GET ME REWRITE: Yes, Foxconn's $100 million pledge to UW was nothing more than a cynical re-election ploy by Scott Walker

It didn't work out well for him.

Wisconsin State Journal, 8/10/2021

The master agreement signed by UW-Madison and Foxconn three years ago this month didn’t specify the $100 million figure that was announced at the 2018 university event and parroted in press coverage. The agreement broadly states that the company “intends to make a substantial investment in research and other activities” with the university.

Actually, 8 years were 8 too many.  By the time Scott Walker left office, the Wisconsin Idea was reduced to a tattered rag.

All those giddily served-up promises.  POOF!

3/3/2021 update, "17 months later, Foxconn still owes $99,300,000 on its $100 milion pledge to UW-Madison", starts here.

Just goes to show, a handshake from Scott Walker is worth absolutely nothin'.  (Say it again!)

Wisconsin Public Radio, 3/2/2021

In a statement to WPR, UW-Madison spokesperson John Lucas said, "A $700,000 sponsored research project in the College of Engineering represents Foxconn’s investment at the university, to date."   

The $700,000 is part of the $100 million promise — less than 1 percent. Lukas declined to provide further details about the project. 

Lucas said the university will "continue to engage in discussions with corporations, including Foxconn, interested in sponsored research or other educational partnerships."

Original 9/19/2019 post, "GET ME REWRITE:  Foxconn reneges on its $100,000,000 Scott Walker campaign pledge to UW-Madison", starts here.

August 27, 2018

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

You'll note that Scott Walker was struggling in the polls during July and August of 2018.  He needed a blazing burst of good news to give himself some momentum during the home stretch of the gubernatorial election.

Luckily for us, all Foxconn news was taken with a grain of salt by that time.

And now...

Wisconsin State Journal, 9/10/2019

But developments appear to be progressing slowly at the flagship campus. Some UW-Madison officials visited company locations in Asia last spring, but a System-wide trip to Foxconn sites was postponed last fall and has yet to be rescheduled. Citing changes in Foxconn’s executive leadership and business priorities, 

UW-Madison spokesman John Lucas described “no significant progress in discussions” relating to the $100 million investment, which was heralded at the time as “the largest research partnership in the university’s history.” 

Foxconn announced last week that Louis Woo, who has often represented the company in Wisconsin and served as a special assistant to Foxconn founder Terry Gou, stepped down for personal reasons. Earlier this year Gou resigned as Foxconn chairman to pursue political office.

Related posts:
Foxconn/UW-Madison agreement locks out engineering faculty, graduate students.  (11/6/2018)
GET ME REWRITE: Foxconn, UW-Madison take the sharing of platitudes to the next level.  (3/19/2019)
Dear Becky Blank and Ray Cross, Time to move on. Best, Retiring Guy.  (8/2/2019)