Foxconn in Wisconsin Is Unpopular, Destructive and Supported by Gov Scott Walker and Dem Nominee for Gov, Tony Evers

Scott Walker's pro-Foxconn campaign ads are everywhere
in Wisconsin, and face little opposition.

Update: Tony Evers sticks to his make sure [Foxconn is] the best corporate citizen as possible, ... we're going to hold their feet to fire nonsequitur, (Madison.com).
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Madison, Wisconsin — Gov. Scott Walker (R) knows how to put on a show.

That Scott Walker's show is a con is no deterrent for Wisconsin's most accomplished liar since Joe McCarthy.

A political charlatan, Walker apparently thinks he can use the Foxconn boondoggle as a major stepping stone for reelection to turn Wisconsin into a political sewer.

Walker may be correct in this assessment.

The Democratic Party nominee, Tony Evers, decided not to run against Foxconn as Evers offers blather to the Wisconsin people of whom is demanded $Billions to be directed to the Taiwanese bad guy of corporate bad guys.

Even as hard-hitting anti-Foxconn ads blast State Sen. Howard Markleim (R-Spring Green, Wisconsin), in a critical legislative race in southwestern Wisconsin, Tony Evers' Foxconn-related comments range from mush to silence.

For national political observers asking about Wisconsin, the state has not turned red the last eight years.

It's just that the Democratic Party that has turned incompetent, enamored of groupthink as a consultant-based Party, out-of-touch with the people.

The Donald Trump, Paul Ryan and Scott Walker-hailed Foxconn is merely exhibit one for the conclusion Democrats are often kind-of-stupid here.

The prevailing political winds and innovative rights-based, municipal policy that help Democratic-leaning voters aside, Tony Evers may be responsible for blowing a political lay-up in Wisconsin.

The Wisconsin gubernatorial race is a toss-up; it should not be.

“This is exactly what government shouldn’t be doing. We shouldn’t be picking winners and losers. This is anti-capitalistic, it’s anti-free market and it’s a boondoggle of spectacular proportions. Our money is going to a foreign corporation.”https://t.co/gbs9Ljt2i3

— FoxConnCon (@foxconncon) October 18, 2018

Below is an ad from the Greater Wisconsin Committee against the odious State Sen. Howard Markleim (R-Spring Green, Wisconsin).

Such ads should be running statewide, against Scott Walker and every Republican on the ballot.

Democratic Party and progressive pols and writers who think Tony Evers should be offering pabulum on Foxconn are simply, 100-percent, absolutely and incontrovertibly wrong.

Foxconn Scam in Wisconsin Is Bipartisan, Aided by Democratic Party and Mouthpieces

Scott Walker pro-Foxconn campaign ad in Wisconsin.

Madison, Wisconsin — John Nichols keeps lying about Foxconn in Wisconsin in his new column this weekend.

The Wisconsin political world knows knows Nichols is lying about Foxconn.

But Foxconn has become a lie agreed upon by many in an effort to obscure the pro-Foxconn position of the Democratic Party gubernatorial nominee, Tony Evers.

For a serious discussion of Foxconn and the 2018 Wisconsin general election, see Lawrence Tabak in the American Prospect.

Writes Tabek:

[A]s of yet, [Evers] has not articulated exactly how he would go about modifying the signed contracts and the promised subsidies, nor is it clear that an onslaught of Walker ads touting the thousands of wonderful Foxconn jobs and concomitant statewide economic bounty will fail to sway. After all, which is easier to parse: 13,000 'family-supporting jobs' or 'just thinking' about what a few billion dollars could do if spent on education.

Tony Evers is a weak and less-than-knowledgeable candidate.

Democratic Party allies know this and are scrambling, though the current political terrain is as hospitable to a D-designated candidate not named Obama than in some 10 years.

Nichols' big lies on Foxconn concern the positions of the two major-party candidates for governor — Gov. Scott Walker (R) and Evers (D).

Scott Walker and Foxconn

First up, there is Walker's effort on Foxconn about which Nichols properly lays out the economic and fiscal outlines of the boondoggle, against Walker's crowing Foxconn is an "opportunity to completely transform our state’s economy."

Nichols ascribes onto Scott Walker good intentions that will lead to unwanted consequences, but only because Walker is "clueless" and was "duped" by Foxconn.

Nichols concludes: "The Foxconn deal has always felt like a scheme to help secure the re-election of a governor who has repeatedly stumbled when it comes to job creation — not a serious proposal for the state’s future."

This framing of the Scott Walker project in Wisconsin is ridiculous, though Walker certainly wants to use Foxconn to prop up his reelection.

Scott Walker was not duped by Foxconn.

Foxconn is a serious, intentional proposal for Wisconsin's future — a low-wage economy amid an unprecedented transformation of the legal terrain to benefit Foxconn against all other citizens, communities and businesses, and massive redistribution of public wealth to private interests.

Administrative law, environmental law, Due Process, and all manner of litigation rights have been altered to benefit one legal entity. This obviously begs many questions about the rights of non-Foxconn players: Everyone else in the regulatory and legal systems.

Foxconn as a corporation is conferred by statute and/or contract explicit permission to pollute and deplete public waters, licensed with special rights against litigants in the heretofore neutral state judicial system, and is given one-of-a-kind protection and legal advice by the Wisconsin Dept of Natural Resources.

Foxconn is a unique legal entity that enjoys privileges far-beyond that of other businesses, non-profits and citizens. This new legal status Foxconn has is not an accident accomplished by a clueless and stumbling Scott Walker.

Foxconn as a super, extraordinary corporate entity was created on purpose and with bad intentions by Walker and Republicans who are engineering corporate rule over the rest of the state.

$Billions for Foxconn is another objective Walker and Republicans have shoved down Wisconsin in a manner that, to any reasonable person, connotes purpose.

Why Nichols and Evers omit the clear aims and objectives of Foxconn is inexplicable, except for the fact Evers maintains his position in favor of Foxconn in the hope few voters notice his duplicity.

Against Walker and Foxconn, Evers couches his support for Foxconn in mush.

Evers' statements about Foxconn consistently echo his commitment while paying lip-service to Foxconn critics because Foxconn is unpopular in Wisconsin, especially in the the northern two-thirds of the state.

Here's Riccardo Torres in the Racine Journal-Times in September:

'It’s a lousy deal, and we’re going to have to hold Foxconn’s feet to the fire going forward,' said Tony Evers.

Evers did not say he would undo or change the agreement with Foxconn if elected governor.

'We can, and we should, compel them to be good corporate citizens,' Evers said.

Gee, it's a good thing Tony Evers is vowing to hold feet to the fire, (wtf does this mean?), and compelling Foxconn to behave as a good corporate citizen.

This tells us nothing about public policy beyond the fact Evers will keep Foxconn.

Maybe Evers will recite the rite of Exorcism: The power of Christ compels, you, Foxconn. Tear up your contract and leave Wisconsin. ... Give us the response, Democrats.

Or maybe Evers has a secret plan to end Foxconn.

State government of, by and for Foxconn is a betrayal.

Tony Evers is complicit.

Foxconn Polls Badly in New Marquette Law School Poll

Madison, Wisconsin — The $4 billion in public subsidies to Foxconn remain unpopular in Wisconsin, show results in the new Marquette University Law School Poll.

The Marquette poll shows registered voters think public monies paid to Foxconn are not worth the enormous costs —  48 to 39 percent of registered voters think the state is paying more than the Foxconn plant is worth.

Reads the Poll release dated Sept 18

Forty-eight percent of registered voters think the state is paying more than the Foxconn plant is worth, while 39 percent think the plant will provide at least as much value as the state is investing in the plant. Thirteen percent say they don’t know if the plant will be worth it or not. In the August poll, 44 percent said the state was paying too much and 41 percent said it was worth it.

A 58 percent majority of registered voters statewide believe the Foxconn plant will substantially improve the economy of the greater Milwaukee area, while 31 percent do not think it will and 11 percent say they don’t know. In the August poll, 61 percent said the Milwaukee area would benefit while 27 percent did not think so.

When asked if businesses where the respondent lives will benefit from Foxconn, 33 percent say businesses will benefit directly from the Foxconn plant, while 54 percent say their local businesses will not benefit and 14 percent don’t know. In the August poll 32 percent said their local businesses would benefit, while 61 percent did not think so.

Gov. Scott Walker (R) has made Foxconn a central campaign plank as the administration continues to direct public monies to private corporations.

Pro-Foxconn ads by Walker seem ubiquitous, while Democratic Party nominee for governor, Tony Evers, refuses a position on Foxconn.

Evers changed his post-Primary election posture from no comment to, "we’ll hold Foxconn’s feet to the fire and make sure that Wisconsin is getting the best return on investment possible," (BizTimes, Mal Contends).

Weasel words and inept metaphors are the order of the day from Tony 'the Mush' Evers, holding Foxconn's feet to the fire and getting the best return on investment possible are not serious issue positions.

Wisconsin Gov Candidate, Flynn, Hits State Court Decision on Factory Farm

Update: Gov Scott Walker and Wisconsin Republicans leave behind death. From the Minneapolis Star-Tribune and The Political Environment:

"Celina Stewart, a young mother in the tiny town of Nekoosa, lost an infant daughter to a fatal brain malformation that has been associated with high levels of nitrate, a fertilizer byproduct found in the community’s drinking water. Her tragedy led to a community well testing program this year, which found that 40 percent of the homes had nitrate concentrations that, like hers, were far above the legal limit."
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Madison, Wisconsin — Matt Flynn, candidate for the Democratic Party nomination for governor, responded to the Golden Sands v. Saratoga decision and opinions released today by the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

Flynn has taken an aggressive stance towards factory farms and Republican Party work in favor of factory farms against local control and state anti-pollution statutes and regulations.

Reads Flynn's press release:

Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Matt Flynn today responded to the shortsighted decision by the State Supreme Court in Golden Sands Dairy LLC v Town of Saratoga, which will allow the concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) – also known as a factory farm – to proceed despite overwhelming community opposition.

"This decision ignores precedent and legalizes contamination and draining of our groundwater," said Flynn. "As governor, I will restore local control, enforce local ordinances, and support any county that rejects CAFOs which are poisoning our groundwater and must be stopped."

Golden Sands Dairy is owned by the Wysocki Family of Companies, which has been accused of violating state environmental laws, but has also contributed over $30,000 to Governor Scott Walker.

Flynn has been a strong opponent of unregulated CAFOs in Wisconsin, and has called for laws to limit their ability to use groundwater and contaminate wells.

Wisconsin's Year of Water—2018

Increasing opposition to proposed massive CAFO in central
Wisconsin signals statewide, clean water sentiment.
- Photo by Mary Captain-Braund (creative commons)

In 2016, Election Day saw electoral defeats for two prominent clean-water candidates running for state assembly in central and northeastern Wisconsin.

The set-backs are temporary and the Wisconsin Blue Wave is acknowledged across the political spectrum as the terrain on which the 2018 campaigns are held.

Clean water champ and 2016 candidate, Dave Gorski, is back, running in the 72nd assembly district in central Wisconsin.

In Wisconsin's northeastern peninsula, a special election for state senate in a district held by Republicans is considered so vulnerable, Gov. Scott Walker went to unprecedented lengths to block the election before state courts ordered Walker to follow the law, forcing the gov to let people decide their representatives in free elections.

Anti-Trump and Walker animus, pro-women sentiment, public school defenders, local democracy, criminal justice reform and anti-Foxconn voters are poised to become electoral factors in 2018.

Clean water grassroots groups present the equivalent of a massive ground operation energizing the Wisconsin Blue Wave.

Candidates in 2018 have taken notice, bringing back a traditional Wisconsin commitment—clean and fresh water.

In the town of Saratoga, Wisconsin, (population some 5,100), in southern Wood County an entire municipal government is mobilized for survival, as one proposed factory farm, CAFO, in Saratoga would "likely contaminate residents drinking wells and pump out more groundwater than some cities," (Anderson, USA Today Network-Wisconsin).

Republican legislators, State Rep. Scott Krug (R-Nekoosa) and State Sen. Patrick Testin (R-Stevens Point) in central Wisconsin work against the interests of their constituents whom they sell out to Big Ag interests which pollute and deplete surface and ground waters in support of the Republican coalition.

Some leading clean water advocates include gubernatorial candidate Matt Flynn, and Ann Groves Lloyd running for a special election in central Wisconsin, assembly dist 42.

Writes Flynn in a message repeated across the state:

Wisconsin used to be known for clean air, clean water, and clean government. Now we have dirty air, dirty water, and corrupt government. This is unacceptable. Here's how I'll protect our clean water resources as #wigov https://t.co/QB1xZ2KZyO #bluewave2018 https://t.co/FfLh1BsqJ5

— Matt Flynn (@ForwardWFlynn) May 1, 2018

Groves Lloyd of Lodi, Wisconsin is running in the special assembly election to be held on June 12, one of two special elections that will draw national attention.

The Wisconsin people have become so disgusted with Scott Walker and the Republicans rigging law and water-safety regulations to help polluters against families that Walker in a historic first actually blocked special elections to stop Wisconsin voters from electing candidate who would protect their families.

Below is a TV spot running widely featuring Groves Lloyd's campaign commitment to protecting water.