Walker Foxconn Legacy in Shambles, Gov. Evers to clean up another mess.

No one could tell clueless Scott Walker and his self-serving know-it-all Republican majority how quickly technology changes. For them Foxconn was their first look at the wonders of electronics. But...

What Foxconn offered Walker and the panting Republicans was well beyond their limited view of tech as things undeserving poor people had, like flat panel plasma TV's and Obama cellphones. Tech things were used more as epithets than real things that created jobs and grew economies.

But tech TV's and phones do change and it changes fast enough to sink Walker's Foxconn vision of a Manufacturing Renaissance:

Foxconn's decision to suspend work on the two plants because of "weakening macroeconomic conditions and the uncertainties brought by the trade war" and in Wisconsin, "as a result of negotiations with new Gov. Tony Evers."

That's right, just a year after the deal, tech has changed so much already that Foxconn had to suspend construction of their new plant here and in China for 6 months. Believe it or not, Foxconn is wondering what to do now:

Foxconn's Thursday statement hinted at its new focus for the Wisconsin plant, saying the global market had "necessitated a reconsideration of which technology will best suit the needs of its customers." Louis Woo, in the interview, said about three-quarters of Foxconn's eventual jobs will be in R&D and design—what he described as 'knowledge' positions—rather than blue-collar manufacturing jobs."

That's far different from the now wacky prediction by WEDC CEO Mark Hogan. But seriously, it sounded dumb then too. Remember this, Republicans blocked Evers from getting rid of WEDC because they're business geniuses. From Upfront with Mike Gousha: 

Gousha: "What would be the message if for some reason this deal got bogged down, and didn't happen..."

Hogan: "I...it's not going to happen Mike...but I don't see that happening...it'll get through the Assembly, it'll get through the Senate because they want it, they want the right thing to happen."

If everything in the Foxconn deal came true...

A legislative analysis said the state wouldn't financially break even on the deal until 2043... 

Now, just a year later, the market changed a lot, and many taxpayers have already seen their local government spend lots of money...

I'm just guessing here, but even if Foxconn misses a few deadlines, if they eventually make good on their agreement, they get all the incentives they missed, meaning Wisconsin can't spend that money on other things for the life of the contract.

Walker Gives UW Intellectual Rights away to Foxconn, worth billions: Don't be surprised if Wisconsin misses out on billions of dollars of IR rights. While Trump tries to protect U.S. corporate intellectual rights in China, Scott Walker was actually giving them away:  

Urban Milwaukee: Who would have the IP rights? “The cooperation agreement lists three different types of research agreements ... two agreement types grant Foxconn the intellectual property that comes of research.” That seems like a problem for UW faculty,” the story reports. “The fruits of research at UW belong to the people of Wisconsin, not to a private corporation,” the UW-Madison Teaching Assistants Association declared in a statement to the State Journal.

Worse still...

Does Foxconn also have its eyes on the intellectual property of area businesses? Louis Woo, a top assistant to Gou, told the Business Journal: “We will be working with a lot of technology-related companies, if not only in Wisconsin, then around the Midwest ... partners in that effort could include Wisconsin businesses such as Rockwell Automation.”

One tech industry insider tells me he talked to Foxconn representatives who said Rockwell CEO Blake Moret met with Foxconn leaders about Rockwell doing contract manufacturing for Foxconn. But Foxconn eventually noted it would get intellectual property rights to any products it made. “Moret blew up and walked out of the meeting,” the source says.

Robin Vos blames Evers for Foxconn: Even after just a month as Governor, Tony Evers is now being blamed for Foxconn? Sure, why not. Note: Vos is claiming economic uncertainty from Evers? Even though the national economy is still running hot after Trump broke all trade deals, levied tariffs, shut down the government, lashed out and asked for boycotts of Harley Davidson and other companies, and is threatening to take everyone's health care away. It's gonna take a lot of uncertainty to hurt Wisconsin's economy?

What have Republicans had to say about the Foxconn story? They are blaming Democratic Gov. Tony Evers. In a statement, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald said this: "We don’t blame Foxconn for altering plans in an ever-changing technology business. It’s also not surprising Foxconn would rethink building a manufacturing plant in Wisconsin under the Evers Administration. The company is reacting to the wave of economic uncertainty that the new governor has brought with his administration.”

 Not Really Evers Problem, Yet: Consider this...

“Robin Vos and legislative Republicans grabbed control of the agency in charge of the Foxconn deal and slashed accountability after losing the Governor who cut this horrible cocktail napkin deal,” said One Wisconsin Now Executive Director Analiese Eicher. “The question now is: what did they know about Foxconn’s plans to drastically cut back their end of the bargain, and when did they know it?”

Suddenly Foxconn Related Tweet about Wealth Tax: I had to include this growing tweet storm over Walker's dumbest analogy yet:

Ousted Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) opened himself up to a deluge of ridicule and scorn on Twitter Thursday afternoon after attacking Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) for a proposal to increase taxes on the wealthy. Less than 24 hours later (Foxconn deal suspended news) the former governor — who notably dropped out of college — was attacking Warren, a former college professor who specialized in bankruptcy law — about economics

Taxpayer Sucking Foxconn Con slipped through WEDC and smart business minded Walker and Republicans? No...

Even though the holidays have kept me busy and away from posting new and outrageous stories about our radicalized state Republicans, I've also been thinking about the creeky nature of government under Scott Walker, Robin Vos and Scott Fitzgerald. How can any society advance when we work so hard to stay in one place, or heck, even go backward?

The latest Foxconn outrage is all part of Scott Walker's "legacy." Not only did Walker wake up to "technology," but he put our future in the hands of a company that wants to lead the world in automation and robots. Thank you? Walker's supply-side fantasy land of economic magic missed a very real detail in the Foxconn contract:

The Legislative Audit Bureau released a review that found the state jobs agency is operating under rules that would allow officials there to award tax credits to Foxconn for workers who aren't in Wisconsin. The bureau recommended the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. change its practices to prevent taxpayers from spending money on jobs that aren't in Wisconsin.

Cap Times reporter Jessie Opoien wrote a whole article about this. Never once in her reporting did she ask how this rule slipped by everyone, especially Scott Walker's WEDC, the agency Sen. Fitzgerald and Rep. Vos purposely prevented Gov. Evers from replacing. 

WEDC written procedures allow tax credits to be awarded for some employees who do not live in Wisconsin as long as they are directed from and paid in the zone that encompasses the Foxconn campus in southeastern Wisconsin.

Yikes, that can't be good. As JS's Molly Beck writes, Fitzgerald thinks it's no big deal, just a few people...maybe more, and more, and more...:

(Fitzgerald said), "I talked to WEDC chief operating officer, Mark Hogan yesterday about this and I kind of asked him specifically, Mike, are we talking hundreds of people or are we talking like onesies, twosies, somewhere in the country? And his description was it is a very small number ... 

First, what is a small number, and second, does that sound like good financial management?

Ready for This: Remember, WEDC needed constant auditing because of its incompetent Chairman (Scott Walker who was fired), bad books and forgotten loans. But Fitzgerald even turned lousy bookkeeping into a huge positive...would I kid you? 

"WEDC in the history of the state -— I don't think there's been any agency as audited or as scrutinized as WEDC," Fitzgerald said. "Whether I like it or not it's going to continue specific to even what happens to the agency and obviously it's all being driven by Foxconn. So it's going to be bird-dogged all the way through the entire process."

 If you'll believe that...missing this huge con is now a sign of good GOP government? Republicans know Democratic Governor Evers will be able to showcase his more popular plans for the state that got him elected, so when something this bad turns up, thank god Republicans caught it? Really:

Audit committee co-chair Rep. Samantha Kerkman, R-Salem Lakes, said the report is "reassuring" to residents near the Foxconn project and throughout the state "to know that this evaluation is setting a baseline for compliance to the terms of the contract."

"Once again, the diligent work of the Legislative Audit Bureau has uncovered a discrepancy that had the potential to cost Wisconsin taxpayers money. This audit has given the Legislature and WEDC the ability to identify this issue and correct it prior to any tax credits being awarded," said committee co-chair Sen. Robert Cowles, R-Green Bay.

Walker can't deny these 6 Hard Truths !!!

Trump and Scott Walker are riding on the coattails of the Obama economy. They shouldn't be if the press reported the facts. But instead, Walker statements go unchallenged:

WSJ: Walker spokesman Austin Altenburg (said) “Scott Walker keeps his promises.”

1. Walker's biggest and most reckless promise was the creation of 250,000 jobs in his first 4 years. Even as a campaign promise, it was just a ridiculous goal, and many knew that. But the press ate it up and gave voters the impression it was possible. Wow. So, eight years later? 

JS: Gov. Scott Walker presided over an increase of 213,000 private-sector jobs in Wisconsin, short of the 250,000 new jobs the Republican promised in his first four years. Wisconsin lagged the nation in the pace of job creation in the seven-year period, when the nation added private-sector jobs at a 15.2 percent rate. Wisconsin ranks 34th out of the 50 states in the percentage increase (9.4 percent)

The reason?

The increase in private-sector jobs in Wisconsin in 2016 was 70 percent lower than the increase in 2015, and that the figure was based on data given to the WKOW TV by Walker’s administration. Democratic Sen. Kathleen Vinehout (Aug. 2017): "Under Scott Walker, Wisconsin is "still 16,000 manufacturing jobs lower than we were during the recession."

2. Walker Keeps Bragging about his Tax Cuts...that went to Property, Businesses, and Wealthy: 

Walker has cut taxes by more than $8 billion, largely benefiting property owners, businesses and the wealthy. 

But so many missed out on that "windfall..."

In 2016 33.34% of households were renters according to Census ACS data.

3. Walker takes Credit for Obama Era's falling Unemployment Numbers: Unless Walker policies were helping states nationwide. Low unemployment was also not Walker's doing:

Unemployment is at its lowest levels on record, below 3 percent, though the steep decline in the unemployment rate since Walker took office aligns with a nationwide recovery from the Great Recession.

4. Walker brags about Lower ACA Insurance Rates Nationwide? Yup, Walker knows lower insurance increases are on their way this year, and not just because of his not so unique "reinsurance" program (which many other states are doing):

The price of a 2019 policy sold on the ACA exchanges will increase less than 4 percent according to an analysis of preliminary filings from insurers in all 50 states by ACASignups.net ... premiums overall are rising at about the same rates as medical inflation, a big change from the last few years. 

Katherine Hempstead, a senior policy adviser at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (said) "After a very ... tortured birth and infancy, it sort of seems like the market is in some ways at a very stable place right now." She says insurance companies have figured out how to make a profit from the policies they sell on the ACA exchanges. 

5. Walker is rescuing us from Trump Party efforts to sabotage and kill the ACA. Which means...PREMIUMS WOULD HAVE BEEN LOWER NEXT YEAR:

Premiums would actually be falling next year but for the actions of the Trump Administration and Republicans in Congress that have weakened the ACA law itself and its markets. Those actions include getting rid of the tax penalty for people who don't buy health insurance, refusing to reimburse insurance companies for discounts they are required by law to offer to low-income customer, and encouraging insurers to sell stripped-down, short-term insurance. Those moves are draining healthy young people out of the ACA market. Analyst Charles Gaba says, "The reality is that if you didn't have those factors, if you didn't have the expansion of a short term plans, and especially the repeal of the mandate penalty for next year, average premiums would most likely be dropping by a good four or five percent."

The Wellmark, which abandoned the ACA market in Iowa last year, is returning. 

6. Wisconsin Wages Stagnant, workers ignored in Walker's Economy: Walker keeps feeding more money to those with more money. Nationally, wages fell:

 In Wisconsin:

Walker's Wisconsin can't even keep pace with Minnesota. And all that money going to robotic leader Foxconn?

Alternet: And (Americans) see their tax dollars pouring into the rapid development of a robot economy that will leave them and their children out in the cold.

The Haves and the Have-Nots... 

In the same year that workers took a pay cut, the CEOs of America's 350 largest corporations had an 18 percent jump in their pay, hauling in an average of $18.9 million each. In a lifetime of labor, the typical American worker would not be paid as much as those honchos took in one year. After all, workers can see in their daily job experiences that the Powers That Be -- corporate chieftains, economists, political leaders and others -- consider employees as a cost to be cut, not an asset to advance.

Trump's conversation with "friends?"

Mid-Tech Jobs coming to Foxconn and Wisconsin?

The idea that Scott Walker leads all Democratic gubernatorial challengers is stunning. You would think voters would only give a third term to a highly successful governor, that such a privilege would be reserved for best of the best, right? Yet Walker's record, based on a national growing economy and nothing he's personally done, is just not a factor.

Example, Walker's "eggs-in-one-basket" Foxconn deal rolled out without a single wonkish lecture detailing just how it will help workers in the state. Not once did he mention the all-important "mid-tech" worker, a non-college educated laborer in plentiful supply in the southeastern portion of the state. It's the one biggest issue, besides the state's brain drain and worker transportation problems.

And don't forget the GOP's "free market" driven Great Recession, when many manufacturers changed their business model; maintaining a smaller full-time workforce using temp labor to fill-in during periods of high demand. (Wait a minute, a temporary workforce? Is it any surprise Wisconsin workers didn't buy into the idea, opting instead to seek full-time steady employment.)

These are just a few of the examples adding to the now short supply of labor in Wisconsin:

JS: “Everyone is feeling the talent crunch,” said Amber Laurent, Manpower’s regional director. “You can’t go anywhere without it being a main part of conversations.”

It's the Wages Stupid: I know it's crazy, but people want more money for their time and work and not just the pride that comes with having a job:

So why isn’t pay higher? Increases nationwide in total compensation which includes pay and benefits in the private sector have hardly been robust. In percentage terms, also lag behind the gains of the early 2000s.

John Heywood, an economics professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, said some economists believe things have fundamentally changed and that we won’t return to the compensation gains of the past. One reason for that view: Labor force participation is unusually low and so, Heywood said, there may be more slack in the labor market than the unemployment rate suggests.

Back in March...

WPR: The numbers come from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages: From September 2016 until September 2017, Wisconsin added 17,670 private sector jobs. That's considerably less than in previous years. For example, Wisconsin added 27,289 private sector jobs during the same period a year ago and 34,551 the year before that. Wisconsin's 0.7 percent private sector job growth rate ranked 31st in the nation. Wisconsin ranked 32nd when these numbers were released in 2017.

The latest numbers also show Wisconsin added 4,616 private sector manufacturing jobs from September 2016 through September 2017. That's an improvement from the same period a year ago when Wisconsin lost manufacturing jobs.

Mid-tech Workers Rising: On Upfront with Mike Gousha, Foxconn Executive Louis Woo made the claim that 30 percent of its labor force will be your typical factory worker...middle tech? Coincidentally (?), this Brookings report below also used that 30 percent number:

Monster, Forbes, and Business.com have touted the “7 Tech Jobs You Can Get Without a Degree” or the “10 High-Paying Tech Jobs You Can Get Without a College Degree.” Such discussion of “new collar” jobs has been giving credence to the idea that tech might be a more accessible source of upward mobility for “blue-collar” workers and places, as well as underrepresented populations, than many have previously thought ... it’s clear that a surprisingly large share of classic tech jobs are actually quite accessible to workers without a bachelor’s degree. 

As the table shows, nearly one-third (30 percent) of the workers in three of the 13 C&M occupations (computer network architects, network support specialists, and computer systems analysts) do not hold a bachelor’s degree.

The mid-tech share of C&M employment remains below 20 percent in such hard-core hubs as San Francisco (19.1 percent), Seattle(16.9 percent), and Boston (14.1 percent). By contrast, the mid-tech share of regional C&M employment ranges much higher in a less glamorous list of more workaday locations: Olympia, Wash. (where mid-tech employment pushes 60 percent of C&M employment); Jackson, Mich. (38.7 percent); and Lakeland, Fla. (36.7 percent).

Mid-tech jobs compose more than one-quarter of all tech employment in numerous major Midwestern metros. Such places include Columbus, Ohio; Cincinnati;St. Louis; Detroit; Nashville; and Minneapolis-St. Paul. This suggests not just that tech is different (more accessible, and more about implementation than creative leaps) in the Midwest, but also confirms that significant talent resides there, and works at a significant discount, given the low cost of living in the region.

Foxconn Reveal: Also on Upfront, Foxconn's Woo never explained why they suddenly decide to invest in a water system that reduces the amount of water taken from Lake Michigan only after it was highly criticized and legal challenges arose. Woo said, "this is the right thing to do, nothing to do with anything else..!" Rrrrright.

And why all the taxpayer money for Foxconn? Woo put it this way; "Co-investing together with someone that who's taking tremendous risk...that's trying to transform a traditional economy..." So Woo put Wisconsin taxpayers on the hook because Foxconn was taking a risk? Beautiful.

Foxconn Smog Disaster approved by EPA's Pruitt, who overruled staff! Goodbye Racine...

I thought there was something crazy about the EPA's Foxconn decision to promote smog:

Wow. Hey Trump voters, you think those temporary tax cuts are worth all this? The Trump selling point, of course, is that he's keeping his promises., well then who cares...

Trump EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt will save Foxconn from having to make expensive improvements in an area with some of the state’s dirtiest air. Pruitt also pared back the list of counties with dirty air in Illinois and Indiana, a decision that could add to Chicago’s chronic problems with pollution linked to asthma attacks, heart disease and early deaths.

Pruitt insists he just using the data and existing laws to make decisions, but every solution to prevent harming Wisconsinites got bypassed:

The areas removed from the list were suggested by Republican elected officials...If Pruitt had followed the EPA staff report, Foxconn and other industrial sources of smog-forming pollution in Racine County would have been required to install more effective pollution-control equipment, scale back production or broker costly emissions-trading agreements with cleaner facilities.

To be fair, Walker did search for what he calls "balance"...I don't think he found that yet. In a Trumpian twitter post:

“We continue to search for ways to balance between environmental stewardship and a positive, pro-jobs business environment.”

"Racine, Live here at your own Risk:" Does it really matter who or what state helped create the smog problem, seriously? Blaming Chicago makes it all go away?

Walker blames Chicago for making the air unhealthy to breathe in parts of Wisconsin. However, an EPA staff analysis of industrial pollution, traffic patterns and weather patterns concluded Wisconsin is at least partially responsible for its own smog problems, and documents filed with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources show Foxconn would be a major new source of smog-forming pollution.

Republicans Welcome you to the 1970's: Freedom, sickness, suffering and premature deaths...here we come...:

Pruitt has said one of his top priorities is delegating more authority to states to enforce environmental laws, though one of the reasons the EPA was created in 1970 was states either were unwilling or unable to hold polluters accountable.

Health groups note that most of the country met earlier smog standards far more quickly and at significantly lower costs than expected.

The Obama EPA estimated that most of the nation would meet the new smog standard by 2025, with the biggest improvements in air quality coming from cleaner cars, trucks and power plants required by other federal regulations the Trump administration is attempting to unravel.

Honoring Walker...

Scott Walker loses Foxconn Bragging point...to Trump!

Grifting Governor Scott Walker lost his one big campaign talking point, Foxconn, thanks to narcissist Trump. And Walker groveled like the spineless weasle we saw during the 2011 protests, when he had to hide away from the public:

While Wisconsin badly needs funds to help fix crumbling roads, the president stole some of Walker’s thunder. He took credit for bringing the company to the United States.

Trump : “It’s a fantastic thing and everyone wanted Foxconn. Frankly, they weren't going to come to this country. I hate to say it, if I didn't get elected they wouldn't be in this country. I think you (Walker) know that very well."

 Check out WKOW's report containing a clip that should be included in almost every Democratic challengers campaign ad till November, where our balding wannabe nods in agreement, that yes, Trump gave us Foxconn:



Speaking of our supposed "Unintimidated" governor, the wholly created myth that he stood up to over 100,000 protesters gathered around the Capitol like the U.S. stood up against ISIS, is now part of his ad campaign. Think about the picture below; it's amazing to think that working, taxpaying Wisconsin voters, participating in their own government, is a bad thing...breathtaking?  MAL Contends:

Still Scared after All These Years: And like every other Republican, Walker measures his political success by the size of his security, and how dangerous he's made his own life pushing his unpopular authoritarian agenda:

Gov. Scott Walker has repeatedly been criticized for not being accessible to the general public. In 2016, we rated as True a narrower statement from state Rep. Dana Wachs, D-Eau Claire, that Walker's "listening sessions" were "invite-only and excluding the press." As he traveled Wisconsin to meet with residents, Walker asked various people, including Democratic lawmakers, for suggestions on who to invite to his listening sessions. But these events -- held by Walker, rather than him attending events staged by others -- were not open to the public or to the press, only to people who were invited.

It’s pretty clear that access to Walker is limited. His schedule is generally not made public ahead of time, making it difficult for people to go to events he attends. There are events that are open to the public, such as holiday ceremonies,

Walker's Foxconnsin!!!

Again, Goodbye Local Control: Republican state authority is taking over...

And it wouldn’t be a trip to America’s Dairyland if we didn’t check in on the Foxconn project. Apparently, they’re going to get their own Amtrak stop. From Urban Milwaukee: 

The board will also take this proposal up as an opportunity to discuss the need for transit service to the Foxconn development in Pleasant Prairie. The Public Transportation Review Board will also hear about a proposed bill (Assembly Bill 918) in the state Legislature that would prohibit city governments from regulating taxicab companies. Under the proposed legislation, the state’s Department of Safety and Professional Services would be the sole regulator of taxicab companies, maintaining control of all licensing for companies and their drivers.

Walker's not-so-fiscally-conservative Voter Bribes and Corporate Tax Credits Spending Spree

Scott Walker groundbreaking reelection campaign spending tactic is a doozy; give away the store. And even crazier, Wisconsin taxpayers will be on the hook, actually paying companies to stay in our state with their own hard earned wages. Gross mismanagement, comic genius, or breathtaking desperation?

Walker Showers Tax Credit Gifts All Around: Walker's supposed "market driven" reinsurance plan using taxpayer money to support ObamaCare was the big tip-off. Now Kimberly-Clark tax credits are free market "catalytic things." Foxconn fever is here:

 

Gov. Scott Walker said Wednesday he'd be open to offering other paper companies Foxconn-style tax credits just days after he floated the suggestion for consumer products giant Kimberly-Clark. "We'd be willing to match for keeping these jobs at Kimberly-Clark and for that matter other major paper companies in the state if you're talking about significant opportunities to keep and grow jobs in the state."

Walker was asked whether the state would run the risk of other companies seeking similar tax breaks. "You do, but for us, what we try to do is say these are catalytic things," Walker said.

Walker's Reelection Year Bribe-New and Improved: This is so shamelessly a voter bribe that it has to be illegal, especially after the proposed yearly $100 tax rebate for every child was limited to just the midterm election, with the added bonus of sales tax holiday. Seriously?

The proposal would cost an estimated $172 million over the current biennium, drawing down about 45 percent of an expected $385 million budget surplus.

The weird Republican idea that surplus revenues are just excess cash, and should be given back instead of being used for rebuilding our states infrastructure, roads, education funding, mass transit, renewable energy investments...etc. is not just bizarre, but leaves that bill to our kids and their kids:

"As I promised, when we have a surplus, we will give it back to you. It’s your money," Walker said in a statement announcing the deal.

 Like Assembly Minority Leader Gordon Hintz said:

(It's) "an election year bribe. The governor might as well save money on postage and just hand these checks out at polling places in November. For seven years, Governor Walker has handed out favors to his donors and corporations to stay in power. Now, he’s trying to do the same with voters, but they’re not going to fall for it."

Walker Won't Budge, Won't Build Roads: After Trump stuck-it to the states by forcing them to pay for most his massive national infrastructure plan, Wisconsin Republicans and Walker are headed for a stalemate:

The state Senate's top Republican says Wisconsin needs to add toll roads if it wants to qualify for a possible influx of federal transportation funds. "I think it forces our hand," Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald said. Trump's plan would offer states a chance at increased federal funding for infrastructure projects as long as states put up most of the funding themselves. That could be difficult in Wisconsin, where Republicans who run state government have been unable to reach an agreement to raise the gas tax or vehicle registration fees.

Fitzgerald said, "A nickel, a dime on a gas tax? That is not going to fill the pot that's going to be able to match those federal dollars at this point." The state was on the cusp of adding its first ever toll roads last year before the idea was rejected by Walker. The budget that Fitzgerald said would have resulted in Wisconsin being chosen by the federal government to add toll roads. Walker vetoed the study. "We cut the deal already. The deal was in the budget. I mean it was there."

Asked about Fitzgerald's comments, Walker said Wednesday he was not opposed to tolling, but he stressed that he was not ready to support it. "We're not even going to think about it unless we can reduce taxes somewhere else in an equal or greater margin," Walker said.

Walker stealing Democratic agenda; fund rural schools, closes Lincoln Hills, saves ObamaCare, tries to save Kimberly-Clark...what's his message? Vote Democratic.

And you thought Scott Walker's $100 handout to voters children around election time was brazen?

In a stunning display of desperation, and an acknowledgement that his own political agenda ain't working, Scott Walker tried to upstage the Democratic plan to keep Kimberly-Clark's factories open:

 As Democratic lawmakers were announcing their own Kimberly-Clark plan, the GOP governor called for passing legislation to allow the state to give the paper company the same level of tax credits per job as Foxconn.

A few hours later, Gov. Scott Walker's office sent out a release detailing a separate proposal to more than double tax credits to Kimberly-Clark Corp., from 7 percent to 17 percent, to keep that papermaker from shutting down two Fox Cities mills and eliminating about 610 jobs. The percentage is the same percentage used "to attract Foxconn's historic investment in Wisconsin," the governor's statement said.

For staunch tightwad small government conservatives, you gotta wonder what they were thinking seeing Walker govern like a Democrat and then betray his "free market" principles by throw taxpayer money hand over fist at every trouble business in the state. Seriously? I thought the "masterly" crafted GOP business climate alone in Wisconsin was enough:

Walker also referred to Appleton Coated in Combined Locks, which went into receivership last August, laying off most of its 600-employee workforce. New owner Industrial Assets restarted one machine ... 50 workers were recalled for a total of 88. The governor's said ongoing discussions with Industrial Assets "about providing assistance to the company to continue mill operations in the Fox Valley..."

This is where the $4.5 billion Foxconn deal keeps coming back to haunt us. That said, Democrats decided to work with money already spent:

Meanwhile, the Papermaker Fund bill, announced by Democratic lawmakers in their Monday press conference, will ask the state to dedicate 1 percent of the Foxconn investment, or $30 million, to each of two programs, to help mills retrofit to make more desirable paper grades and make energy efficiency upgrades.

Walker's "Open for Business" tax climate isn't stopping market forces from shutting down other long time businesses. And some thought the state economy was roaring along:

Besides K-C and Appleton Coated, Appvion in Appleton and U.S. Paper Converters in Grand Chute were two more paper facilities that recently announced job reductions.  Appvion filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in October and announced in November it would cut 200 jobs, about one-quarter of its local workforce. It outsourced its warehouse and distribution center in Appleton where 62 employees worked. U.S. Paper Converters shut in late 2017, eliminating 52 jobs.

NOTE: Walker's tax free gift to manufacturers who never had to create one job is also biting us in the ass now:

As manufacturers in Wisconsin, both Foxconn and Kimberly-Clark pay little to no corporate and personal income tax on profits from those operations. That means that  any potential enterprise zone credits could end up being paid to each company in cash if it has little corporate tax liability.

As Democratic Majority Leader Gordon Hintz said in a press release:

Governor’s proposal reeks of election year desperation. No information given on the cost of tax credits or how the state will pay for them ... Today, Governor Walker announced via Twitter that he instructed WEDC “to offer Kimberly Clark the same deal for jobs as Foxconn.”

“This sounds like another deal crafted on the back of a napkin. The lack of foresight and planning by this Governor is unbelievable. Real economic development starts with homegrown businesses. Rather than selling out our state’s future for the FoxConn deal, we could’ve been investing in Wisconsinbusinesses, infrastructure, education, and healthcare."

“Just like his State of the State Address, today’s announcement sounded more like a going out of business sale than a serious policy proposal. At this point it’s clear that the Governor will say just about anything to get re-elected.

The question everyone should be asking the Governor is, “What will you do when the next corporation threatens to leave the state unless they get the FoxConn deal?

Walker's Labor Shortage Incentive Panic Attack!

Walker's Foxconn Debacle Good, Dem. Gov. Cooper's North Carolina Triangle Tyre Deal Bad?

How deep is the bullshit Scott Walker and the Republicans have been spreading in the media about their "once-in-a-lifetime" Foxconn deal? Neck deep, and we can thank North Carolina Republicans for exposing the lie.

Let's get a few things straight: Democrats have never been against a few job-creating corporate handouts. But nothing can compare to Scott Walker's "eggs in one basket" Foxconn debacle. It's also true Democrats don't like outright giveaways, like corporate tax cuts, with no promise of jobs.

Opposite Day, Everyday in North Carolina: This is the scenario playing out right now in North Carolina that's strangely the reverse of Wisconsin's Foxconn deal:

“The Jobs Governor” Roy Cooper ended his first year in office with a flurry of job announcements in December that featured at least 10 projects, including what he touted as the largest investment by a manufacturer ever in rural North Carolina ... corporate incentives in exchange for those promised jobs. No company gets tax credits if it doesn’t meet specific criteria.

He faces criticism from Republicans (who) say the jobs created in recent years are a result of lowering the tax rate on businesses ... criticize Cooper as a hypocrite for decrying cuts to business taxes as “corporate giveaways” while offering incentives to select companies that move here.

Republican Gov. Walker Good, Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper Bad: Benchmarked job creating "corporate giveaway" vs Foxconn sellout + Republican-backed freeloading tax cuts.

Gov. Cooper said, “We can make targeted, accountable incentives for the creation of jobs. This makes sure that the incentives that you give to companies directly result in good-paying jobs for our people. And that’s a lot different than just across-the-board giveaways to corporations and the wealthy at the expense of education and tax cuts for the middle class, particularly with no guarantee that they’ll bring good-paying jobs to our state.”

But wait, they're criticizing a "corporate giveaway" offering incentives in North Carolina to Triangle Tyre while Scott Walker in Wisconsin is praised up and down for handing out "the biggest incentive packages ever promised a company to locate a plant in the United States." Oddly, Americans for Prosperity has decided to bash the Democratic governor of North Carolina for handing out a dramatically smaller amount of incentives than their favorite ass kisser in Wisconsin, Scott Walker. Hypocrites much? 

Americans for Prosperity and its branch aimed at young people, Generation Opportunity, launched digital media campaign “Reverse Robin Hood Cooper,” that slam Cooper for offering “corporate welfare,” saying the state should stop offering incentives altogether because it’s an unfair use of taxpayer dollars. The organizations, which have received funding from groups linked to the Koch brothers.

It stuns the senses, doesn't it? Why no ads bashing Scott Walker? Even more bizarre, Republicans have the balls to repeat what Democrats have been saying for years, without any irony:

SpokeswomanAnna Beavon Gravely said, “We (millennials) are a generation very concerned with fairness and equality, and that same feeling applies to incentives. Corporate welfare is taxpayer money being given to rich businesses which takes away from people who are struggling to make it.”

BAD NEWS for Walker's Foxconn mess: Looking back, how did similar "corporate giveaways" work out before in North Carolina?

Do incentives work? A 2015 review of incentives by WRAL found that for incentive projects announced from 2009 to 2012 (when Democrat Bev Perdue was governor) most of the jobs had failed to materialize.

Josh Bivens, Economic Policy Institute’s research director said the costs of corporate taxes pale in comparison to many other location-specific factors such as qualified workers, proximity to customers, and quality public services. “States would be better-served spending the money they use ‘smokestack chasing’ to making public investments – particularly investments in early childhood education.”

Which makes the outrageously costly Foxconn deal even worse than imagined, regardless of the amount of promised jobs:

1. The $3 billion incentive package used to lure Foxconn to Wisconsin to build a giant factory was only the beginning.

2. An additional cost is a $6.8 million advertising campaign to woo workers from out of state to work in Wisconsin, including at the new plant.

3. The Village of Mount Pleasant and Racine County have also agreed to provide $764 million in tax incentives to help get the facility constructed, including buying the land and giving it to Foxconn for free. The measure also commits the state to paying 40 percent of local governments’ expenses for the plant “if ever called upon to do so.”

4. The state expects to spend about $400 million on road improvements, including adding two lanes to the nearby Interstate 94. And it's seeking $246 million more in federal money to help pay for the interstate expansion.

5. In addition, the local electric utility is upgrading its lines and adding substations to provide the necessary power that will be used by the plant, at a cost of $140 million. The cost of those projects will be paid by 5 million customers in the area.

6. While the state touts Foxconn's plans for 13,000 workers, the company has only committed to hiring 3,000 at this point.

7. And, according to Wisconsin's estimates, it will take until at least 2043 for the state to recoup that lost tax revenue ... the total cost is nearly $4.1 billion, to get a $9 billion plant. That’s astounding: a cost of $1,774 per household in Wisconsin.

Walker's Foxconn cash handout Unconstitutional? Right Wing Lawsuit happy "Institute" might kill Deal.

Sweet irony: The conservative lawsuit mill Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty might put a stop to taxpayer handouts to Foxconn and other corporate crybabies begging for money. 

And don't expect the partisan and incompetent DOJ to make a coherent legal argument either to stop this train wreck from happening. This is what happens when Republican ideology collides with contradictory and convenient...Republican ideology. Excuse my gloating. 

Esenberg

The $10 billion Foxconn factory in Racine County could be “imperiled” by a lawsuit challenging an economic development project in Eau Claire, according to the state Department of Justice. At issue is whether local economic incentives can result in cash payments to a private developer or company — which in the Eau Claire case include $1.5 million, but in the Foxconn case total $100 million.

The state wants in to intervene in the lawsuit, Voters with Facts v. City of Eau Claire, filed on behalf of some Eau Claire taxpayers who say the city abused Wisconsin's tax incremental financing law that includes cash payments to a private developer or company.

The lawsuit brought by the conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty on behalf of the taxpayers is currently before the state Supreme Court. Solicitor General Misha Tseytlin says that if the court were to side with the plaintiffs, it "would imperil numerous projects critical to Wisconsin's economic growth, including the Village of Mount Pleasant's recent agreement with Foxconn Technology Group." That project includes $100 million in cash incentives.

The case is now before the state Supreme Court after both the district court and an appellate court ruled in favor of the city.

We'll see...

Rick Esenberg, the lawyer for the plaintiffs in the Eau Claire lawsuit, is arguing that the $1.5 million direct payment plus half of the redevelopment payment are an illegal property tax rebate for the property owner, which would violate the state Constitution’s requirement that property taxes be assessed in a uniform manner, known as the uniformity clause. Esenberg said it’s possible the argument could also apply to Foxconn.

Walker targets workers in Chicago and elsewhere, bypassing hard hit Milwaukee, Racine and rest of State.

Scott Walker has washed his hands of every out of work Wisconsinite, giving up on them (too much work I guess) while seeking an outside labor force from Illinois. Wow, what an idea; take the easy way out after trashing public education, without ever lifting a figure to train, retrain, or coordinate employers with schools to encourage apprenticeship programs statewide. Oh, and with low unemployment, we're going to need an Illinois Foxconn workforce that bypasses the struggling Milwaukee/Racine jobless. 

Gov. Scott Walker’s announcement of a $6.8 million marketing and advertising campaign aimed at Midwestern millennials, returning military veterans and alumni of the state’s public and private colleges … promote the state’s industry mix, recreation, education, arts, health care.

Walker has had only one agenda; push a manufacturing renaissance and not an “industry mix.” Just as bad, he's defunded state parks and deregulated hunting (“recreation”), cut “education” especially the “arts,” and opposes a right to “health care.”

Big Corporate Special Interest Panics Walker: Oops, it'll be interesting to see how Walker spins his concentrated jobs effort in southeastern Wisconsin to all those resentful "forgotten" rural Republican voters who appear to have drawn the short straw again:

"Walker says German candy-maker Haribo was concerned about its ability to find workers for its planned Wisconsin gummy bear factory that will employ 400 people in Pleasant Prairie after news broke that Foxconn Technology Group was building a massive facility nearby. Walker met with company officials to calm their fears. Foxconn plans to employ between 3,000 and 13,000 workers 13 miles away in Mount Pleasant."

"Cheesy Image of State Needs an Update?" In the paper edition of the Wisconsin State Journal, this brutally honest headline (changed and softened online) exposes the Republicans unabashedly elitist view that the states major nationally known industries are an embarrassment that we need to run from:

Remember, our corporate whiny elitist snobs want to change our state license plate logo from Americas Dairyland to something generic or perhaps Walker's latest tourist roadside attraction:

After changing the online headline from an insult to "Fighting misperceptions about Wisconsin in the hunt for workers," right-wing business columnist and "wordsmith" Tom Still failed miserably to frame the GOP's distaste for Wisconsin image of cheese and farmers. Sounding whiny, petty and outright elitist...:  

It’s no secret that Wisconsin is a secret when it comes to most things other than cheese, farms and the Green Bay Packers. That branding dilemma…Job diversity means choosing between careers in curds, Colby or Cheddar.

The combination of a looming worker deficit and the impending arrival of high-tech manufacturers such as Foxconn has created a moment in which Wisconsin must finally get serious about attracting more people and selling itself as a well-rounded place to live, work and play.

Wisconsinites Moving Out: Never mind that Republicans have trashed the liberal out-of-touch science tech jobs leader Dane County and those elitist tech researchers at the University of Wisconsin. With no increase in the minimum wage and right-to-make-less labor laws...

WSJ: Despite a new report showing Wisconsin has the fastest-shrinking middle class in the U.S., the Gov. Scott Walker administration says the state is headed in the right direction.

March 24, 2015: Wisconsin ranks worst among the 50 states in terms of a shrinking middle class, with real median household incomes here falling 14.7 percent since 2000, according to a new report. The Pew Charitable Trust report showed Wisconsin with the largest decline in the percentage of families considered "middle class."

A declining population, particularly when residents are moving out of state, often can be traced to a lack of job opportunities or a low quality of life. Between 2010 and 2015, 14,210 more people moved out of the state than moved in, equivalent to a net population loss of 0.2% over that time. Wisconsin is one of just 14 states with a net negative migration over the last five years.

Even more incredible, after Walker just appeared in a campaign ad supporting Ill. Gov. Rauner's reelection effort, our backstabbing governor is begging Chicagoans to move to Wisconsin. No really, this is nuts: 

Reach out to Millennials in Chicago and nearby on the theory that they’re reaching an age in which starting a family and leading a more balanced life is better than living in a tiny apartment and fighting rush-hour traffic. 

For example, multimedia ads would pose illustrated choices such as:

1. “An hour in traffic … or an hour with friends?”

2. “One-hour commute … or one-hour bike ride?” (MY GOD, Walker passed a "provision that prohibits local jurisdictions and the state DOT from condemning property to 'establish or extend' recreational trails, bicycle commuter paths, bike lanes or sidewalks.")

3. “Shoebox on the third floor … or loft in the Third Ward?”

Of course, Tom Still couldn't help but bash the state's reputation one more time, while ignoring Walker's admitted "divide and conquer" agenda where he once praised the statewide partisan anger pitting neighbor against neighbor as a healthy debate:

A point yet to be addressed is how to overcome a belief, which surfaced in the 2015 perception survey, that Wisconsin isn’t very tolerant. Part of persuading people to relocate is assuring them they won’t become strangers in a new land ... maybe this time the state will recognize it must cut a big block of cheese if it hopes to attract and retain tomorrow’s workers.

Democrats raise alarms over Foxconn contract, insist on total contract review, but Republicans get credit for it.

Thanks to State Democratic Senator Tim Carpenter's hair on fire warning about the Foxconn contract being approved by the WEDC board (they would have rubberstamped the contract with a little tweaking), we would not have had the chance to see the whole contract word for word. 

But Democrats were accused of being partisan for attacking Walker deal. Nooooo....

Credit where Credit is Due: Democrats again proved that they can manage government better than any Republican in the legislature because they're not in the pocket of big special interests....like Foxconn.  

My jaw dropped when the Wisconsin Public Radio news coverage said that both Republicans and Democrats were calling for a review of the whole Foxconn contract, and not just the basic outline WEDC commonly allowed. NO!!!! The Democrats called for a full review. Just check out the timeline here:   

JS- Oct. 24, 2017: Last week, Sen. Tim Carpenter (D-Milwaukee), a member of the WEDC board and opponent of the deal, said the vote delay was caused by an unspecified issue "very, very major to the contract. They didn't do their due diligence," he said of WEDC.

State Journal- Oct 25, 2017: WEDC board member Sen. Tim Carpenter, D-Milwaukee, declined last week in an interview with the Wisconsin State Journal to disclose details of why a scheduled vote on the contract was delayed. But he told the newspaper the issue was a “nuclear bomb” that would have left taxpayers exposed ... Hogan told board members last week that the way the deal was structured the agency couldn’t guarantee it could protect taxpayers if the company violated the agreement ... “We could have given them all this money and we wouldn’t have been able to get it back,” Carpenter said.

Democrats on the Legislature’s Joint Audit Committee urged Hogan to release the contract details publicly before the board votes on it. Carpenter has asked that the WEDC board be allowed to review the contract before voting, but as is common practice, the board will only vote on a staff review and summary of the deal. Hogan declined to change the process while defending the agency’s record on contracts.

Then, after Tim Carpenter raised the Red Flag, Republicans noticed:

State Journal- November 1, 2017: Republican leaders say WEDC board should review Foxconn contract!

Democrats get Screwed Again: Now, it looks like "both sides" were calling for review of the whole contract:

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have pushed for the WEDC board to get access to the full contract in recent weeks. The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation will give its board members more information than usual about the pending contract for Wisconsin's $3 billion deal with Foxconn, CEO Mark Hogan told board members via email ... Typically, board members only get to see a staff memo outlining the contract.

Later this evening, WPR news reported that the Republican leaders of Senate and Assembly got what they wanted, no mention of the Democrats, getting a total review the entire contract. Amazing.

Just got done watching WKOW news on the old DVR,where Greg Neumann did give credit to the Democrats for calling for the review:

Walker's desperate 15 year grab for 3,000 jobs and forced budget cuts to get reelected.

Funny thing about the Foxconn debacle to attract only 3,000 jobs, is the underlying problem. A labor shortage and low unemployment.

Wisconsin's 3.2 percent unemployment rate in July is near a record low That's well below what economists consider to be "full employment." Between 2010 and 2025, the 65-and-older population is expected to have increased by two-thirds, while the working-age population is expected to remain flat. By 2023, 65-year-olds are projected to outnumber 18-year-olds for the first time.

Only now are the stories hitting the front pages of our papers.

So where will Foxconn find 13,000 employees? Or the 10,000 construction jobs...or the 22,000 indirect jobs?

Those numbers are mystifying to Anthony Snyder, CEO of the Fox Valley Workforce Development Board. "We have businesses that are screaming for labor. One employer wanted 300 people tomorrow and we are racking our brain trying to find these people," Snyder said. "I don’t know where they’ll find 10,000 people to fill those jobs."

Erik Anderson, president of Basin Precision Machining in Jefferson said, "I’m like: 'Better fly (the workers) over from China, because they’re not here.'"The disaster we know as WEDC warned: As half of the construction workers and Foxconn workforce could come from other states, primarily Illinois where unemployment and underemployment are higher than in Wisconsin. 

That should sink the whole Foxconn deal right? Nope...

The Walker administration disputes that figure.

Well, let's see what Foxconn is telling us...oh wait:

Foxconn,  isn't divulging details about its wages. According to an economic impact analysis commissioned by the company, about 2,400 employees will be highly skilled engineers, 820 employees will provide business support and the majority, about 9,800 employees, will be hourly operators and technicians. 

Let's create worker dorms like in China:

Walker said he has discussed with Foxconn the possibility of building housing at an affordable cost near the plant to further entice workers to move from other states. 

Even cry baby conservative lobbying groups are sounding the alarm:

Workers Wanted: Wisconsin's Looming Crisis:  Wisconsin businesses grapple with a growing worker shortage. Wisconsin is expected to need 45,000 workers in seven years but it simply lacks the people to fill them … expected to worsen over the next decade, according to Wisconsin State Journal interviews with dozens of employers, economists, advocacy group experts and state political and economic development officials. "We are right at the brink of the crisis," said Ann Franz, director of the Northeast Wisconsin Manufacturing Alliance in Green Bay. "I would call it Wisconsin's mega-issue," said Kurt Bauer, president of Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, the state's largest business group, which recently found 77 percent of members surveyed had difficulty finding workers, up from 53 percent two years ago. "All other issues, they may be important, but they are subordinate to workforce."

Walker's record of lost manufacturing job over the years, stubborn opposition to raising the minimum wage, and failed promise to create family supporting jobs is a big reason why he wants Foxconn to pass:

"We have the potential of losing some of our business sector to other places where skilled labor is stronger, where there's greater population base," said Susan May, president of Fox Valley Technical College in Appleton. "The more we lose our economic base, it affects education and transportation and everything else. … It really presents a scary future for our state."

Eh, that's not so scary, turning lemons into lemonade:

"It's a good problem to have, but it's a challenge for sure," Gov. Scott Walker said in an interview.

The other facts around the worker shortage aren't encouraging:

Wisconsin has certain characteristics that may intensify the shortage, such as an already high workforce participation rate, a broad manufacturing base that, as it increasingly automates, replaces high school graduates with more highly skilled workers, and a comparatively poor record of attracting college graduates. The Job Center of Wisconsin website lists about 100,000 job openings daily, and more than 15,000 are for jobs located in other states.

The state's median hourly wage is $17.43, or about $35,000 a year. A United Way study found the basic wage needed to survive in Wisconsin is $54,804 for a family of four and $23,196 for a single adult — and that 42 percent of households live below that level. More than half (51 percent) of the jobs that listed a low-end wage listed hourly pay levels below the United Way's survival wage for a single person.

And with the advent of disposable employees, business has only themselves to blame:

Many employers around the state express frustration about the quality of the available workforce. They complain about new hires lacking minimal "employability" traits such as showing up for work on time, dressing appropriately and basic communication. Some describe applicants who won't return phone calls yet continue to apply for jobs elsewhere, possibly to fulfill the state's new requirements for receiving unemployment benefits.