Plans for a sprawling factory in rural Michigan making batteries for electric cars offer an economic lifeline, but for some residents there is a big problem: the parent company is in China
The state’s Democratic governor, Gretchen Whitmer, and legislative leaders, including many Republicans, pulled together billions of dollars in tax incentives to ensure companies invest there.
Gotion’s plans surfaced in late 2022, igniting an acrimonious fight that has run ever since, with alleged death threats, claims of sabotage, smashed mailboxes and local officials who supported the project being voted out.
Gotion’s supporters dismiss fears of communist influence as far-fetched and believe that opposition to the plans was fomented by outside, Donald Trump-aligned, political forces who don’t want to see Governor Whitmer “score a win”.
MESA believes industry and government officials perceive rural communities as financially “weak” and filled with a “bunch of hicks only interested in raising horses”.
The plan’s opponents say allegations of outside influence by Trump-aligned political forces are untrue and point to the successful recall in November last year of five out of seven members of the Green Township board of trustees who backed the project as evidence of wide support.
The new board, which now has a majority opposing Gotion’s plans, immediately voted to symbolically rescind support for the project in November last year, even though the township had already signed a development agreement.
The original article contains 1,424 words, the summary contains 197 words. Saved 86%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!
This is the best summary I could come up with:
The state’s Democratic governor, Gretchen Whitmer, and legislative leaders, including many Republicans, pulled together billions of dollars in tax incentives to ensure companies invest there.
Gotion’s plans surfaced in late 2022, igniting an acrimonious fight that has run ever since, with alleged death threats, claims of sabotage, smashed mailboxes and local officials who supported the project being voted out.
Gotion’s supporters dismiss fears of communist influence as far-fetched and believe that opposition to the plans was fomented by outside, Donald Trump-aligned, political forces who don’t want to see Governor Whitmer “score a win”.
MESA believes industry and government officials perceive rural communities as financially “weak” and filled with a “bunch of hicks only interested in raising horses”.
The plan’s opponents say allegations of outside influence by Trump-aligned political forces are untrue and point to the successful recall in November last year of five out of seven members of the Green Township board of trustees who backed the project as evidence of wide support.
The new board, which now has a majority opposing Gotion’s plans, immediately voted to symbolically rescind support for the project in November last year, even though the township had already signed a development agreement.
The original article contains 1,424 words, the summary contains 197 words. Saved 86%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!