Editorial | Foxconn’s impact on generational poverty | By Rep. Bob Gannon

August 15, 2017 – Washington Co., Wi – “As legislators it is rare we get to vote on legislation that totally satisfies all of our wishes or concerns. The Foxconn economic development package is just such a bill. In a perfect world the state would not need to use inducements to attract employers to our state. The reality is that any state not participating by offering incentives will also not be considered for these projects.

As the chair of the Committee on Urban Revitalization I heard during our public hearings that families in poverty want a way out of this cycle of dependency. The clear consensus was that a family-supporting job is the goal of every person participating in taxpayer funded poverty programs.

With projections of as many as 35,000 new jobs, and granted there will be some shifting of employees from existing jobs to Foxconn, opening up those positions to new hires, we have an unprecedented opportunity to address generational poverty in Southeast Wisconsin. As chairman, I look forward to our committee working on leveraging these opportunities to lift families out of dependency, and into taxpayers themselves.

Upon the passage of the Foxconn package, I will be proposing legislation addressing the needs of those in the poverty cycle to fill these positions. Training in life and work skills, transportation consideration, etc. will all be discussed, in order to eliminate any barriers to these life changing employment opportunities.”

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