Georgia Gov. Deal signs tax bill sans Delta cuts

Fox 5 Atlanta ^ | 3/2/2018 | staff

[bkopto]

Georgia Governor Nathan Deal signed a new tax bill into law Friday that fellow Republicans changed to punish Atlanta-based company Delta Airlines for dropping a special deal they offered to members of the National Rifle Association.

The bill, which focused on allowing tax breaks for corporations bringing the state in line with the new federal tax code, would have allowed a $50 million sales tax exemption on jet fuel. However, following the shooting a high school in Parkland, Florida which claimed 17 lives, Delta decided to drop ties with the organization which led to an angry backlash from prominent Georgia Republicans.

"I will kill any tax legislation that benefits @Delta unless the company changes its position and fully reinstates its relationship with @NRA," Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle tweeted early this week following Delta’s announcement. "Corporations cannot attack conservatives and expect us not to fight back."

"I'm tired of conservatives being kicked around on our values and it's time that we stand up and fight and show corporations that conservative values are important," Cagle said Monday afternoon.

Wednesday, Gov. Deal placed some blame on the pressures of Cagle’s gubernatorial run.

"Sometimes you get caught up in the heat of the moment and the context of a political campaign and people are urging you to take positions and say things that if you really had thought about them a little longer you might not have said and you might not have done,” Deal said.

[bkopto]

So Governor Deal really didn't want to sign it....

[rockinqsranch]

CS.

[Robert A Cook PE]

Well, the fact remains that he signed it anyway.

Now, this does several things. Most of them positive.

Delta loses a “tax break” - and, while I don’t like ANYBODY paying more taxes - this wa a specific “deal” for Delta, and a cut for SW who don’t fuel as much in Atlanta GA as elesewhere.

It gives the state a tax increase on one company without the rest of the state getting a specific screw (Delta customers will end up with the bill of course),
it lets the GA repubbies claim they are supporting the NRA,
it shows state that the repubbies are NOT raising taxes (sort of),
it allows them to say they are NOT “bowing down to corporate America” with tax breaks for “the rich corporations”
It pisses off the wimpy-gender-male-pink Delta CEO,
it pisses off the liberals,
it pisses off the Atlanta press corpse.

[dynoman]

13 people got the NRA discount, and for that they lost a 40M tax break.

[taterjay]

Yeah, Deal signed it but he should have said those words to Delta.

[MNJohnnie]

The mis reporting on this has been horrible

Delta is all ready paying the tax. They were asking for a tax break to exempt future purchaes of jet fuel.

All this does is leave the status quo in place.

[SoFloFreeper]

many wins there.

let Delta fly.

this is going to hurt ‘em bad.

hey, remember when the media APPLAUDED the threats by corporations to North Carolina when the legislature there DARED to say that people with XY chromosomes HAD to use toilets marked for “men”?

Good for the goose, punks.

[Flick Lives]

13 people got the NRA discount, and for that they lost a 40M tax break.

I'll bet Delta didn't think virtue signaling was so expensive.

[User901]

Woooooo yeah!!! I’m all for crackin enemies of freedom right square in the Fn face. Boom!! FU Delta Airlines!!

[madprof98]

Governor Deal is a Republican-of-convenience, a Democrat “convert.” He especially hates social conservatives; he loves corporate money and power. In other words, pure scum.

[Savage Rider]

I’m confused by the headline. Doesn’t “sans” mean without?

[GoldenPup]

When you sow Bullshit, you reap Bullshit.