxpayers for Walker’s folly.

  • Foxconn is planning to use up to 7 million gallons of water a day from Lake Michigan and bring a major new source of air pollution to Wisconsin.

  • Foxconn has a long history of broken promises and cannot be trusted to hold up its part of the bargain.

  • Reports show the state is shifting $90 million from state highway projects as part of the $4.5 billion Foxconn deal.

  • Some property owners are losing their land via eminent domain in order to make room for Foxconn. Others could lose their homes.

  • Foxconn’s CEO has compared workers to zoo animals. “I am managing over one million animals every day and it’s such a headache,” said Foxconn CEO Terry Gou.

  • Foxconn replaced 60,000 factory workers with robots 2 years ago.

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