February 15, 2021 — Wisconsin state lawmakers are rushing to pass a new tax break for businesses, with a minimum of opportunities for public input. The tax cut would significantly reduce the amount of resources Wisconsin has to invest in families, schools, and communities that have been battered by the pandemic and the recession, and it would fail to help many small businesses who are the intended beneficiaries.
February 18, 2020 — As the 2020 legislative session winds down, the Wisconsin Legislature is rushing to pass a bill this week (SB 440)/AB 532) that would double a current state tax break for very wealthy investors who reinvest money in “Opportunity Zones.” A new Budget Project issue brief explains why the existing tax breaks for the rich are not having the intended effects and why it’s premature to increase those tax breaks.
February 18, 2020 — Wisconsin legislators are considering a bill that would double a capital gains tax break approved two years ago, which was intended to encourage very wealthy people to invest in “distressed” areas. Although that strategy for incentivizing investments in “Opportunity Zones” was well intended, commentators across the political spectrum have noted that implementation of the recently enacted tax incentives has gone off course and will primarily benefit rich Americans, rather than the residents of low-income communities.
December 20, 2019 — This issue brief explains why both the state and Foxconn should want to renegotiate the contract that spells out the terms for nearly $3 billion of state subsidies for the manufacturer. This issue brief examines why a new contract is needed, and also considers possible explanations for snags in the process of renegotiating the deal.
May 2, 2019 — Should Wisconsin seek to renegotiate the deal it made with Foxconn? This blog post explains why a new deal could benefit both Foxconn and the state, and it also examines why actually reaching a deal that is better for all involved could be very difficult.
March 18, 2019 — Economic skirmishes among the states are taking a heavy toll on state and local treasuries. Halting the interstate war over jobs can and should be a cause that attracts conservatives as well as liberals.
March 5, 2019 – Everyone in Wisconsin deserves the opportunity to fully benefit from the state’s economic growth. Our economy, our communities, our schools, and our families will fare better when every person in the state has full access to opportunity. This document outlines four key strategies for enabling Wisconsin to move forward on a path to shared prosperity.
February 21, 2019 — Mounting evidence creates serious doubts that Foxconn will build a factory in Racine County that comes anywhere close to the consider employment levels that Foxconn promised. As policymakers and the public consider what to do next, here are five key things that people need to understand about the contract.
February 1, 2019 — For Wisconsin’s economy to work for everyone, our state needs to invest in healthy and well-educated workers and communities, public infrastructure, and working families.
September 19, 2018 — September 18 marked the one-year anniversary of the bill authorizing massive subsidies for a Foxconn plant in southeast Wisconsin. Although we still don’t know many specifics about the plant that will be built and the new jobs that will result, we have learned a lot in the last year, and the current picture is considerably different than what we had been led to believe a year ago.