With President Trump on hand, Foxconn will break ground on its enormous new factory in Wisconsin on Thursday, heavily subsidized by Wisconsin taxpayers. But optimism over the plant’s impact may not be shared as widely as Republicans would hope.
A Marquette Law School poll conducted earlier this month found more voters than not doubt the factory will ultimately be worth the $3 billion the state is paying Foxconn in incentives. Asked “Do you think the Foxconn plant will ultimately provide this much or more benefit to the state or is the state paying more than the plant is worth?” 40 percent said it would, but 46 percent said the state was “paying more than it was worth.” The poll’s margin of error was plus or minus 4 percentage points.
Divisions over the question were partisan, with 63 percent of Republicans saying the state will recoup its support and 70 percent of Democrats saying it won’t. That explains why candidates in the Democratic gubernatorial primary have actively cast doubt on the project. Among independents, the divide was 34-50 percent, with half of voters saying the state was paying more than Foxconn is worth.
But the poll had good news for Republican proponents of the project as well. Fifty-six percent of voters said it would “substantially improve the economy of the greater Milwaukee area,” while only 33 percent disagreed. Voters in the city of Milwaukee were split 43-43 percent, but voters in the rest of the area were more confident, at 65-26 percent.
Trump’s job approval rating is at 44 percent in Wisconsin, according to the poll, with 50 percent disapproval.
But even amid some voters’ doubts, the Foxconn plant, which will produce flat-screen displays, is projected to create 13,000 jobs in the state with an average salary of almost $54,000. By shining a spotlight on the project’s benefits, Trump’s Thursday visit could boost Republican efforts to convince voters the factory will pay off in a big way as Foxconn is debated among candidates in the midterm elections.
