This is a repost from the Summer of 2010
I was just looking for the time of the Finance Committee meeting yesterday and my buddy Google starts telling me about some deal Governor Doyle is taking credit for that involves Livesey and Sheboygan. I poked on those big blue letters of his and Google has Verona Press editor Jim Ferolie tell me more:
“Gov. Jim Doyle made his first official visit to Verona in two years last week to attend the company’s groundbreaking, telling the roughly 70 people in attendance that he sees its decision to build a $30 million plant and bring 45 new jobs here as a good sign for the state of Wisconsin’s economy and a continuation of the state’s “leadership” in the biotechnology industry.”
Good for Verona, but what does this have to do with Sheboygan? Jim starts telling stories about SAFC Pharma, Governor Doyle, SAFC-Pharma, land owned by Livesey, and Tif districts. Great story Jim but, Sheboygan, I need to know about Sheboygan Jim.
Jim tells me about some mouthpiece named Tony Hozeny, and Tony Hozeny says: “Enterprise Development Zones are defined as “distressed” areas with such problems as high unemployment, low incomes, layoffs, populations declines, etc. While Verona matches none of those descriptions, it is within “an 11-county region.”
Wow Jim, you are packing in the information today, but I need to know about Sheboygan. I hear about $60,000 a year science jobs, curing cancer and eliminating heart disease, but nothing important until Jim drops the bomb: “SAFC reportedly had considered some foreign locations but hoped to build near its Madison facility. Still, Verona’s most serious competition wasn’t with Middleton, Madison or Fitchburg but with land SAFC already owns in Sheboygan, and that provided the impetus for TIF assistance, to “level the playing field,” as Murphy put it.”
After this I didn’t care about the man that almost domed Sheboygan, time for the meeting.
Read and I mean read Jim Ferolie’s articles at the Verona Press, interesting stuff, like the rest of this story, Tif Districts and our old buddy Livesey.
Alderman Jim Gischia was kind enough to add the following:
FYI – Jim
Thanks Jim, I love it when people correct misleading information, I do the best I can, and need help just as we all do.
I was wondering where this could have been, and erred in not pinning down the location. Would still like the plant in our area, and you might agree (Jim agrees).
