As Wisconsin GOP Defends Outgoing Walker, Subsidy to Foxconn a Sore Subject

FOXCONN FINDING WORKERS
In this June 28, 2018, file photo, President Donald Trump, center, along with Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, left, and Foxconn Chairman Terry Gou participate in a groundbreaking event for the new Foxconn facility in Mt. Pleasant, Wis. To make the next generation of liquid crystal display technology, Foxconn Technology Group will draw talent from beyond the borders of Wisconsin, partner with universities and technical schools and even tap into transitioning members of the military to find the 13,000 workers it eventually expects to hire. Evan Vucci / AP Photo
FOXCONN FINDING WORKERS
In this June 28, 2018, file photo, President Donald Trump, center, along with Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, left, and Foxconn Chairman Terry Gou participate in a groundbreaking event for the new Foxconn facility in Mt. Pleasant, Wis. To make the next generation of liquid crystal display technology, Foxconn Technology Group will draw talent from beyond the borders of Wisconsin, partner with universities and technical schools and even tap into transitioning members of the military to find the 13,000 workers it eventually expects to hire. Evan Vucci / AP Photo

As Wisconsin GOP Defends Outgoing Walker, Subsidy to Foxconn a Sore Subject

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As Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker leaves office, he is looking to shore up his legacy on labor and trade. Walker, who was defeated by a Democratic upset in November, and had a reputation as a union-busting “jobs governor” in the heavily Trump-voting state. In recent weeks, Republican Wisconsin lawmakers have fought hard to limit the powers of incoming Governor Tim Evers, who campaigned on countering Walker’s failed economic promises. One of Walker’s biggest legacies is a $4.1 billion subsidy towards Foxconn, the Taiwanese tech manufacturer infamous for its labor practices as China’s largest private employer. Walker planned to have Foxconn build a factory near Kenosha, on the road between Milwaukee and Chicago. But the contract didn’t include much in the way of securing local labor. Experts doubt that there are enough “knowledge workers” in Wisconsin to fill Foxconn’s 13,000 empty posts, and many locals are expecting a large influx of foreign engineers into Wisconsin. Wisconsin will have spent nearly $100,000 per-job created, at the expense of $1,774 per Wisconsin household, in an investment that would take until at least 2043 to break even. Joining us to discuss is John Nichols, national affairs correspondent for The Nation.