A capital investment of ten billion dollars.
Thirteen thousand jobs created.
An expected seven billion dollar annual economic benefit for the state.
It’s not every day that a Taiwanese technology company decides to construct and run its first American based LED factory in Wisconsin. Beating out several other competing states, the company chose Wisconsin because of not only the incentive package that was passed by the State Legislature, but also because of the stage that has been set over the past few years. Governor Walker worked diligently to bring this deal to our state, successfully showing that Wisconsin is a great state where bold reforms have transformed it into the ideal location for not only small and local companies but also those on the international side.
Following the passage of the budget, $5 million is being invested in the Wisconsin Technical School with $110 million increase in the UW system which includes a continuation of the tuition freeze. The groundwork Governor Walker has laid with Act 10 and more recently has put education in Wisconsin in a solid place to prepare for 13,000 jobs that will need to be filled upon completion. UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank has also discussed having the university work with the company in the future, as noted in a press release by the university.
For jobs, Foxconn will provide the state, and more specifically the counties surrounding the proposed area, a boost as it looks to hire skilled laborers. This even holds the potential to bring in families from out of state as they move here to participate in the opportunity with a predicted yearly median wage of over $50,000 and benefits.
The deal quickly gained support by members of the state legislators, both republicans, and democrats, as they worked to pass the $3 billion incentive package. The Democrats went even as far to to oust their minority leader over his support of the bill. It’s a bit hypocritical to claim to support economic and job growth, and then turn around and remove a party leader for doing that exact thing.
Foxconn is and will be a strong point in our state’s history, where a compilation of the bold reforms put in place by Governor Walker came together at the right time in order to support and be able to take on the challenge of the first Foxconn plant in the United States.
Bailey LaSage ([email protected]) is a senior majoring in political science. She is also the Social Media Director for College Republicans.
