Foxscam

 Mount Pleasant and Racine County have maintained - in spite of mounting evidence to the contrary - that the #Foxconn LCD factory is on track. However, Village Project Director, Claude Lois confirmed to the Racine Sewer Commission that in fact, the LCD factory is on hold, with no definitive idea when, or if, it will be revived.

To our knowledge, this marks the first time any local official has confirmed that there is no LCD factory in any stage of development.

https://www.facebook.com/abettermtpleasant/?__xts__[0]=68.ARA1LIOeyzVKr05wyClSFNPWWxIAy9fQ47M7IFYxCZd1_pa3-NCx8Hfwe9tfMeX6mCQ2VM1AawJNnX5vzm65f-MEntQXfwHOYwM9sSyx_Io60yoJxbWXBQSiZzXbfNPNbrqQJpcdURO4bmdcV2zUabzBKPA3BpL0If5UCBAE9k0ATFOOTp1inxQg4sJGid2Ond6cJEU6NEEP36sud45IchKf3idCckQAgWaENm5g05DmjVaSsJnLuRFoWXNYhw0BaBMDwYZjqcXQ2ceGRbLB5jEoT5ikrS2oA9o6RprBqTeImOnie2uKFK24rLz0sX-Qw3GLeb-Fr1DRvGaL3teyUxep4MWjIzRndgd3SA&__xts__[1]=68.ARB5rmChMGDhd5m_oaRfVghFWHnK1Unk9wDIlPmEGzg4zJrMH5DAKb2qvbouQbV_RdRkSwaPd-WytnUOmL-JKS6W_FVDTvHYdrMKX9064mATnJ97EBywyEF5-5UARNmjnGzVu-tV9Mebyu3Y91Ru4h_C7nBoKa9xXNifnfM8Yj540AO-5FcWjK8YCQHIYiOVeNZosbu_cTluHT8913npFaq-mpEQXZYRmePPTb-DyMytg3tBdIBPkvvtRPPQEgNHkb-aBVF5GgUkVH2nEA8M7DwtsnJHx1zYqU4JZY2nQfgeHoDAjPGzkI_hGgw2WVudKNvxYvdfYBzejnoEuH43tPQKVD4WNcmhvW-Fpg&hc_ref=ARTg3Sd4H9Tsr5GoeFQamNNX2xVGA6mLk2LH7pkqtDc62WkYNmXMoGdrNcGkMS9Agvk&fref=nf&__tn__=kC-R

Belief in the Foxconn project is at its lowest level yet in MU Law School poll

From A Better Mt. Pleasant:

"In the latest version of the poll, 35% of respondents said the plant would eventually provide enough value, down from 41% the last time the question was asked and the lowest level to date."

#Foxconn

Last updated on January 17th, 2020 at 12:58 pm

The percentage of voters who expect Foxconn Technology Group’s Mount Pleasant plant to live up to the incentives being offered by Wisconsin reached its lowest level in the Marquette Law School since the project was announced.

The poll has asked voters about the project 10 times since 2017. The question notes that the company plans to employ 13,000 people and the state is offering up to $3 billion in incentives before asking voters if they think the plant will “ultimately provide this much or more benefit or is the state paying more than the plant is worth.”

In the latest version of the poll, 35% of respondents said the plant would eventually provide enough value, down from 41% the last time the question was asked and the lowest level to date.

Read more: https://biztimes.com/belief-in-the-foxconn-project-is-at-its-lowest-level-yet-in-mu-law-school-poll/

From: https://www.facebook.com/abettermtpleasant/posts/1094582874207239?__xts__[0]=68.ARD0uF2CTG4OMr_w7pnFYswtW4aVxTNaqpPL-BIxBYxZTmTmLEVceaU77IydKtvygH5gtwMJKn-ZRyfRN9QnijM8WBEj9m-75rOs5s7mveplIEkiT_3eV6xw5SXvpEdSwbhX696GWbYl3MpTOiqjj3iRzzfNeVl44nP3y6VJEhLFiY3V68o9AwxWgPBGmoDxcjtPmI06D08V4RoK7s0OPQNgWSLhdWnTiCabK3WE2J9Vz6Lykqs77NOMSg09rKxQZDm47TSdWOsnhKLfCoRjBW8fBJXf3DZOmsn0DJwrt5RprALVEQO33VWkDlDwyTOReiLAm7GKyvBaVkxlO4v6CRzPPg&__tn__=-R

A Better Mount Pleasant Sends:

Fii, the subsidiary or Foxconn constructing these new buildings, is
not party to the terms of the state or local contracts with Foxconn.
Only SIO International, FEWI Development and AFE Inc. are. Mount
Pleasant knew this when they approved the plans for the Fii buildings,
never questioning whether it was legal or appropriate to allow public
land conveyed to Foxconn to be used for a purpose not agreed upon in
the contract or the TID.

Foxconn wants tax credits for the construction cost of these buildings
which represents a 15% cash rebate and a 17% payroll rebate on the
people they hire at Fii anyway.

In other words, Foxconn wants us to uphold our end of the contract
while they flagrantly disregard their end. Foxconn says these
distinctions are “immaterial.” Millions of public dollars are at
stake.

The Journal Times constantly ignores matters of fact regarding
Foxconn, preferring to play cheerleader, rather than a journalistic
advocate. It’s embarrassing.

https://www.facebook.com/abettermtpleasant/

A Better Mount Pleasant Sends:

In which the Journal Times offers a potentially enlightening story
about the millions being spent on consultants and attorneys for the
Foxconn development and then seeks only the comment of one of the
contractors who justifies his existence and wages.

This is why the Journal Times building in downtown Racine is for sale.

Claude Lois’ career was as an auto parts store owner. He was a
part-time mayor of Burlington for two terms and made the acquaintance
of attorney Alan Marcuvitz (another Foxconn jackpot winner) executing
eminent domain actions for development in Burlington.

Lois parlayed this experience into a TID for a golf course development
deal in Illinois. Lois and his friends bankrupted the TID and the
federal government actually shut down the bank who egregiously loaned
them the money, costing taxpayers nearly $60 million. That’s how badly
they messed it up.

After Lois and friends tanked the Illinois TID, he was appointed to a
mid-level job at the Department of Revenue by Scott Walker and served
there for a couple of years before he hit the big time with Foxconn.

In the announcement for Lois’ hire, Dave DeGroot cited his
“extraordinary track record of success” in fostering economic
development. Right. We imagine the people of Sharrad, Illinois would
say differently.

There are potentially a dozen or so project managers globally who have
the experience and knowledge to handle a project as big and
complicated as the Foxconn development was proposed to be, the Village
hired a former auto parts store owner and part time mayor of a small
Wisconsin town with a track record bankrupting a TID in Illinois -
which is still recovering from the mess they made.

Lois and Marcuvitz bullied and coerced two dozen property owners in
eminent domain actions which were never brought before the Village
Board for approval, making it absolutely clear that the contractors
were always running the show. Pitt Bros have been bragging around town
they’ve made over $145 million on the options for the land we gave to
Foxconn.

Meanwhile, in order for Foxconn to be on track to make the 13,000 jobs
they promised us they will have needed to hire 2080 people last year -
it looks as though they aren’t going to even make the minimum 512.
These numbers and goals are written into the contract, Claude Lois
knows that. But as long as he’s getting paid, who cares?

#Foxconn

https://journaltimes.com/news/local/millions-paid-to-advisers-on-foxconn-project/article_d3cf07f4-4bb9-5299-9629-55392e9f2ab3.html#tracking-source=home-top-story

A Better Mount Pleasant sends:

"The state’s contract with Foxconn defines its Wisconsin project as 
including a “Gen 10.5” facility, or one that typically produces 
larger, TV-sized screens." 
 
The contract with Mount Pleasant says exactly the same thing - even 
though Project Manager Claude Lois lied to residents on Monday in the 
public information meeting by saying the contract says 10.5 OR 6.5. It 
doesn't. We pay him $250K a year to lie to us and misrepresent the 
facts. 
 
https://journaltimes.com/news/local/evers-foxconn-deal-with-state-may-need-to-be-downsized/article_a0154b27-9ad5-588a-8805-3b1984325a86.html#tracking-source=home-top-story 

From A Better mount Pleasant:

https://www.facebook.com/abettermtpleasant/ 
 
Super interesting comment from The Verge's explosive article on 
#Foxconn. The author says he is the administrator of a town in Ohio 
that Foxconn was considering for their "development" that we 
ultimately got. 
 
Hard to believe anyone would make this up - it sounds authentic: 
 
As an administrator of one the handful of communities in Ohio that was 
considered for this project, I can’t tell you how much I love reading 
these articles. We got bad vibes from the very first time we had to 
pitch our community for this unknown project and the numbers (jobs, 
investment amount, water/sewer/electric/gas requirements, etc,) 
started to change. Daily. Drastically. 
 
Our running internal discussion was "WTF? How can they NOT know their 
sewage requirements? Like 3 million gallons per day more, then a 
couple days later it drops by 2 million. Then back up". Worked on some 
big and weird projects in my career, but never saw anything like this 
where stuff changed all the time. The site visit was an absolute 
circus too. They had a damn charter bus. Around 20-30 Chinese people 
and another 20-30 consultants, engineers and who-knows-what. They kept 
interrupting during our presentations and some of the American 
consultants would basically yell at them and say they were being rude. 
You cannot make this stuff up. 
 
Luckily we dropped out after a month into the process when the 
umpteenth change in utility requirements made the needed improvements 
so expensive (think $30 million+) that we threw in the towel. They 
wanted the land for free, all utilities to the site boundary at their 
required capacities (which changed weekly at this point still) for 
free, and to pay no local or state taxes for 20 years. This was the 
dumbest ROI scenario we ever saw and it wasn’t hard to convince our 
elected officials to throw in the towel. 
 
In the end it wouldn’t have mattered because Ohio ended up getting cut 
a couple of months later because the State government wouldn’t pay up 
like Wisconsin did. It has made for some great story telling though, 
and it is the gift that keeps on giving for entertainment purposes. 
Thanks, Wisconsin!

A Better Mount Pleasant Sends:

“The government you elect is the government you deserve.” 
Thomas Jefferson 
 
“Take a sad song and make it better.” 
The Beatles 
~~~~~~~ 
 
Time to BOOT DEGROOT! (added) 
 
Together - ABMP readers and contributors worked to make the Village 
more accountable and more transparent. It wasn’t easy and it wasn’t 
always fun, but we made things better. 
 
In no particular order: 
 
1. LIVE VIDEO OF VILLAGE MEETINGS: The Village now broadcasts live 
Village meetings and Foxconn informational sessions - because we did 
it first. Oh sure, they say they were going to do it - just like we 
all say we're going to the gym this week. 
 
Videos of Village meetings mean that more people can participate. 
Folks at home don’t have get out to village hall to see what’s 
happening, you can watch from home...or watch later. Preferably with 
cocktails. 
 
We credit the Village for doing a good job in setting up the recording 
- certainly better than Kelly did with her iphone - now if we can just 
get the audio and video synced up correctly. 
 
2. MAKING EXECUTIVE PACKETS PUBLIC: For years, residents were 
strangely prohibited from seeing and reading the executive packets of 
information given to Trustees before meetings - even though it is 
public information. ABMP filed an open records request for all Village 
executive packets - as a result the Village now posts them before 
Village meetings. 
 
Residents can now see the same information trustees see at meetings. 
Go to the Village website and click on Agendas and Minutes, then go 
down to Village Board Packets. 
 
3. APPROVAL AND PUBLISHING OF MEETING MINUTES: Meeting minutes are the 
official record of actions taken by the Village. The approval and 
publishing of minutes as soon as reasonably possible is required by 
law. The purpose is for residents to be appropriately apprised of 
actions taken on their behalf. 
 
Over the last two years, minutes weren’t approved for weeks, even 
months after votes were taken. It wasn’t just bad government - it was 
lazy, disrespectful government. 
 
ABMP made an issue of it in meetings, posts and in a letter to the 
Journal Times. These actions got attention and action. For much of the 
last year, minutes have been approved regularly. Guess it wasn’t so 
hard after all. 
 
4. FOXCONN STORM WATER FAILURE: In late summer, residents began 
remarking on flood water runoff problems at the Foxconn construction 
site. Even a casual observer could see that barriers to protect from 
silt runoff into the Pike River were ridiculously lame. 
 
Sure enough, after a few days of heavy rain, mud and silt began 
pouring into Lamparek Creek leading directly to the Pike River 
watershed. ABMP videotaped the flooding and filed a complaint with the 
DNR. 
 
The DNR said Foxconn contractors had failed to do their job and the 
Village failed to provide the oversight residents were promised. The 
episode didn’t cost Foxconn much money - but it was embarrassing. 
 
In the end, they did a good job correcting their mistake and hopefully 
it won’t happen again - thanks to sharp-eyed readers who alerted us. 
 
5. FOXCONN TRANSPARENCY: Early on in the Foxconn process, the Village 
Project team didn’t seem to think breaking down the bills for various 
contractors was very important. Hundreds of thousands of dollars 
listed as “Foxconn Bills” was supposed to be good enough for you. 
 
ABMP filed an open records request asking for the bills and published 
them right here so residents could see where their money was going. 
 
As a direct result, the Village started including more detailed 
information in the Village Board meetings and on the agendas when it 
came time to approve invoices and make purchases. 
 
6. FREEDOM OF SPEECH: The Village has always had a very odd 
relationship with residents speaking their mind. No example was ever 
more stunning than when the Village CDA tried to keep residents from 
speaking on items listed on the agenda during public comments last 
spring - not once, but twice. 
 
ABMP filed a complaint with the Attorney General’s office who came 
back and gave the Village a clear message they were treading in some 
funky water that wasn’t likely to hold up in court. 
 
So what did our Village leaders do? Apologize? No, they doubled down 
and tried to get the Attorney General to change their written 
guidance. The Attorney General said “nyet.” 
 
That’s your Village, fighting hard (and paying lawyers) to keep you 
from speaking. It didn’t work and we will make sure they never do it 
again. 
 
7. FOXCONN PUBLIC INFORMATION MEETINGS: ABMP held the first Foxconn 
public town hall meeting last June - after residents were promised 
meetings would be scheduled and never were. Close to eighty people 
showed up and many more watched live on Facebook. 
 
Coincidentally, Village Project Manager Claude Lois announced the 
Village’s first town hall at our town hall...yup, totally going to the 
gym this week. The Village has continued to hold meetings each month - 
that's a good thing. 
 
8. FOLLOWING THE MONEY: Our readers and contributors are tireless 
researchers with handy calculators. ABMP has brought residents real, 
useful information about Village spending. 
 
Whether it’s the more than 100% over-budget EMS palace or the insane 
rise in costs for the Village Assessor - our readers get the 
information they deserve to know. 
 
It’s your money - and while the majority of the Village Board is still 
on a spending bender, we’re going to keep bringing you the facts. 
 
9. THE PEOPLE’S VOICE: Over the last year, ABMP has gone from being a 
small town Facebook page to being a legitimate counterpoint to the 
public relations firm hired by the Village to dispatch talking points 
and write press releases for Dave DeGroot. 
 
We’ve been featured not just in Wisconsin print press, radio and TV, 
but in the Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, New Yorker, the Guardian, 
the Verge, and of course the Reply All podcast. 
 
Outside the Wisconn Valley “cone of silence,” there is fact-based 
criticism by respected financial experts and investigative journalists 
that the Foxconn deal was too rushed, too generous, and Mt. Pleasant 
was too damn eager to even bother asking questions. 
 
You aren’t going to read those views in the Journal Times - not as 
long as Publisher Mark Lewis sits on the RAMAC Board. You will read 
them here. 
 
Why? Because we hate Foxconn? No. Because you deserve better than to 
be spoon-fed rainbows, pixie dust and “faith-based economics.” Foxconn 
has real life implications for our residents. For some it may be 
great, but for those who have sacrificed, or been treated unfairly, 
they deserve a voice too. 
 
10. APPLYING PRESSURE: We didn’t get everything we were promised. We 
didn’t get annual reports for Police and Fire which were promised. 
Since they make up more than 70% of Village spending you deserve some 
data and some responsible planning. We aren’t giving up on that. 
 
If we have to file open records requests for the information and give 
you the reports ourselves - we will. We’ve already started compiling 
information. 
 
~~~~~~ 
 
A government who doesn’t fear its own people, is a government who 
takes them for granted. Village officials read this page everyday. 
Good. We’re going to keep doing us. 
 
Thank you for reading. Thank you for contributing. Have a great 
holiday and we will see you next year! 
 
A Special Thanks to Kelli for continuing to hold MTP Government accountable! 
 
*SHINE ON* 

Dear Village of Mount Pleasant Trustees, RC County Exec, Jenny Trick & Foxconn CEO Terry Gou,

A Better Mount Pleasant sends: 
 
So much to unpack in this article about how a prepackaged Foxconn deal 
was rammed through Mount Pleasant headed by David DeGroot for Village 
President with only days on the job and a massive crush on both Scott 
Walker and Donald Trump. Not only did he not know enough to even ask 
questions - he wouldn't have dared to upset his political idols. 
 
On a personal level, however... 
 
This is a guy who sent out a press release which alleged I egged his 
house - and even though the police report identifies the suspects as 
four teenagers - he still maintains it could have been a political 
attack. A single egg on his driveway. 
 
This is a guy who said I used a profanity - repeatedly - during public 
comments at a village meeting, which he admits he didn't hear. The 
reason? Because I didn't. That didn't stop him from trying to ban me 
from speaking ever again until I submitted a written and oral apology 
to him first. Yes, Ew. 
 
This is a guy who after he was censured for his actions against me (as 
well as another resident and a village trustee whom he both threatened 
to have removed by the police) began wildly ramping up the rhetoric on 
the abusive hate website created to intimidate, humiliate and sexually 
harass me and other trustees. 
 
This website tried to have me removed from a community board of 
directors, insinuated I was having extramarital affairs, announced a 
fake meeting using my home address, and then someone associated with 
it followed me to a restaurant and wrote about what I ate and where I 
sat. 
 
Why? 
 
Because I have the audacity to ask questions and expect accountability 
from my local government. Because - every so often - I am right and 
people agree with me. Because I had the nerve to support candidates 
for election David DeGroot and his friends opposed. 
 
This isn't about the intrigues of local government and personality 
clashes. It's about shutting me up and shutting down any effort to 
question or criticize our local officials - by anyone. 
 
This effort continues still by Village Hall staff who quietly solicit 
my friends for assistance. 
 
There has been, and still is, little disagreement that these actions 
are disgusting, and at times, have been very frightening to me. 
However, what it more frightening is that our village could be facing 
two more years of this kind of embarrassment, incompetence and 
intimidation. 
 
For people who have tried to appeal for help from their village, who 
are facing eminent domain actions, who feel they have been mistreated, 
who are concerned about their property taxes, about flooding and host 
of other issues - my personal complaints are trivial and utterly 
irrelevant. 
 
However, when the right to voice your opinion is intentionally 
subverted through the means we have seen employed by our Village 
President - unfettered and unchecked by his colleagues - we are all in 
a lot of trouble. 
 
See also: https://journaltimes.com/news/local/national-podcast-dives-into-foxconn-debate/article_593715f7-d2df-5616-874d-270781c7cd5b.html#comments
 
Cindy and I agree with the conclusion - that we are all in trouble.... 
as Foxconn - in a recent meeting with City of Racine Water Utility 
Manager Keith Haas - could not identify any products which it intended 
to produce at the Mount Pleasant, WI facility currently under 
construction. 
 
Its all a lie. 
 
Sincerely, 
 
Tim & Cindy 

Nutjob and MTP President David Degroot is an even greater threat to Democracy that Boss Vos

A Better Mount Pleasant sends: 
 
So much to unpack in this article about how a prepackaged Foxconn deal 
was rammed through Mount Pleasant headed by David DeGroot for Village 
President with only days on the job and a massive crush on both Scott 
Walker and Donald Trump. Not only did he not know enough to even ask 
questions - he wouldn't have dared to upset his political idols. 
 
On a personal level, however... 
 
This is a guy who sent out a press release which alleged I egged his 
house - and even though the police report identifies the suspects as 
four teenagers - he still maintains it could have been a political 
attack. A single egg on his driveway. 
 
This is a guy who said I used a profanity - repeatedly - during public 
comments at a village meeting, which he admits he didn't hear. The 
reason? Because I didn't. That didn't stop him from trying to ban me 
from speaking ever again until I submitted a written and oral apology 
to him first. Yes, Ew. 
 
This is a guy who after he was censured for his actions against me (as 
well as another resident and a village trustee whom he both threatened 
to have removed by the police) began wildly ramping up the rhetoric on 
the abusive hate website created to intimidate, humiliate and sexually 
harass me and other trustees. 
 
This website tried to have me removed from a community board of 
directors, insinuated I was having extramarital affairs, announced a 
fake meeting using my home address, and then someone associated with 
it followed me to a restaurant and wrote about what I ate and where I 
sat. 
 
Why? 
 
Because I have the audacity to ask questions and expect accountability 
from my local government. Because - every so often - I am right and 
people agree with me. Because I had the nerve to support candidates 
for election David DeGroot and his friends opposed. 
 
This isn't about the intrigues of local government and personality 
clashes. It's about shutting me up and shutting down any effort to 
question or criticize our local officials - by anyone. 
 
This effort continues still by Village Hall staff who quietly solicit 
my friends for assistance. 
 
There has been, and still is, little disagreement that these actions 
are disgusting, and at times, have been very frightening to me. 
However, what it more frightening is that our village could be facing 
two more years of this kind of embarrassment, incompetence and 
intimidation. 
 
For people who have tried to appeal for help from their village, who 
are facing eminent domain actions, who feel they have been mistreated, 
who are concerned about their property taxes, about flooding and host 
of other issues - my personal complaints are trivial and utterly 
irrelevant. 
 
However, when the right to voice your opinion is intentionally 
subverted through the means we have seen employed by our Village 
President - unfettered and unchecked by his colleagues - we are all in 
a lot of trouble. 
 
https://www.facebook.com/abettermtpleasant/

Wishful Thinking & Foxconn

Dear County Board of Supervisors,

A Better Mount Pleasant Sends:

Let the parsing begin. Wishful thinking presented as fact by Wisconsin commerce types. Even Tommy Thompson says he'd have negotiated a better deal. Mt. Pleasant just signed on to the whole deal with no questions asked.

https://www.facebook.com/abettermtpleasant/

And the Answer is .....

YES!

Even the Milwaukee Business Journal  agrees!

On a per-job basis it appears Wisconsin paid more in incentives for its economic development prize Foxconn Technology Group than New York’s and Virginia’s incentives for Amazon.com Inc., but those involved in Wisconsin’s Foxconn deal say the state will get more bang for taxpayers’ bucks.

Wisconsin’s state financial incentives to Foxconn will reach $3 billion if the company spends $10 billion on its Racine County plant and equipment and hires 13,000 employees at an average wage of $53,000-plus.

Initial reports on the Amazon HQ2 incentive packages showed $1.5 billion in incentives from New York and $573 million for northern Virginia. The company plans to hire 25,000 employees at each location with average annual salary of $150,000.

However, the total bundle for New York is $2.8 billion including both state funds and tax breaks from the city, according to the Washington Post. And the Virginia package reaches $1.85 billion when including promises of state investments in higher education and improving the transportation system, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Tim Sheehy, president of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC), points out that $1.35 billion of Wisconsin’s incentive package specifically ties to jobs Foxconn creates, while the rest is for construction. He compares it with job-creation incentives of about $1.7 billion each in New York and Virginia. Using those figures, Wisconsin is paying $103,00 per job while New York and Virginia each are paying about $68,000, Sheehy said.

“Wisconsin paid significantly more per job as an incentive,” he acknowledges.

On a per-job basis it appears Wisconsin paid more in incentives for its economic development prize Foxconn Technology Group than New York’s and Virginia’s incentives for Amazon.com Inc., but those involved in Wisconsin’s Foxconn deal say the state will get more bang for taxpayers’ bucks.

Sheehy also responded to the fact that while Foxconn agreed to pay an average annual salary of $53,875, Amazon says it will pay an average of $150,000 at its HQ2 sites. Sheehy believes the average Amazon employee will not receive that kind of salary and the figure is skewed by higher-paying positions in the $300,000 to $400,000 range.

On a per-job basis it appears Wisconsin paid more in incentives for its economic development prize Foxconn Technology Group than New York’s and Virginia’s incentives for Amazon.com Inc., but those involved in Wisconsin’s Foxconn deal say the state will get more bang for taxpayers’ bucks.Wisconsin’s state financial incentives to Foxconn will reach $3 billion if the company spends $10 billion on its Racine County plant and equipment and hires 13,000 employees at an average wage of $53,000-plus.Initial reports on the Amazon HQ2 incentive packages showed $1.5 billion in incentives from New York and $573 million for northern Virginia. The company plans to hire 25,000 employees at each location with average annual salary of $150,000.However, the total bundle for New York is $2.8 billion including both state funds and tax breaks from the city, according to the Washington Post. And the Virginia package reaches $1.85 billion when including promises of state investments in higher education and improving the transportation system, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch.Tim Sheehy, president of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC), points out that $1.35 billion of Wisconsin’s incentive package specifically ties to jobs Foxconn creates, while the rest is for construction. He compares it with job-creation incentives of about $1.7 billion each in New York and Virginia. Using those figures, Wisconsin is paying $103,00 per job while New York and Virginia each are paying about $68,000, Sheehy said.“Wisconsin paid significantly more per job as an incentive,” he acknowledges.

https://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/news/2018/11/16/did-wisconsin-overpay-for-foxconn-in-light-of.html

It would appear that Village President David DeGroot and his goose- stepping and unquestioning minions on the Board have been outfoxxed by the Walker/Trump inspired political theater aka Fox-Scam  - if it even happens.

 And there is no guarantee it will.....

Good luck to a reckless and unquestioning Village Board - except Gary Feest - while Village President David DeGroot takes Village Taxpayers on a ride to the "wild side"

One malfeasant  crime after another - right?  Village President David DeGroot?

Please join Cindy and I is JUST SAYING NO to allowing Wisconsin’s very own Gang of Four, Governor Scott Walker, Racine County Executive Jonathan Delagrave,  City of Racine Mayor Cory Mason & MTP President David DeGroot to violate the Wisconsin Constitution (and their Oath of Office) by granting special rights to Corporate interests, stealing people’s property, destroying multi-generational Farms alongside an entire long established Community, loosening environmental protections, permitting heavy metals water pollution, instituting slave labor wages, providing taxpayer subsidies to multi-billionaire Corporations, and politician overreach.

Impoverishing the masses is merely conservation by other means.

See; https://arrestrecordsofracinewipublicofficials.wordpress.com/2018/11/17/will-foxconn-lift-up-se-wi-or-lead-to-its-collapse/

Sincerely,

Tim & Cindy

EMINENT DOMAIN ACTIONS FILED AGAINST MT. PLEASANT RESIDENTS WITHOUT VILLAGE BOARD KNOWLEDGE OR APPROVAL

A Better Mount Pleasant Sends:
 
“Jurisdictional offers to take property and remove owners in Foxconn area were signed and filed by hired contractors - official legal actions never discussed with Village Trustees.”
MT. PLEASANT, WI OCTOBER 8, 2018 - On September 24, 2018, Mt. Pleasant village trustees voted to approve the Award of Damages on nine parcels of land representing $4,287,300 which resulted from Jurisdictional Offers signed and filed by contractors with the county clerk on behalf of the village without trustee knowledge or approval.
Five parcels on the agenda, representing $1,309,900 in damages, were the subject of current litigation and a pending restraining order by one family to block an order to vacate their home and business within days.
“Trustees heard from angry residents demanding to know why the village was taking their land and ordering them out of their home,” says Kelly Gallaher, a spokesperson for the local grassroots organization, A Better Mt. Pleasant. “The trustees didn’t seem to understand what was happening or even the meaning of the words being used. As it turns out, the orders had already been filed at the courthouse and never discussed or approved by them prior to that night. This was literally the first time they heard about it.”
Two Jurisdictional Offers were signed and filed in late July by Peter Meisbauer of G.J. Meisbauer, hired by the village to provide relocation services. Meisbauer represented himself in the documents as an “agent for the Village of Mt. Pleasant.” A third Jurisdictional Offer was signed and filed in September by Scott Dellenbach of Terra Ventures, hired by the village to provide property management. Dellenbach represented himself in the document as a “Village of Mt. Pleasant Real Estate Consultant.”
Jurisdictional Offers are the legal filings by a condemning authority which officially notify the occupant of the taking of their property for public use and date of expected occupancy when eminent domain negotiations fail.
“This is an official legal action taken against property owners,” says Gallaher. “These actions are taking place without the knowledge or approval of village trustees. It’s not clear these contractors have the authority to take these actions, but even if they do, why has it not been discussed with village officials?”
A Mt. Pleasant village trustee verified to A Better Mt. Pleasant on Friday, the Jurisdictional Offers which resulted in the Award of Damages voted on by trustees, were never discussed or approved with the Village Board prior to that date.
“What is the point of having elected officials at all? Residents came forward to appeal these actions directly to their local representatives, only to discover they were clueless,” says Gallaher. “Village trustees are required to approve all kinds of purchases and agreements - big and small. Actions to take property valued in the millions of dollars, and to remove people from their homes, seems like something trustees should know about. It makes us wonder exactly who is running this village?”
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A Better Mt. Pleasant is a nonpartisan, community organization dedicated to advancing a fair,
accountable and transparent local government in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin.

GARSKI FOUND NOT GUILTY AFTER VILLAGE FILES MUNICIPAL COURT COMPLAINT

A Better Mount Pleasant Sends:  Former Village President Jerry Garski was found not guilty Thursday, September 13, of violating a village ordinance over his home-based business. Wind Point Municipal Judge John Knuteson dismissed the case against Garski, ending a nearly two-year battle with the village that began with multiple complaints filed in 2016 by Trustee Anna Marie Clausen and former Community Development Authority Chair Pat Barlament. Knuteson ruled that Garski possessed the appropriate permits and licenses approved by village officials in 2011 to operate his business in Mt. Pleasant, validating Garski’s original and consistent assertions that he had not violated village ordinances. News of the original complaints against Garski were published in November 2016, when four separate complaints about Garski’s properties and businesses were filed within a 24-hour period by Clausen and Barlament. The complaints against Garski led to additional allegations by Safebuilt, LLC, the independent agency hired by the village to investigate and a State of Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services Review Board investigation filed by the Village of Mt. Pleasant and Safebuilt, LLC. In November 2017, the Village of Mt. Pleasant cited Garski for operating his business on his property, a violation of his conditional use permit - which could have resulted in a fine of $6,250 - forcing Garski to suspend operation of his business and to retain legal counsel to represent him. In June 2018, the State of Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professionals Services Review Board dismissed the complaints against Garski, stated that both Safebuilt and the Village of Mt. Pleasant had failed to provide sufficient evidence of violations. Following the state’s dismissal, the Village of Mt. Pleasant attempted to offer Garski a deal in which they would dismiss the citation with prejudice, if Garski would agree to pay the village’s legal fees of $1,250. Their offer reserved the village’s right to impose future citations against him if he continued to operate his business. Garski declined, saying he was not violating village ordinances and possessed the appropriate permits and licenses for his business. He said he would rather go to court. A few weeks later, the village offered to split the cost of their legal fees with Garski for $650, again with prejudice and the potential for future citations. Garski said no. Knuteson’s ruling on Thursday represents not just the end of Garski’s effort to defend himself, but also eliminates the waste of taxpayer funds spent by the village by having the following public employees fruitlessly pursue the allegations against him: - Village of Mt. Pleasant Interim Administrator and Police Chief Tim Zarzecki - Village Clerk/Treasurer Stephanie Kohlhagen - Village of Mt. Pleasant Planning Director Sam Schultz - South Shore Fire Department Chief Bob Stedman - Mt. Pleasant Village Building Inspector Leonard Hannula - Mt. Pleasant Clerk’s Office staff - Mt. Pleasant Police Department staff - South Shore Fire Department staff - Mt. Pleasant Building Department staff - State of Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional -Services Investigator - State of Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services Paralegal Staff - State of Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services Review Board - Wind Point Municipal Judge John Knuteson - Wind Point Municipal Clerk In addition to the municipal complaints filed against Garski, Clausen and others also filed a host of additional complaints against him and asked for public requests related to his time as both a village trustee and village president: - Hundreds of public records on Garski going back years were requested by Clausen and Sam Wahlen, the son of former Village Administrator Kurt Wahen. - Wahlen filed a complaint with the Racine County District Attorney’s office against Garski saying he was violating campaign finance laws. - Village Clerk Stephane Kohlhagen accused Garski of harassment for not getting a bigger raise. - Garski’s opponent, Dave DeGroot, suggested Garski was involved in the egging of his house, issuing a press release and filing a police report during the April 2017 election. Please see the timeline of events posted below as evidence that these complaints were fueled by purely political reasons. All complaints were determined unfounded, and all records requested led to no additional action against Garski. The village has 20 days to appeal Judge Knuteson’s ruling. https://www.facebook.com/abettermtpleasant/posts/754499514882245?__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARCA2SyvDHpICnGTVztJF1KrEEPBR-1_4-sNHhfLueIFIWvJaJMImLXt_qVpqe0X5rSLx4Q9vzUu6FiY0I9lDrz8Wsb0dYlbmkonSkRlZhVkRr-Y5ThHCrKKIbV60O3MfPOc-tvVbb6heMSjrhyyxHC1PnvejNTYor7-vC4oa6SPNjwqJsJc&__tn__=K-R

A Better Mount Pleasant Sends:

"Mount Pleasant’s millions in borrowing to support the construction of Foxconn Technology Group’s $10 billion factory there have led to a one-notch downgrade in the village’s credit rating over fears that the massive factory may not produce the economic benefits officials had promised."

When the bond rating goes down, the interest rate on the debt goes up and taxpayers pay the difference. The millions and millions of dollars borrowed for Foxconn (in addition the debt the village already has) just got more expensive.

https://urbanmilwaukee.com/pressrelease/the-foxconn-effect-mount-pleasant-bond-rating-downgraded/

A Better Mount Pleasant sends:

This is “Lake Foxconn” busting straight through its containment barrier and dumping directly into the Pike River - on September 3rd - not April or May when it really rains.

This kind of silt will not only destroy fish habitats put in place by Root-Pike Watershed Initiative Network, but is also in direct violation of erosion best practices put forward by the DNR.

If you live down river, you have good reason to be angry and concerned.

https://www.facebook.com/abettermtpleasant/videos/526381141100651/

BREAKING - MT. PLEASANT IMPOSES EMINENT DOMAIN FOR FOXCONN

From: https://www.facebook.com/abettermtpleasant/

They did it. They finally pulled the trigger on their own residents.

A lawsuit has been filed in Racine County against the Village of Mt. Pleasant in response to a jurisdictional offer (the first step in the taking of property through eminent domain condemnation) filed on August 22nd against the first Mt. Pleasant property owner in the Foxconn area.

We have requested a copy of the lawsuit and will post it as soon as we get it it. Please share this post.