MILWAUKEE, Wis. (WTAQ) - Republican gubernatorial candidate Scott Walker has accused Democrats Jim Doyle and Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett of stabbing a local firm in the back. Walker and Fred Luber, the chairman of Milwaukee’s Super Steel, held a news conference Wednesday to criticize the government incentives given to Talgo of Spain to build new high-speed trains at a vacant Milwaukee plant.
Earlier this month, the firm said it would build the trains at Milwaukee’s former Tower Automotive. The next day, Super Steel – which offered its plant to Talgo as a subcontractor – filed for receivership. Walker said Doyle and Barrett used tax money to compete against the state’s own businesses. And Luber said Doyle and Barrett don’t understand the damage they’ve done.
But Talgo said it considered using the Super Steel plant – and it was too small for their needs. And Super Steel’s CEO told the Journal Sentinel the Talgo case did not drive his firm into receivership – and they expect to fully reorganize. A Talgo spokeswoman said Barrett had urged her firm to subcontract with Super Steel. And it was only after Talgo said when Barrett offered the vacant Tower Automotive plant.
