Construction finally begins on Foxconn plant

Finally, Foxconn has a face. Ever since the largest public subsidies to a foreign company in the nation’s history were announced, the only image we have seen is that of Governor Walker and President Trump digging their golden shovels into the dirt in a photo op. Now, two years later, we are seeing images of actual construction of the LCD plant being built in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin. Crews began construction last week, installing the first of 400 precast concrete panels that will become the Foxconn plant. Of course, we have learned that plans for the plant have changed many times since the deal was first struck. The plant now being built is about one million square feet, much smaller than the original 22 million square foot plant that was promised. And while we still don’t know exactly what will be produced there, we know it won’t be the large LCD screens initially planned. We also know Foxconn has repeatedly missed job targets, but don’t know how many they now plan to employ. There remain more questions than answers for just what Wisconsin taxpayers will be getting for their money, but it is good we now have an image of an actual Foxconn plant, rather than just that of a ceremonial groundbreaking.