Foxconn may build Iphone plant in PA - create up to 50,000 jobs... (Harrisburg: how much, tax)

[Pilot1]

Originally Posted by DoneWithPA

They Leave here because of the High Taxes, Bad roads that We have Paid to Fix for years, A haven for Illegal Aliens, Highest Gas tax in the nation and Now Wolf wants another tax increase for What oh yea the Teachers Union. Im on my way out of this State and taking my money with me and I pulled my ecom business a long time ago. Why would I want to pay business and sales tax to PA ? Screw Wolf and the welfare dead beats

There is a lot of truth to this. I worked for the state economic development dept. many years ago, and all these factors weighed in to dissuade companies from locating manufacturing here. The other problem is PA is perceived as a UNION state from the steel, and coal days. Today, the public sector unions are actually more of a problem, but that is the perception companies have. They are more likely to locate in the south, in right to work states with lower taxes, no unions, lower labor costs, and lower energy costs. Tennessee, South Carolina, Kentucky, etc. Companies will go where their costs of doing business are lower.

[Duderino]

Originally Posted by Pilot1

There is a lot of truth to this. I worked for the state economic development dept. many years ago, and all these factors weighed in to dissuade companies from locating manufacturing here. The other problem is PA is perceived as a UNION state from the steel, and coal days. Today, the public sector unions are actually more of a problem, but that is the perception companies have. They are more likely to locate in the south, in right to work states with lower taxes, no unions, lower labor costs, and lower energy costs. Tennessee, South Carolina, Kentucky, etc. Companies will go where their costs of doing business are lower.

Right-to-work states also have higher poverty rates, lower median incomes, and not-so-great healthcare. There's a cost of doing business that all businesses need to recognize to sustain a high standard-of-living and quality-of-life for workers, and states should not want to do business with companies that can't comply with a basic level of needs.

[blazerj]

Originally Posted by jtab4994

LOL every silver lining has a cloud, doesn't it? 3,000 jobs instead of 50,000 makes it a disaster. Unbelievable.

Yes, because the headline that everybody talked about (and is the thread title is 50,000).

[Pilot1]

Originally Posted by Duderino

Right-to-work states also have higher poverty rates, lower median incomes, and not-so-great healthcare. There's a cost of doing business that all businesses need to recognize to sustain a high standard-of-living and quality-of-life for workers, and states should not want to do business with companies that can't comply with a basic level of needs.

Where have all the major auto companies put assembly plants in the last twenty or so years?

[Duderino]

Originally Posted by Pilot1

Where have all the major auto companies put assembly plants in the last twenty or so years?

I'm not disagreeing with the fact that the trend for manufacturing has been to head South. That's honestly been a trend since at least the 1930s when textiles starting leaving cities in New England.

My point is that when states are competing against one other to make themselves the most "business friendly," taxpayers and workers lose. There's a reason why the middle-class has declined in this country, while the top 5% of the US has been making money hand-over-fist. It's directly related to the decline in power of the American worker.

Not to mention, the South is not the bargain it once was. With more growth and population, there are needs for increased infrastructure and public services. In due time, those "cheaper" states will become just as expensive as their Northern counterparts.

[jtab4994]

Originally Posted by blazerj

Yes, because the headline that everybody talked about (and is the thread title is 50,000).

People should not be so gullible as to believe headlines and thread titles.


Anyway the OP's link is broken so we can't even go to the original article to see if he interpreted it correctly.

[blazerj]

Originally Posted by jtab4994

People should not be so gullible as to believe headlines and thread titles.


Anyway the OP's link is broken so we can't even go to the original article to see if he interpreted it correctly.

Not gullible, but when you read many articles a day, comment on many forums, talk to many people, it's difficult to circle back and get the actual, correct content from a story.

[thedirtypirate]

The timeline goes like this:

In 2013, the ceo of foxconn said he would build a factory in PA. Corbett's admin. touted this as a big win: Foxconn to build plant in Pennsylvania - Nov. 22, 2013

It never happened. Fast forward to early this year, and they are finally close to a decision. A decision to build a factory 17x smaller and pennsylvania is just "a potential" landing spot. Now, zero jobs are coming here out of it, which is a shame.

[bradjl2009]

Originally Posted by thedirtypirate

The timeline goes like this:

In 2013, the ceo of foxconn said he would build a factory in PA. Corbett's admin. touted this as a big win: Foxconn to build plant in Pennsylvania - Nov. 22, 2013

It never happened. Fast forward to early this year, and they are finally close to a decision. A decision to build a factory 17x smaller and pennsylvania is just "a potential" landing spot. Now, zero jobs are coming here out of it, which is a shame.

It sounds like this factory is many years from being operational. I heard they haven't even bought any land in Wisconsin for this plant yet, this thing is a long time from being a reality. At least there's the Shell Cracker plant in Beaver County which is supposed to start construction soon. I also believe they have announced business plans in the US in the past only to never do anything as well.

[jtab4994]

Originally Posted by thedirtypirate

The timeline goes like this:

In 2013, the ceo of foxconn said he would build a factory in PA. Corbett's admin. touted this as a big win: Foxconn to build plant in Pennsylvania - Nov. 22, 2013

It never happened. Fast forward to early this year, and they are finally close to a decision. A decision to build a factory 17x smaller and pennsylvania is just "a potential" landing spot. Now, zero jobs are coming here out of it, which is a shame.

The Harrisburg plant from the 2013 article was projected to employ only 500 people, not 50,000. Was that even the same project?


In any case, I do agree that it's a shame PA did not get the 3,000-worker plant.