State, local officials stand by Foxconn, but many wonder what ...

Foxconn never promised it would manufacture electric vehicles in Wisconsin. But when the Taiwanese megamanufacturer announced earlier this ... Skiptomaincontent ConditionsandForecast MapsandRadar ListenLive TheIdeasNetwork ProgramSchedule ProgramNotes NPRNews&MusicNetwork ProgramSchedule MusicPlaylists AllClassicalNetwork ProgramSchedule MusicPlaylists SpecialEventsStream WPR CarsareparkednearaglobeattheFoxconncampusWednesday,Oct.6,2021,inMountPleasant,Wis.AngelaMajor/WPR State,localofficialsstandbyFoxconn,butmanywonderwhatthecompanyisdoinginWisconsinMegamanufacturerannouncedplanstobuildelectriccarsinOhiolastweekByCorrinneHessPublished: Thursday,October7,2021,6:35amShare: ListenDownloadFoxconnneverpromiseditwouldmanufactureelectricvehiclesinWisconsin.ButwhentheTaiwanesemegamanufacturerannouncedearlierthisyearitplannedtogetintotheautomotivebusiness,somethoughtitwouldfinallyturnaroundthecompany’slacklusterperformanceinthestate. Foxconnhasbeenmakinghigh-profileannouncementsthathaveeitherseverelyunderperformedorbeenquietlyabandonedsincearrivinginWisconsinin2017. Lastweek,thecompanystrucka$280milliondealtopurchaseelectricautomakerLordstownMotorsCorp.’splantinOhio.Fromabusinessstandpoint,itmakessensetobuildcarsatanabandonedcarplant,insteadofatnondescriptbuildingsintheVillageofMountPleasant. Butitbegsthequestion,whatisnextforWisconsin? Localandstaterepresentativescontinuetodefendtheirattachmenttothecompany.InastatementreleasedThursday,VillageofMountPleasantofficialsstoodbyFoxconn. "AsRacineCounty’slargesttaxpayer,FoxconnisanimportantpartnertotheVillageofMountPleasantandRacineCounty,"thestatementsays."WelookforwardtoFoxconn’scontinuedgrowthandinvestmentinourcommunityformanyyearstocome." AftertheOhioannouncementlastweek,WPRcontactedFoxconnaboutthecompany'sfutureplansforWisconsinbutreceivednoresponse. DuringaninterviewwithWPR's"TheMorningShow"Tuesday,MissyHughes,whoheadstheWisconsinEconomicDevelopmentCorp.,saidheragency"talkstoFoxconnnallthetime." "They’reapartnerofours,andweworkwiththem,"Hughessaid. Asfarasthevillage’sinvestmentinthegiantmanufacturingcampusthere,HughessaidFoxconnhasinvestedmorethan$200millioninthevillageoverthelasttwoyears. "Wecontinuetoworkwiththelocalstomakesurethatwe’redoingeverythingwecantoattractbusinesstothatareatohelpsupportthemandyeah,theinvestmenttheymadeinreliancetoFoxconncoming,"Hughessaid. AssemblySpeakerRobinVos,R-Rochester,saidinaninterviewlastweek,almost1,000peopleareworkingatFoxconninWisconsin.Thatnumberhasn’tbeenconfirmed.Iftrue,itwouldmakeFoxconnoneofthestate’slargestemployers. InApril,thestaterevisedits$2.85billioncontractwithFoxconntocreatemorerealisticgoalsincludingthecreationof1,454jobsby2024insteadoftheoriginal13,000jobspromised. Foxconnhassaidthey’veinvestedapproximately$900millioninWisconsin,whichincludesanearly1-million-square-foot"advancedmanufacturing"facilityintheVillageofMountPleasant,a300,000-square-foot"smartmanufacturingcenter,"a120,000-square-foot"multipurposebuilding"anda100-foottall"highperformancecomputingdatacenterglobe." WhatishappeninginRacineCounty? OneofthecomplaintsRacineCountyresidentsandsomepoliticianshavewithFoxconnisthattheyareunclearwhattypeofworkisbeingdoneinthosebuildings. DemocraticAssemblyMinorityLeaderGordonHintz,D-Oshkosh,saidFoxconndoesn’thavemuchcredibilityanymore. Signupfordailynews! StayinformedwithWPR'semailnewsletter. AMHeadlines PMHeadlines Enteremailaddress Hintz,whoisaWEDCboardmember,saidthecompanyannouncesplansthat"capturesthepublic’simagination,"includingmanufacturingcoffeekiosks,ventilatorsandnowelectriccars.ButhewouldlikeanupdateonwhatisactuallyhappeninginWisconsin.  "Eveniftherewasadecisionmadeonsomethinggoingforward,itwouldneedquiteabitofdevelopmentbeforetherewasactualproduction,"Hintzsaid."We’refouryearsinanddon’thavealottoshowforallthetaxpayermoneythathasbeenspent." Hintzsaidevenifthereisbadnews,FoxconnandWEDCneedtobemoreaccountabletothestateaboutwhatishappening. "IthinkthereareprobablyendlessproposalsnotjustwithFoxconndirectlybutperhapswithsomeonethatcanworkwithFoxconnonthesitethatexists,"Hintzsaid."Iwanttoseethemostsuccessfulprojectthatwecanhavethere,whetherFoxconnorasurrogateforanothercompanythatwecanhavethere.Mymindcanrunawaywithopportunitiestherecanbetohavemultiplecompaniesthere." MountPleasantandRacineCountycreateda$911millionspecialtaxingdistrictin2017tosupporttheFoxconnproject.Sofarmorethan$300millionhasbeenspentbythevillage. Localofficialssaidthemoneywouldpayforlandacquisition,infrastructureupgradesandotherexpenses.Accordingtotheagreement,themoneywillberecoupedover30yearswithfundingandpropertytaxrevenuefromFoxconnandotherbusinessesinthedistrict. LocalofficialshaverepeatedlysaidtheyareprotectedbecauseFoxconnmustmakeminimumtaxpaymentsequaltoabout$30millionbeginningin2023,regardlessoftheproject’scompletionstatus. IfFoxconndefaults,thestateisonthehookforaportionofthepayments. GregLeRoy,executivedirectorofGoodJobsFirst,aWashington-basednonprofittax-breakwatchdoggroup,saidthatatthispoint,Foxconnshouldpayreparationstothestateandlocalgovernmentsforthemoneyalreadyspentontheproject. "(Localgovernments)wentwayoutonalimb,incurredalotoffuturedebtobligations,displacedalotofpeoplethrougheminentdomain,andnow,there’snotalottoshowforitandIthinktheonlyreasonabletakebackisforthecompanytosayweaskedfortoomuch,andwe’regoingtogiveitbacktoyou,"LeRoysaid. Evenwiththesafeguardsinplace,LeRoysaidspecialfinancingdistrictsaren’tjustaboutpayingbackthebonds.  "Thewholepointonmakingapublicinvestmentistocapturetherippleeffectsandnoneofthatisgoingtohappennow,"LeRoysaid."Youdon’twanttojustbarelygetcoveredonthedebt,ifthedebtisn’tpayingoff,it’snoteconomicdevelopmentanymore." LeRoysaidoftenpublicofficialsgettoocaughtupinbelievinginacompanyandclingtothehopethatsomethingcouldhappen.HebelievesthatiswhathashappenedinWisconsin.  "Sometimesthey’llmarchoverthecliffonabaddealwithacompany,"LeRoysaid."Idon’tknowthesepeopleinRacineCountyandMountPleasant,butboyafterallthisbadfaithandallthesignalsandalltheemptybuildingsandalltheimprobabilityoftheoriginaldeal,Idon’tunderstandwhytheyhaven’twokenupyet." KellyGallaherheadsthelocalwatchdoggroupABetterMountPleasant.ShesaidresidentswouldliketoknowwhatFoxconn’sintentionsareandthenseethecompanyfollowthroughontheirpromises. "Notjustdanglesomethinginfrontofthecommunityofwhattheymightdo,buttosaythisisanappropriatesiteforthissowecanalljustmoveon,"Gallahersaid."We’vebeendanglingforfouryearsnow,andwedon’tknowanythingmorethanwedidfouryearsago.It’sunfairandunprofessional." WisconsinPublicRadio,©Copyright2022,BoardofRegentsoftheUniversityofWisconsinSystemandWisconsinEducationalCommunicationsBoard. CommentingPolicyWisconsinPublicRadioandWPR.orgwelcomecivil,on-topiccommentsandopinionsthatadvancethediscussionfromallperspectivesofanissue.Commentscontainingoutsidelinks(URLs)willonlybepostedafterthey’vebeenapprovedbyamoderator.WPR.orgwilldeletecommentsthatviolateourguidelines.Visitoursocialmediaguidelinesformoreinformationaboutthesepolicies. Sponsoredby: BecomeaWPRSponsor RelatedStories OfficialshopetofindanewcompanyforFoxconnsiteHomeownerswithinFoxconndevelopmentsitecouldsoonbesellingtheirhomeMountPleasantattorneyadvisedvillagetoextendtermlengths,callingthemove'goodforbusiness'AsFoxconnfails,Mt.PleasantboardvotestoextendtheirtermlengthsRecordsraisequestionsoverFoxconnprojectmanager'sbillingpractices WPRNews SheriffsstatewideareworkingwithICE,pushingmanystraightfromjailtodeportation 6tipstoelevateyourcampingmeals GrowingnumberofpollsshowBarneswithslightedgeoverJohnsoninUSSenaterace Stateofficials:Burlingtonschooldistrictdidnotfollowpolicyinresponsetoracialslursatfootballgame PresidentJoeBidenannouncesLaborDayvisittoMilwaukee MoreWPRNews Sponsoredby: BecomeaWPRSponsor MostPopular MostViewed InvasivespottedlanternflyexpectedtoarriveinWisconsin,insectexpertsays 'Everythingisdifferenthere':AfghanslivinginWisconsinreflecton1yearsincefleeingtheirhomes In1918,USSteeldugupnearly200Ojibwegraves.NowtheLakeSuperiortribe'ssacredburialsiteshavebeenreturned. GrowingnumberofpollsshowBarneswithslightedgeoverJohnsoninUSSenaterace Stateofficials:Burlingtonschooldistrictdidnotfollowpolicyinresponsetoracialslursatfootballgame SubscribeToWPRNewsletters Keepupdatedonthelatestnewsandinformation.Signupnow!   MorningTopHeadlines   AfternoonTopHeadlines EmailAddress(required) Seethenewsletterarchives