Gov Tony Evers Flacks for Foxconn, Trump and Wisconsin Republicans

Madison, Wisconsin — Gov Tony Evers (D) has finally spoken.

News yesterday that Donald Trump in a single phone call reanimated Foxconn Technology Group's commitment to site a $10 billion liquid-crystal-display manufacturing facility in southeast Wisconsin  strains the credulity of the most gullible (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel).

The alleged new commitment by Foxconn follows a report earlier this week in Reuters that the same plans for building the manufacturing facility and hiring a large manufacturing workforce have been shelved.

Trump's assurance is good enough for Tony Evers. But the hard-boiled school bureaucrat did tell reporters that Foxconn's "communication" needs consistency.

"It’s just a matter of their communication strategy being more consistent," Evers said. "I’m comfortable that they’re still committed to the state, they’re committed to this Generation 6 technology, but that doesn’t mean that we (won’t) encourage them to be more transparent and consistent in their messaging." (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel)

Evers' tardy response raises more questions.

Why is Tony Evers not protecting Wisconsin?

Why is Tony Evers reacting to a blockbuster report with comments that reduce a $ billion boondoggle to a "messaging" problem.

Reads the Reuters report:

Now, those plans may be scaled back or even shelved, Louis Woo, special assistant to Foxconn Chief Executive Terry Gou, told Reuters. He said the company was still evaluating options for Wisconsin, but cited the steep cost of making advanced TV screens in the United States, where labor expenses are comparatively high.

'In terms of TV, we have no place in the U.S.,' Woo said in an interview. We can’t compete.' ...

Rather than a focus on LCD manufacturing, Foxconn wants to create a 'technology hub' in Wisconsin.

'In Wisconsin we’re not building a factory. You can’t use a factory to view our Wisconsin investment,' Woo said. 

If readers are getting whiplash, consider that Trump claims Gou told Trump "off the record" in a private conversation in August 2017 that the real Foxconn investment was not $10 billion, but rather $30 billion (Associated Press).

Does anyone believe the Foxconn scam, as imprecise and amateurish as the agreement is?

Tony Evers sounds like he's making excuses for Republicans and Foxconn:

Reports the Wisconsin State Journal:

Evers, meanwhile, said he spoke to Woo Friday morning and came away 'comfortable' that they’re still committed to the state.

'But that doesn’t mean that we won’t continue to encourage them to be more transparent and consistent in their messaging,' Evers said. 'The economy is apparently changing from their worldview that they have to make some changes. That’s understandable, but we have to make sure the transparency is there.'

Asked if he’s confident that Foxconn will fulfill its original plans to create as many as 13,000 jobs in Wisconsin, Evers said, 'The 13,000 is not going to happen tomorrow.'

'We’ll monitor it,' he said. 'The good news is, as the Republicans continue to tell us, is the jobs are contingent on getting tax credits. So there’s some protections there.' 

The Associated Press reports:

Evers says he spoke with Foxconn executive Louis Woo on Friday and he’s comfortable that the company remains committed to Wisconsin. But he says there’s 'no limit to skepticism' if the company’s messaging isn’t coherent. He says his administration is stressing to the company that transparency is key in such a high-profile project.

State and local leaders have promised Foxconn an unprecedented $4 billion in incentives.

Tony Evers is confused.

Evers' job is protecting Wisconsin, not Trump, not Foxconn and not Republicans.

Wisconsin Democrats, meanwhile, are staying silent on Evers' piss-poor performance, instead offering whisper campaigns and character assassination directed toward critics of Foxconn.

Atty Matt Flynn Still Lighting up Foxconn, and Timid Democratic Party Response

 New Wisconsin Gov Tony
Evers (D) is still silent
after news of the Foxconn
jobs pull-out.

Madison, Wisconsin — Gov Tony Evers (D) maintains his pro-Foxconn position, but there is a conspiracy of silence among Wisconsin Democrats to avoid mentioning this betrayal.

Milwaukee attorney Matt Flynn didn't get the memo, or if he did, he doesn't give a shit, and puts people over Party.

Flynn, a private citizen who gets paid nothing, is spending hours warning about the Foxconn boondoggle, fielding questions from the Wisconsin people.

Evers avoids the media like a minus-50 degree night in Wisconsin.

News from Reuters that Foxconn is pulling out planned manufacturing jobs draws no public reaction from Tony 'Mush' Evers.

So, Flynn is drawing a roadmap on how to pursue litigation. It's unclear if Evers is listening.

From Matt Flynn this morning:

Credit rating agency Moody's issued a cautionary note on Racine & Mt. Pleasant Foxconn debt. These municipalities are on the hook for more than $900m. They have already borrowed $355m, and have spent $190m, mostly for land acquisition to benefit Foxconn. https://t.co/PYkEO4bnHQ

— Matt Flynn (@ForwardWFlynn) February 1, 2019

They have modest tax bases that can't support this kind of debt, especially if Foxconn bails as it did in Pennsylvania.

— Matt Flynn (@ForwardWFlynn) February 1, 2019

Foxconn initially promised 13k jobs at an average wage of $53K to manufacture TV screens. They said they would build a $10b plant. They now say it will only be a research park of 1,000 employees staffed mostly by engineers. Chinese engineers count as employees under the contract.

— Matt Flynn (@ForwardWFlynn) February 1, 2019

Foxconn will not build a $10 billion plant. https://t.co/BNbGxjvU97

— Matt Flynn (@ForwardWFlynn) February 1, 2019

They have demanded rights to the IP of Wisconsin companies who partner with them. They are a Chinese outfit that found a pigeon - @ScottWalker and the Republicans in the legislature - to spend $4.5 billion to subsidize their heist of Wisconsin IP. https://t.co/1f4viqxC0Y

— Matt Flynn (@ForwardWFlynn) February 1, 2019

The typical Madison feline, timid response will not be enough.

We should not "settle" this by giving Foxconn a slight haircut, say down to $3 billion, and thank them for it.

— Matt Flynn (@ForwardWFlynn) February 1, 2019

There is a duty of Good Faith and Fair Dealing implied by law in all Wisconsin contracts. Foxconn has breached both the contract and their duty of Good Faith and Fair Dealing.

— Matt Flynn (@ForwardWFlynn) February 1, 2019

1 final note: even if the ultimate result is a settlement, it will be at a trivial amount & only after litigation. I have never known of a company, even companies w/ better reputations than Foxconn, that agreed to pay or give up a lot of $ without going a few rounds in the ring.

— Matt Flynn (@ForwardWFlynn) February 1, 2019

Gov Evers Maintains Silence on Foxconn Pull-out as Atty Matt Flynn Blasts Republicans and Inaction

Wisconsin citizens need to
poke Gov Tony Evers (D)
with a stick because this
guy looks like he spent
the last week outside, lying
down, being bit by animals.
Did Evers read the news
about Foxconn's jobs pull-out?

Bait-and-Switch $Billion Boondoggle Draws Not One Word from New Wisconsin Governor

Madison, Wisconsin — Wisconsin State Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R) and Republicans are doing most of the talking following news Foxconn reneged on an agreement to site a manufacturing plant in southeastern Wisconsin.

What was hailed 18 months ago as the start of "a Midwestern manufacturing renaissance" (NYT) is now just another lie politicians and corporate execs tell the public when they take massive public subsidies.

Following the Reuters blockbuster exclusive on Foxconn, Republicans yesterday came out of the gate fast, repeating an old lie saying Foxconn's decision was made because of "uncertainty" with the new Gov Tony Evers (D) administration. But not even Foxconn touches that line.

What is certain is the silence from Tony Evers — dead silence. As in not one word from Evers.

No Evers appearing before a press conference, saying 'ask me anything.'

This asks the question, did Tony Evers spend the last 72 hours outside, lying down in the Wisconsin deep freeze? Someone should poke his body with a stick and see if we get any sign of life:

C'mon Tony. Wake up; you okay? Foxconn is pulling out the promised 1,000s of blue collar jobs, dude! What are your orders?

- Hold their feet to the fire! Make Foxconn good corporate citizens.

What Wisconsin has from Tony Evers is one tweet from the state Dept. of Administration reading:

In the coming weeks, the Evers Administration will continue to commit time, resources, and personnel to ensure that the interests of Wisconsin workers and taxpayers are protected and promoted by our approach to the Foxconn project.

In the coming weeks, the Evers Administration will continue to commit time, resources, and personnel to ensure that the interests of Wisconsin workers and taxpayers are protected and promoted by our approach to the Foxconn project. pic.twitter.com/3pBhRBTRfq

— Wisconsin DOA (@WisconsinDOA) January 30, 2019

These Tony Evers guys are on the case. The Associated Press reports also that a top Evers aide, Joel Brennan, says he was "surprised" by the Foxconn story.

That's little comfort for a state already on the hook for $100s of millions no matter what the Taiwanese corporation decides is best for its shareholders.

I asked Jake Edwards, a Wisconsin economic-political writer, how much Wisconsin was on the hook for. Edwards replied in rough calculations:

Depends if Foxconn gets 1,000 people working on the project by end of this year (not necessarily in Racine Co).

If they get that, my quick count is

15% of facility cost for 2/7 of total subsidy (estimated at $386 mil)

$28 mil for job credits
$912 mil in local subsidies and infrastructure
$400 mil in cost and debt for I-94
$130 mil to upgrade local roads into state highways (which took away $90 mil from other state projects)
$150 mil in sales tax cuts for construction materials

That comes close to $2 billion. And Foxconn says they can't make it even with all this help?

Tony Evers resembles an undulating mass that when taking shape congeals into a form indistinguishable from a hastily constructed snowball, the kind made from powdered snow, and just as revealing of the administration's position on the Foxconn-Wisconsin contract.

Who is defending Wisconsin's interest now that Tony Evers is out of commission?

Attorney Matt Flynn took to Resistance Radio yesterday, Jan 30, and offered a harsh assessment of Foxconn, Republicans and Tony Evers' performance thus far.

One Wisconsin Now is hitting every lie emitted by Republicans.

In the absence of Tony Evers, Matt Flynn's analyses, specific challenge to Republican
Speaker Vos and Evers on social media, and calling out Wisconsin Republicans for their numerous lies about Foxconn's siphoning of Wisconsin continue:

I've read the contract, but apparently you, @repvos, and @ScottWalker haven't - or you wouldn't continue to push it.

They've already benefited from infrastructure work at taxpayer expense. And why is there a clawback provision if they aren't getting money before they perform? https://t.co/Xm3C7Xgnup

— Matt Flynn (@ForwardWFlynn) January 31, 2019

To protect Wisconsin, Flynn is advocating a complex legal strategy against Foxconn in multiple courts by multiple parties that includes a private lawsuit on Constitutional grounds, and a public lawsuit by Wisconsin officials for breach of contract.

Flynn made his comments on Resistance Radio (Devil's Advocate radio) yesterday.

@ForwardWFlynn now on @devilradio:
What happens now? What options do #WI have to clean up the #Foxconn deal?
1) Private lawsuit on Constitutional grounds
2) State lawsuit based on breach of contract.

— AnonyMissBadger (@AnonyMissBadger) January 30, 2019

@ForwardWFlynn now on @devilradio:@ScottWalker wanted #Wisconsin to believe he was a businessman, making this deal as a businessman. He was not a businessman. He was a chicken walking into a negotiation with Colonel Sanders.#Foxconn #WI

— AnonyMissBadger (@AnonyMissBadger) January 30, 2019

Said Flynn in part, taking questions on Resistance Radio (Hour Two of two hours with Flynn on the Devil's Advocate) on the heavily criticized Foxconn contract that draws national ridicule:

This is not a precise [Foxconn-Wisconsin] contract. If you read it, the claw-back is very ambiguous: 'Use best efforts' and all this kind of stuff. And the political establishment is supporting them [Foxconn]. And I think that's wrong.

This is not a crisply worded contract. The people that negotiated it had no business doing it, and they didn't have the ability to do it.

Asked if to explain how the paucity of job creation and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation's authority to amend the contract ought to concern the Wisconsin people, Flynn said:

The Republican Party and WEDC [Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation] don't have a clue on how to explain this contract because they got taken to the cleaners.

So, I'll explain it just right now. And that is that a very, very minimal production of jobs, that could be Chinese engineers, will trigger a large and disproportionate [public] payment. That's very concerning.

The second thing that I want to say is about the amendment. The reason for the lameduck session to take this out of Tony Evers' hands, until September, was precisely to manipulate and defend breaches of contract against us.

The Republican Party will injure this state to benefit their donors, and to appease their large donors so they don't run Primaries against them. ...

At some point somebody in this administration has got to get off the dime and start action for breach of contract. Period, end of story. ...

Mount Pleasant and Racine are on the hook for over $900-million, $900-million! The tax base down there can't support $90-million; it's a small tax base.

And the people of Racine; everybody says, 'oh, they want this thing, [Foxconn].' They don't want this thing. I saw the citizens at the Mount Pleasant Board meeting. I've spoken in Racine. And nobody wants this thing.

I think that the people down there that voted for it, Democrats, made a mistake thinking that that's what they wanted.

But we're all Americans, we 're all Wisconsinites. 

The Chinese come over here, try to get our intellectual property —  we're not putting up with it.

If Matt Flynn, a private citizen who gets paid nothing, is spending hours and hours warning about the Foxconn boondoggle, and fielding questions from the Wisconsin people, why in the hell is the sitting governor, Tony Evers, not out doing the same?

Attorney Matt Flynn on Foxconn: Give Me the Go-ahead, Have Firm Ready to Litigate Against Foxconn Contract

Madison, Wisconsin — News that Foxconn is backing out of its commitment to site manufacturing operations in Wisconsin is sparking outrage across the state already hostile to the Taiwanese corporation to which Wisconsin is obligated to gift massive public subsidies, (Reuters, Bloomberg, NBCNews).

Matt Flynn, a Milwaukee attorney, is an outspoken opponent of Foxconn in Wisconsin.

Flynn announced this afternoon he is ready to launch complex litigation against Foxconn as soon as Gov Tony Evers (D) gives the go-ahead.

Tony Evers should really listen to his betters at this point.

Democrats can stop this through immediate litigation. I have a firm lined up and ready as soon as @GovEvers says go.

I'll be on @NewsTalk1510am @devilradio at 2:30pm with @dominicsalvia to discuss more. #FoxCONned https://t.co/JoFRth5IcE

— Matt Flynn (@ForwardWFlynn) January 30, 2019

Our state Democratic leaders, both in the legislature and the Administration, are the only people who can stop this through immediate litigation.

Time for the membership of the Democratic Party to make this clear through contact, resolutions and social media.

— Matt Flynn (@ForwardWFlynn) January 30, 2019

Foxconn Always Was a Scam — Republicans and Gov Tony Evers Are Complicit Is Spectacular Scandal

Foxconn in Wisconsin is a
bi-partisan boondoggle. Tony
Evers joined Scott Walker
in the endgame: Foxconn stays,
Wisconsin loses. News that
Foxconn will build no
factories leaves pols gasping
for spin, lies.

Wisconsin pols are silent

Madison, Wisconsin — Foxconn won't be building any manufacturing centers in Wisconsin, reports Reuters in an exclusive, (Bloomberg, NBCNews).

"In Wisconsin we’re not building a factory. You can’t use a factory to view our Wisconsin investment," said Louis Woo, special assistant to Foxconn Chief Executive Terry Gou.

The news reveals a spectacular $Billion con that implicates every Republican in the state legislature, several Democrats including Gov. Tony Evers, and major Republican politicians including Paul Ryan and Donald Trump.

The political fall-out will be wide and unpredictable.

In June 2018 at the ceremonial groundbreaking in southeastern Wisconsin, Trump acclaimed the proposed Foxconn center as "the 8th wonder of the world," (CBS News). Foxconn CEO, Terry Gou, told Trump "off-the-record" that the company will triple its promised $10 billion investment in Wisconsin to $30 billion, Trump claimed, aka a lie (Associated Press).

Trump lied. Walker lied.

Tony Evers lied.

Evers ran a shameful pro-Foxconn campaign, implicitly promising to stick the state with $100s of millions of debt and repeatedly side-stepping questions about the legally dubious public subsidies and exemptions from state law for the pathologically dishonest Taiwanese corporation.

A typical Tony Evers mush position on Foxconn is from Sept 2018 in the Racine Journal-Times:

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. 

That worked out well.

Evers could not be reached for comment, reports Reuters.

Of course not. Evers is too busy holding Foxconn's feet to the fire, as he dishonestly termed his pro-Foxconn position.

Those families whose homes and land were stolen to benefit Foxconn?

It's likely Tony Evers will have nothing to say about them,; he never has before

From August 2018 on Wisconsin families who don't matter to Tony Evers and Scott Walker:

Rodney and Catherine Jensen have land.
Foxconn wants the Jensens' land.
Everyone from Scott Walker to Tony
Evers to the village of Mount Pleasant
sides with Foxconn. Who will
stand with the Jensens?

A Wisconsin couple is getting their land stolen from under them to benefit a foreign corporation.

The thieves are the village of Mount Pleasant acting on behalf of the Foxconn Technology Group.

The village is lying to residents, Rodney and Catherine Jensen, designating their land as blighted  — broadly defined as "'substandard' or 'deteriorated' land that is detrimental to public health or safety," (Beachy, Inside Track, State Bar of Wisconsin).

This deception is perpetrated to serve the Taiwanese corporation.

The Jensens think they have been wronged by Foxconn, and by their local municipality.

So the Jensens filed suit in August in their fight to keep their land against designs on their property by Foxconn.

Reports Michael Burke in the Racine Journal-Times:

The Jensens’ lawsuit, filed by Madison attorney Erik Olsen of Eminent Domain Services, states that the couple’s property is 'not blighted by any definition.'

It also contends the village is attempting to take their property in order to facilitate the Foxconn Technology Group project 'and for the direct benefit of Foxconn.' 

This attempted theft of land seems an outrage in an election year for governor.

Yet, the two major candidates, Tony Evers and Gov Scott Walker, house no mention of this theft in progress on their campaign websites.

Evers and Walker's position is Foxconn stays, Wisconsin families lose.

It appears in the political arena, families like the Jensens have no standing, and are not considered players.

When $billions of subsidies and special perks are granted Foxconn, who speaks for the Jensens?

Noone.

Excellent opp for @Tony4WI to put some light between @ScottWalker and @Tony4WI on #Foxconn. Get behind this couple. We should stand a 100-percent with these folks. #wisen #wiright #wipolitics #wiunion #wigov #wiresist @ACLU @peoplepower #wigov #mkedems #VoteBlueWI #BlueWave https://t.co/VOdg7PH9aC

— Michael Leon (@mal644) August 30, 2018

Scott Walker Leaves Wisconsin — Petulant and Ungrateful as a Classical Liberal Society Looks to Future

Time flies, as Scott Walker leaves corruption, scandal and
lies as a legacy. Seems like only yesterday, Scott Walker
campaigned with felons, Tim Russell and Brian Pierick,
two aides who embezzled from military veterans. Walker
leaves Wisconsin, living on the same pensions and
healthcare that the great charlatan campaigned against.

Madison, Wisconsin — Defeated Gov Scott Walker (R) will leave Wisconsin diminished while the man-child hits the rightwing welfare circuit, three years after having been rejected by Republican Presidential Primary voters as not equipped for the White House.

It will take Wisconsin years to recover from (and discover) the full extent of systemic damage to every corner of government that Walker tried to engineer for his donors against the people during Wisconsin's lost decade of corruption and malice.

But make no mistake, Scott Walker failed in his mission to destroy democracy in Wisconsin, and the voters, flush off a major voting rights victory gave Walker the boot.

No surprise, Walker exits Wisconsin with a new and outrageous attack on voting rights, in defiance of the authority of the federal courts.

Incidentally, incoming Gov Tony Evers (D) is not the man for the job. Evers is already making vague threats against black and brown residents that the criminal code will be expanded, to be wielded by local agents of white supremacy — Republican-dominated municipal police.

Notwithstanding the moribund quality of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, (which can be every bit as obtuse, racist and provincial as the GOP), Wisconsin remains intact.

Wisconsin's world-class University System survived Scott Walker, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison remains the vibrant oasis of empirical investigation, liberal education, radical activism and pioneering discovery that each year draws 1,000s the world-over to help launch new lives.

As rural parts of the state grow even whiter and older, and young families look for new regions in which to set down roots, an energetic 45-plus percent of small-town Wisconsin remains, engaged in a rights-based, innovative politics for the future, of which clean and safe water necessary for life remains at the top of the agenda.

With Dane County again leading the state in private-sector, high-wage jobs that make Madison, for example, an illustration of everything Scott Walker is not — independent, educated, innovative, rights-based and progressive — Wisconsin will recover from Walker.

Blind allegiance to the Democratic Party is not the answer.

Demand from representative government what you believe as public policy; it's a classical liberal thing.

"True freedom and prosperity do not come from the clumsy hand of the government," says Scott Walker in a New Year's email.

Why then did Scott Walker give Wisconsin government to donors and corporate America, while preaching the value of private industry? Scott Walker is a liar with a psychology and character untroubled by hypocrisy and deceit.

Looking to 2020, Wisconsin remains a beacon, with a world-class University and millions of citizens who defeated a child who would destroy what took generations to create.

Scott Walker lost, and Wisconsin is flush with renewed hope, dreams and commitment for the future.

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).
 ---
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 Takings Take Toll on Wisconsin Families

Foxconn razes Wisconsin as pols and communities
go dark amid race for gov of corporate Wisconsin.

Foxconn and Scott Walker Raze the American Dream, as Tony Evers Remains Silent

Madison, Wisconsin — "You are taking people's homes from them. You are snatching their heart out," a homeowner said, objecting to Foxconn stealing their home, land, and family refuge for the benefit of the Taiwanese super-predator (Lemoine, Fox6-Now-Milwaukee).

In Gov. Scott Walker's (R) Wisconsin, your home and safe water no longer come first because you are not a Republican-approved special interest. It's the way it is now.

Not that Democratic Party nominee for governor, Tony Evers, is any better.

Tony Evers' silence—as families' homes and sense of security are ravaged—is deafening. This is why I call the man, Tony Mush.

Watching Wisconsin Die

My first major series in journalism covered the 1989-1990 project by the Houston-based Enron Co. that would have ravaged homeowners and small farm-owners by running a large natural-gas pipeline through their land, without consultation or approval.

The reaction against Enron by the local and state political world here was swift, almost brutal.

The story was a crash course on Dane County.

I quickly learned what manner of stuff is to be found in people named Wild, Sayles, Solie, Chvala, Wineke, Bauer, Garvey, Klassy, Feingold, Kohl, Anderson, Tesch, and far too many 100s to list. The significance of community in tiny Belleville and Paoli, Wisconsin, became apparent.

All manner of political persuasions, wildly divergent in world views, and loads of legal and political talent, delivered a full-spectrum message to Enron: Don't f$%&^ with our homes and our land.

The people won. The massive pipeline route was scrapped and moved along a safe(r) rail corridor.

---

That was then.

Today, homes and dreams are not safe and secure. A united front against rampaging corporate power is for days gone by.

What counts is corporate power, and both major political parties are not worth a damn when it comes to protecting homes and small businesses.

What is worth a damn is the reporting of Ricardo Torres and the staff at the Racine Journal-Times, as the daily beefs up coverage of those assaulted by Foxconn.

Torres covers the pumpkin farmers, the homeowners and those with dreams—little people in Racine County—standing alone against corporate power and supine politicians.

Who stands with these people today? Communities, politicians?

I have no idea and neither do they.

Wisconsin Gov Candidate, Tony Evers, Hit in The American Prospect on Foxconn

Scott Walker pro-Foxconn campaign ads are everywhere
in Wisconsin.

Update: More mush from Tony Evers on Foxconn: "It’s a lousy deal, and we’re going to have to hold Foxconn’s feet to the fire going forward."

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, (Torres, Racine Journal-Times)

Madison, Wisconsin — Tony Evers, the Democratic Party nominee for governor, favors the most massive state give-away to a foreign corporation in United States history — Foxconn.

As policy, the Foxconn give-away of $billions in public monies is lunacy, jammed through the gerrymandered Republican legislature in August-Sept 2017 supported by lies.

Yet, in the Wisconsin political culture, the Democratic Party's Tony Evers' complicity in the Foxconn debacle is a truth that dare not be spoken outside independent progressive citizen-action movements.

A piece just out the The American Prospect by Lawrence Tabak offers a run-down on Foxconn in Wisconsin, including the fact the Tony Evers campaign refuses to support litigation against the Foxconn-Wisconsin contract.

Evers' deceitful campaign posture reads: "When I’m governor, we’ll hold Foxconn’s feet to the fire and make sure that Wisconsin is getting the best return on investment possible."

This is what passes for policy commitment on Foxconn from Tony Evers.

The American Prospect piece is implicitly critical of this mush. Writes Tabak:

The soft-spoken Evers may believe he can convince Wisconsin voters that Walker has misspent billions of taxpayer dollars to bring Foxconn to the state. But as of yet, he 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. (emphasis added)

Foxconn remains widely unpopular, especially in the northern two-thirds of the state where Tony Evers must outperform losing Democratic Party showings in 2010, 2014, and 2016.

Another truth about Tony Evers is that he is mediocre school bureaucrat from east-central (white) Wisconsin with a pedestrian understanding of public policy, ill-equipped to meaningfully oppose the Republican Party's wrecking ball Wisconsin has suffered the last seven years.

The same political groupthink and Democratic Party consultants who bequeathed Gov. Scott Walker (R) and Donald Trump onto Wisconsin is capable of thwarting what should be an easy win for an opponent of Walker in 2018 Wisconsin.

As has been written in these pages, those concerned about democracy in Wisconsin can take solace in the heavy political winds against Walker and Republicans this campaign cycle.

Rural women are especially appalled by Republicans, inform anecdotes from two central and northern Wisconsin political field operations from Democratic Party nominees for the legislature.

Can citizen action lift a milquetoast Tony Evers over Scott Walker?

Yes, it can; but a call to Tony Evers' campaign and a kick in his ass are called for as Foxconn's unpopularity mounts.

See Rick Romell's latest piece in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Thought Republicans were against the government forcefully taking someone’s property. Not when @ScottWalker wants to look good for the next election.https://t.co/5dEe9RDGhN

— Indivisible WI-06 (@indivisiblewi06) September 22, 2018

Absentee Voting Starts in a Week in Gov Campaign Clunking Forward

Scott Walker campaign ads are everywhere in Wisconsin.

Updated - Madison, Wisconsin — Absentee voting begins in less than a week, but a lack of urgency marks the gubernatorial election here between Gov. Scott Walker (R) and Tony Evers.

Still, perusing the Sunday papers, the political websites, and candidate TV spots, there is a one clear, issue-focused campaign for Wisconsin governor — Gov. Scott Walker (R). It's the truth.

Pro-Foxconn ads (Google ad at right) by Walker seem ubiquitous, while Tony Evers refuses a position on Foxconn.

A response TV spot featuring Walker's running mate, Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch (R), delivers a powerful and compelling message against healthcare corporations' not covering pre-existing conditions.

That Walker and Republicans are disingenuous and hostile to healthcare is not a message that appears to penetrate the casual Wisconsin voter.

Scott Walker is campaigning on issues Democrats used to
own. Above is a Google ad featuring Scott Walker
reaching out to college students. Walker is also
airing a similar TV spot.

No anti-Scott Walker voter who views the Rebecca Kleefisch ad does so without becoming worried, especially after looking up the clunky Tony Evers healthcare messages.

Healthcare is another issue that Democrats should own.

But Tony Evers is a disabled campaigner on issues and like Walker cannot offer political journalists informed, extemporaneous comment on healthcare.

"Election year promises won’t cover up Walker’s career of working to sabotage Wisconsinites’ health care and take us back to the days when insurance companies could deny you coverage if you got sick. He simply has no credibility on this issue, and Wisconsinites have no reason to believe he’d change with another term," said Tony Evers in a campaign statement, (Bauer, AP).

Evers cannot handle an issue like healthcare without his campaign formulating statements.

Scott Walker proclaims himself the champion of education, college students and working families.

Judges in purely marketing and communications messaging, Scott Walker is waxing Tony Evers.

Those concerned about democracy and the future of Wisconsin can take some solace in the heavy political winds against Walker and Republicans this campaign cycle.

Rural women are especially appalled by Republicans, inform anecdotes from two central and northern Wisconsin political field operations from Democratic Party nominees for the legislature.

Can citizen action lift a milquetoast Tony Evers over Scott Walker?

Yes, it can; but a call to Tony Evers' campaign and a kick in his ass are called for.

UW-Madison Teaching Assistants Blast Foxconn Proposal, Organizing for Opposition

'Foxconn has no place in public institution committed to excellence, fairness, and democracy'

Madison, Wisconsin — The University of Wisconsin-Madison teaching assistants' union (TAA) hit the controversial Foxconn research proposal that would outsource decision-making on research to a for-profit corporation.

The TAA statement on Foxconn's proposal comes as the Democratic party nominee for governor, Tony Evers, maintains his silence on whether he would oppose Foxconn and the massive public subsidy, if he were elected.

The TAA statement is communicated in a recent email and is reproduced below.
---
TAA Statement on the Foxconn Institute

The Teaching Assistants Association of Madison is gravely concerned by UW-Madison’s recently-announced partnership with the Foxconn Technology Group to establish a new research institute. While we await transparency and further information from UW, we believe that, on its face, this partnership runs counter to UW-Madison’s legacy as a public land-grant university dedicated to excellence in research and public service. As workers, students, educators, researchers, and taxpaying citizens of Wisconsin, we demand transparency and accountability from UW-Madison and the State of Wisconsin concerning its partnerships with the Foxconn Technology Group.

Foxconn’s history of human rights abuses is well-documented. The $100 million that Foxconn plans to donate to UW-Madison was made on the backs of underpaid, exploited workers. As multiple news reports have shown, Foxconn workers are exposed to unsafe working conditions, wage exploitation, and poor living conditions. Since 2010, waves of worker suicides have exposed the despair that characterizes its factories. In addition to employing child workers and overworked student employees, Foxconn has also stifled collective bargaining and intimidated journalists attempting to document working conditions in its factories. Foxconn has no place in a public institution committed to excellence, fairness, and democracy.

Although Chancellor Blank thanked Foxconn for its “generosity to the university,” Foxconn’s “investment” in the State of Wisconsin is extractive of the University and to the State as a whole. The numbers speak for themselves. The Walker administration has already promised over $3 billion in subsidies to Foxconn, diverting much-needed resources from an already faltering UW budget. Since he took office, Scott Walker has cut hundreds of millions of dollars from UW’s budget. Moreover, in order for UW to match Foxconn’s “donation”, which is required by the partnership, existing or new funding will need to be diverted. We need public funding for our public university rather than donations from corporations, whose donations would make UW-Madison beholden to private interests.

Moreover, according to Chancellor Blank, Foxconn and UW-Madison will share the intellectual property rights produced by the research institute, potentially endangering academic freedom as the massive tech firm determines the direction and ends of research conducted at this university. This arrangement also directly threatens our university’s commitment to the Wisconsin Idea. The fruits of research at UW belong to the people of Wisconsin, not to a private corporation.

We demand transparency and accountability from UW and from the State of Wisconsin as a whole. In addition to releasing the legal documents which detail the full terms of agreement for the Foxconn Institute, both UW and the State must commit to holding public town halls so that taxpayers and citizens have a say in how our vital public resources are being used.
#

Foxconn in Wisconsin — Tony Evers Changes Position from 'No Comment' to Blather

Foxconn in Wisconsin is now a
bi-partisan boondoggle. Tony
Evers has joined Scott Walker
in the endgame: Foxconn stays,
Wisconsin loses.

Madison, Wisconsin — Tony Evers, the Democratic Party nominee for governor, favors the most massive state give-away to a foreign corporation in United States history — Foxconn.

Evers is quiet on the campaign trail on Foxconn, as many Democratic supporters who oppose Foxconn caution silence on Evers' support, lest anti-Foxconn supporters vote Green or Libertarian out of disgust with Evers.

Major elements of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin have abandoned open opposition to Foxconn, in effect siding with Gov. Scott Walker (R) and Republicans on this radical policy change, that even has towns in Illinois fearful of environmental damage.

The Foxconn public-funding initiative is spectacular, and would codify changes in how Wisconsin and numerous municipalities would operate for years.

Tony Evers continues his posture on Foxconn as Wisconsin has made a significant transformation on becoming a colonial agent of the Taiwanese corporation and other industrial special interests from 2011 - 2018. Evers rejects litigation in federal court against Foxconn as his campaign position remains: Wish Foxconn away, which is fantasyland, hence Foxconn stays.

Three days after the Primary election, Aug. 14,  a campaign piece appeared in BizTimes out of Milwaukee.

Arthur Thomas notes: "Evers’ campaign declined to comment on the election results in the context of Foxconn."

This is unusual for a major party candidate on a big campaign issue.

Evers has offered rhetoric on the obvious down side of funneling $billions to Foxconn, and exempting the corporation from Wisconsin environmental law, and changing (apparently illegally) how challenges can proceed in state court against Foxconn and only Foxconn.

But Evers has offered only vague drivel not befitting the gravity of Foxconn as public policy as Foxconn upped its PR offensive in August.

Days after Evers' inexplicable no comment in BizTimes, Thomas updated his piece:

After this story was published, Evers’ campaign provided a statement from the candidate, criticizing the size of the Foxconn support and incentives – $4.5 billion counting state and local packages and other infrastructure investments – and the estimated 25-year wait for the state to see a return on its investment.

'That’s a lousy investment,' Evers said. 'Foxconn has already backtracked on several of its promises and is not being held accountable by Walker. When I’m governor, we’ll hold Foxconn’s feet to the fire and make sure that Wisconsin is getting the best return on investment possible.'

So, Tony Evers will now hold Foxconn’s feet to the fire. What does this mean? Evers will make sure. What does this mean?

Evers didn't say and Thomas didn't report.

What it means is Foxconn stays, and Evers takes occasional shots at it, hoping noone notices what he is doing. It's call lip service.

The BizTimes statement exemplifies Evers' deceitful campaign posture: Emit negative messages on the unpopular Foxconn, and avoid any substantial comment on the enabling Foxconn legislation and the contract between Wisconsin and Foxconn.

Wisconsin has two scenarios in General Election voting beginning in three weeks.

1. Tony Evers changes his pro-Foxconn position and vows to oppose Foxconn in federal court.* Concomitant with this policy change, Evers makes specific pitches for votes from the Libertarian and Green parties, and grassroots clean water activists.
[*State court is out, unless part of a multiple-jurisdictional, multi-party litigation strategy in both federal and state court. Repeal of enabling legislation is out, unless improbably the gerrymandered firewall in the State Assembly is breached.]

Evers wins in a landslide.

2. Tony Evers maintains his current and deceitful pro-Foxconn posture and risks giving the election to Scott Walker as Wisconsinites abandon another weaselly corporatist Democrat, ala Hillary Clinton.

Foxconn Slithers Ahead as Tony Evers and Scott Walker Praise Slime Left for Wisconsin

Foxconn is keeping tabs on Wisconsin race for governor.

Madison, Wisconsin — Gov. Scott Walker (R) trumpeted the news about Foxconn gifting UW-Madison $100-million, (Twitter).

Seems too good to be true. It is.

Like most things involving Scott Walker, the latest Foxconn development is a scam to reward special interests at the expense of Wisconsin.

As 2018 is a mid-term election year, we can expect Democratic Party nominee Tony Evers to expose and campaign against the Foxconn lunacy? No.

Tony Evers' position remains: Foxconn stays, Wisconsin bleeds.

Evers' amen corner is becoming desperate as Evers' pro-Foxconn position becomes public the week before Labor Day.

For the hard corps Tony Evers supporters, Foxconn and $billion subsidies are the price of defeating Scott Walker.

For many others, the latest Scott Walker move to turn Wisconsin into a Taiwanese colony calls for a public statement from Tony Evers opposing Foxconn in federal court.

Tony Evers tells Wisconsin again, you will pay for Foxconn and you will like it.

Here are some numbers from the Wisconsin 2016 Presidential General Election that should concern the Democratic Party of Wisconsin today.

12,162 votes     .41% Constitution Party

106,674 votes  3.58% Libertarian Party

31,072 votes    1.04% Green Party

Tony Evers keeps up his ridiculous pro-Foxconn stance, it's likely we see similar percentages this Nov, enough to swing a close election.

Gov Candidate Tony Evers Remains Silent on Foxconn Contract

Updated - Madison, Wisconsin — Weeks from the absentee voting start in the Wisconsin mid-term General Election, is this the year we dump Gov. Scott Walker (R)?

Not if the Democratic Party nominee for governor, Tony Evers, gets his way.

Evers is avoiding questions about major policy more assiduously than Scott Walker dodges questions about Walker's historic cuts to education and health care.

This campaign season, instead of policy discussion, Wisconsin voters are treated to a non-stop smorgasbord of what Evers ate at McDonald's.

This steady diet of fluff from Evers includes no mention of the most massive corporate give-away in U.S. history — Foxconn, specifically the question of Evers litigating the Foxconn-Wisconsin contract in federal court.

The Foxconn-Wisconsin 29-page contract remained secret until after the deal was signed by Walker's administration and the Foxconn chair, WKOW reported last year.

Evers in his weaselly manner becoming common now-a-days retains his position amounting to Foxconn stays, Wisconsin bleeds, a position Evers is trying to keep secret.

Evers has not mentioned Foxconn since the Aug 14 Primary Election, going completely dark on a major issue on which Scott Walker continues to campaign.

Evers' past comments include a vague promise to try to convince Foxconn to give up its $ billion subsidies, its guarantees to flaunt local and state law on water protections, among other negotiated perks given to Foxconn in the contract approved November 2017, and enabling legislation.

Mal Contends will continue its effort to get an answer from Evers on opposing the Foxconn contract.

With each day that Tony Evers refuses questions on Foxconn comes new evidence the Foxconn scam is bi-partisan.

@Tony4WI Transparency is a laudable objective. Are you willing to publicly commit to litigating the lunatic Foxconn-Wisconsin contract in federal court? Be open, clear and transparent, pls. The courtesy of a reply? https://t.co/fWvqvE4LNm

— Michael Leon (@mal644) August 26, 2018

Tony Evers Is Silent on Foxconn Four Weeks from Absentee Voting Start

In Wisconsin, Gov. Scott
Walker's discredited claim
that 13,000 new jobs will
materialize with a $4 billion
public investment is meeting
with incredulity. Walker's 2018
campaign, Friends of Scott
Walker, is pitching the
scheme dubbed the
Fox Con. Dem Party
nominee for gov,
Tony Evers, refuses
to take a clear position.

Off your ass, Tony Evers

Madison, Wisconsin — We're four weeks out to the first absentee voters casting their ballots in the Gov. Scott Walker-Tony Evers race in the Wisconsin General Election.

Democratic Party nominee for governor, Tony Evers, still will not issue a public statement against the Foxconn-Wisconsin contract, negotiated by Republicans, for Republicans and against working families.

The Foxconn boondoggle does not play well among most voters. It ought not, it's lunacy.

Foxconn is a winner for Democrats but the Democratic Party nominee for governor, Tony Evers, retains his posture there is nothing to be done to stop the foreign company from polluting and depleting our water, and destroying our wetlands, saying we can only wish Foxconn to become good corporate citizens.

Meanwhile, Gov. Scott Walker (R) ballyhoos the $ billions in subsidies to Foxconn.

Reports Arthur Thomas in the BizTimes in mid-August: "Evers’ campaign declined to comment on the election results in the context of Foxconn."

We have the sitting Republican governor running for reelection, Donald Trump and legislative Republicans lying through their teeth about Foxconn. Evers won't say a word

Evers is spineless.

Walker is already up running Foxconn ads around the state and the internet.

Foxconn still polls badly, and a libertarian candidate, Phil Anderson, is drawing seven percent among registered voters who don't like the idea of $ billion subsidies to private, foreign interests, (Marquette Law School Poll).

Here's Phil Anderson on Foxconn and the Economy: "We oppose all efforts of State government to pick winners and losers in the economy."

Anderson is not going win seven percent in the general election.

But only an idiot or the Democratic Party nominee for governor believes Anderson is not capable of picking up enough votes to swing a close election.

Most every Democratic Party voter hates Foxconn and wants the contract torn up.

As Tony Evers silently runs away from Scott Walker's Soviet-style industrial planning, few are willing to speak up and urge Evers to do the right thing by Wisconsin families.

For the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, the go-to move on Foxconn is noone breathe, noone dare speak and fall in line behind milquetoast Tony — because when in the last eight years has the Democratic Party ever made a political miscalculation?

Here's some advice from Bloomberg on Foxconn from last August (2017), for the edification of Evers:

Such incentives [as $3 billion, (now $4 billion) in public funds] are generally an awful way to lure jobs -- expensive, inefficient and fraught with unintended consequences.

They can prompt costly bidding wars between states and impede other budget priorities. They have little effect on employment, growth or wages. They may induce unwise borrowing.

Companies often come back again and again, as blackmailers tend to, seeking yet more blandishments. And nothing stops them from walking away when times get tough.

States are also apt to loosen the rules. Among other perks, Foxconn won’t need to obtain the state permits ordinarily required to discharge dredged material into local wetlands.

Nor will it have to submit to standard environmental-impact studies. Such exceptions make for irrational public policy.

One might argue, as politicians often do, that even bad jobs underwritten by taxpayers are preferable to no jobs at all. But that’s wrongheaded: If those tax dollars were freed to find more productive uses, they’d boost efficiency and growth elsewhere in the economy -- and thus create more jobs.

Tony Evers, you're really screwing up, man.