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PolitiFact Wisconsin: How much taxpayer money will Foxconn take?

Posted at 6:28 PM, Aug 11, 2017
and last updated 2017-08-11 19:28:44-04

It's a big number but how just much will Wisconsin taxpayers really have to pay to help Foxconn if the deal is approved.
 
PolitiFact Wisconsin puts one claim to the Truth-O-Meter
 
The Foxconn proposal includes three big numbers.
 
Wisconsin is offering $3 billion in tax incentives to the Taiwanese company for a $10 billion facility that could create between 3,000 to 13,000 jobs.
 
Madison State Rep. Melissa Sargent tweeted: “3,000 jobs cost #WI taxpayers more than $3 billion in tax giveaways. Break it down: more than $1 million in taxpayer dollars per job. #foxconn”
 
But PolitiFact Wisconsin said there's more to the story. The $3 billion is tied to the higher job creation numbers.
 
"Under the conditions of the offer by the state, the full $3 billion would be paid only if 13,000 jobs are created," said Tom Kertscher with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
 
Fewer jobs means fewer incentives. So what's the per job cost to taxpayers? It depends on the number of jobs.
 
"The state is not offering to pay Foxconn $1 million per job created," Kertscher said, "however that figure could be as high as $570,000 per job depending on the number that are actually created."
 
PolitiFact Wisconsin rated Sargent's claim False.