Foxconn could cash in even without providing jobs

The Foxconn deal is hardly a done deal. But the Wisconsin Legislature will vote soon on a huge incentive package to try to lure the Taiwanese company to the Badger state. If approved as written, it would be the biggest government incentive deal to a private company. Ever. In the United States. It is possible this could turn out to be a good deal for us in Wisconsin. But it also could be a very bad deal. Because this isn’t just a deal in which we taxpayers subsidize the promised 10,000 jobs over the next 25 or more years. We also could pay them boatloads of money even if they don’t create a single job. One part of the deal calls for job subsidies, but another pledges more than a billion dollars of our money even if they don’t hire anyone. The deal approved by the Joint Finance Committee would pay Foxconn $1.35 billion just for building and equipment costs. Even if robots will be assembling those flat screens. How is that good for Wisconsin? This deal should include the requirement that the company at least provide a minimum number of jobs before we write them a check. Especially a check with that many zeroes.