The Milwaukee Post

4 • Milwaukee County Post • February 1, 2019 By Dan Muckelbauer Post Editor MILWAUKEE — The multibillion-dollar develop- ment beginning to take shape in Pleasant Prairie, just south of the Milwaukee County line has changed due to market conditions, drawing the ire of oppo- nents to the incentive-laden plan. Foxconn Technology Group issued the following statement Wednesday: "We remain committed to the Wisconn Valley Science and Technology Park project, the creation of 13,000 jobs, and to our long- term investment in Wisconsin. As we have pre- viously noted, the global market environment that existed when the project was first announced has changed. As our plans are driven by those of our cus- tomers, this has necessitat- ed the adjustment of plans for all projects, including Wisconsin. While the pro- ject's focus will be adjusted to meet these new realities, the Wisconsin project remains a priority for our company. "Foxconn continues to actively consider opportu- nities for TFT technologies in terms of maximizing the positive impact of our Wisconsin project. We are broadening the base of our investment within the State of Wisconsin far beyond what we initially planned to ensure the company and our workforce will be posi- tioned for long-term suc- cess. "In addition to our con- sideration of plans to pro- duce traditional products such as television sets, we are also examining ways for Wisconsin's knowledge workers to promote research and development in advanced industrial internet technologies and produce high-tech applica- tions and solutions for industries such as educa- tion, medical and health care, entertainment and sports, security, and smart cities. "We look forward to con- tinued investment in Amer- ican talent as we build the AI 8K + 5G ecosystem we are creating in Wisconsin and the U.S." State surprised Wisconsin Department of Administration Secre- tary-designee Joel Brennan said, "The administration is in regular, weekly com- munication with senior leadership at Foxconn, how- ever, we were surprised to learn about this develop- ment. "While some of the infor- mation reported (Wednesday) has been pre- viously reported publicly, other details about the con- tinuing evolution of this project will require further review and evaluation by our team," he said in a statement Wednesday. "The governor has always said that protecting Wisconsin taxpayers, the local commu- nities that have already made significant invest- ments in this project, and our environment are his chief concerns." One Wisconsin Now, a Progressive group, blamed Republicans. "In the sore-loser session convened after Scott Walker's defeat, the GOP- controlled legislature gave themselves control over the board of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) and shifted the state liaison for the project from the Department of Admini- stration, overseen by Demo- cratic Gov. Tony Evers, to WEDC. Vos' cohorts also slashed accountability measures to verify that cor- porations like Foxconn are actually fulfilling their commitments before get- ting state tax subsidies," One Wisconsin said in a news release. "This deal was reckless from the beginning," said Martha Laning, chair- woman of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin. "De- spite multiple red flags throughout the negotiation process, Wisconsin Republi- cans put taxpayers on the line for $4.5 billion and rewrote the entire rule book for an election-year talking point." Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, and Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, responded to criticism on their part and the Foxconn commitment to Wisconsin. GOP: 'Positive impact' "In a short time, Foxconn has made a posi- tive impact across Wiscon- sin with more than 1,000 new jobs, an investment of $200 million, three innova- tion centers and one of the largest gifts ever of $100 million to the UW-Madison. We don't blame Foxconn for altering plans in an ever- changing technology busi- ness. 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. Gover- nor Evers has an anti-jobs agenda and pledged to do away with a successful busi- ness incentive for manufac- turing and agriculture," they said in their Wednesday statement. "It's disappointing to see Democrats rooting for the failure of Foxconn and try- ing to undermine this his- toric opportunity for our state. Democrats don't want thousands of family-sup- porting careers; they want a political talking point," Vos and Fitzgerald said. Sen. Lena Taylor, D- Milwaukee, said in a state- ment, "Almost has soon as the ink dried on the Wisconsin deal, Foxconn started walking back their promises. Immediate reduc- tions in screen sizes, hires, Chinese workers instead of Americans, plant opera- tions, assembly workers, and on and on. The only thing that hasn't changed is that this has been a bad deal for Wisconsin since the start. At some point, Republican leadership needs to admit, plain and simple, they got played. "While Donald Trump, Paul Ryan, Scott Walker, state Republicans and even Kanye West were extolling the virtues of this deal, they chose to ignore what was staring them in the face. "And for Speaker Vos, to imply that a change in the Governor's office is justifi- cation for Foxconn's out- right lies to the residents of this state, is ridiculous." WEEK IN REVIEW STATE AND LOCAL STORIES OF INTEREST Wisconsin to see additional $2.4 billion in funds The co-chairpersons of the Joint Committee on Finance, state Rep. John Nygren, R- Marinette, and Sen. Alberta Darling, R-River Hills, touted Republican reforms that reportedly will have delivered $2.4 billion in additional revenue for the next state budg- et. "Long gone are the days of the budget mismanagement left by Governor Doyle. The fact is, Governor Evers is inheriting the best budget scenario in a generation. Tax col- lections and ending balances are at record highs as a result of Republican reforms, strong economic activity, and responsible budgeting by state agencies," they said in a statement. New tax collections released by the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau are esti- mated to total nearly $1.8 billion. The surplus from fiscal year 2019 that is expected to roll over into the 2019-21 budget is estimated at almost $700 million. That means a total of nearly $2.4 billion in additional funds for the next budget, Nygren and Darling said. On top of that, over the last eight years, income and franchise taxes have been cut by $3.86 billion while tax collections grew by 24 percent, they said. "Wisconsin is on a roll and we are not done yet. Our careful budgeting has put us in a position to continue to fund our priorities like public education, corrections reform, health care, and workforce development while still being accountable to the taxpayers. That's why we have introduced a middle-class income tax cut which would provide a $310 tax cut for the average family," the two legislators said in the joint statement. "Wisconsin's finances are in great shape. No amount of spin or rhetoric can change the facts." Deputy hit by vehicle while investigating crash MILWAUKEE — A sheriff's deputy was hit by a vehicle shortly after 8 a.m. Saturday, while conducting a crash investigation on southbound Highway 175, near Wisconsin Avenue, the Sheriff's Office reported. A southbound vehicle struck a second vehicle, which resulted in the deputy sustaining injuries requiring treatment at a regional hos- pital, the Sheriff's Office said. The Milwaukee Police Department responded to investi- gate the crash and will determine what, if any, charges should be requested. Open enrollment application period begins Monday MILWAUKEE — Parents and guardians can apply to send their children to any public school in the state through the Wisconsin Public School Open Enrollment program, the state Department of Public Instruction announced. The online applications period for the 2019-20 school year opens Monday and runs through April 30, with applications available on the DPI website, www.dpi.wi.gov. Open enrollment is a tuition-free opportunity for parents to apply for their children to attend a public school in a school district other than the one in which they live. Administered by the DPI, the state's public school open enrollment program has been in operation since the 1998-99 school year. In the first year of open enrollment, 2,464 stu- dents transferred from their home district to a nonresident public school district. In the 2017-18 school year, 60,820 students transferred through open enrollment. Taiwanese company says it 'remains committed' to project Foxconn Technology Group plans altered, drawing criticism

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