Wisconsin governor says Foxconn won’t meet target goal of 13K new jobs

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) said Wednesday that he plans to renegotiate the state’s contract with Chinese company Foxconn because it will not be able to deliver on its initially agreed upon promise to create the 13,000 jobs in the state.

Evers told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that the “deal that was struck is no longer in play,” adding that he will work with the company and the local economic development board to “figure out how a new set of parameters should be negotiated.”

{mosads}The deal with the technology company was reached with Evers’s predecessor, former Gov. Scott Walker (R).

Evers did not specify details of what a new agreement with the company could look like, though the Journal Sentinel said he plans to make changes to the deal that offered the company up to $4 billion to build a facility in the state that would employ up to 13,000 Wisconsinites. 

“All’s we know is that the present contract deals with a situation that no longer exists, so it’s our goal to make sure that the taxpayers are protected and environmental standards are protected,” he said. “And we believe we need to take a look at that contract and see if it needs to be downsized as a result.”

Evers called it an “unrealistic expectation” for the company to employ the 13,000 people it initially promised.

Local governments have already put up money to secure land for the company, borrowing $350 million so far through three separate bonds, according to the news outlet.

Foxconn has not yet received any of the agreed upon subsidies due to the fact they were only to be awarded after the company hit job creation targets agreed upon in its contract.

Foxconn’s decision to build the facility in Wisconsin was reportedly made possible only after President Trump personally intervened. Trump later touted the accomplishment in a post on Twitter and at subsequent rallies.

Foxconn had previously been reconsidering the size and scope of its planned Wisconsin project.