Millions to Foxconn is millions not available for schools, roads

Things are about to get real in Wisconsin. $470 million real. That is how much the state has pledged to Foxconn as Wisconsin prepares to make the first payment to the Taiwanese corporation that is building a big plant in Southeast Wisconsin. In total, our lawmakers have pledged $3 billion in corporate welfare to Foxconn. Our elected officials in Madison are about to begin the work of crafting the next state budget. And that $470 million that is heading out of the state to Foxconn is $470 million not available to spend on education, or roads, or prisons or other big chunks of the state budget. It will be up to Governor Scott Walker to figure out how to balance a budget that properly funds the needs of the state, while still giving away those hundreds of millions of dollars. Members of the state assembly and senate will then decide whether the governor’s priorities match theirs. It won’t be easy. And there are limited options to plugging the Foxconn hole. Increasing borrowing, increase taxes, or take money from other parts of the budget. Not very attractive options. But that is the hole lawmakers put themselves in when they gave away the farm to Foxconn. Now we will have to wait and see how creative they can be trying to dig themselves out of that hole.