Wisconsin’s Lavish Lure for Foxconn: $3 Billion in Tax Subsidies
According to a presentation by the state, the incentive package consists of $1.5 billion in state income tax credits for job
creation, $1.35 billion in state income tax breaks for capital investment, and up to $150 million for a sales tax exemption.
Aides to Mr. Ryan also lobbied state officials including Robin Vos, the speaker of the Wisconsin assembly, to support an incentive package for Foxconn, and met with executives to talk about federal work force development and training programs
that would be available if they made the move, a topic that Mr. Cordish had also emphasized in his meetings with Mr. Gou.
“This is well beyond the typical deal.”
The White House and Wisconsin officials said Foxconn’s investment will create at least 3,000 jobs initially, with up to 22,000 more coming indirectly in the future as suppliers spring up
and other local businesses benefit from the new plant.
Foxconn executives traveled to Washington later in the month to discuss the potential move to Wisconsin,
and a few weeks later, Mr. Walker and Mr. Ryan, along with state elected officials, had dinner with Foxconn executives to hammer out details.
The company identified several states — including Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin —
that would be potential sites for its facility, and Mr. Kushner and Mr. Cordish facilitated meetings between Foxconn executives and officials from those states.
