Posted on 12/02/2016 3:09:18 PM PST by EveningStar
One particularly tough and indigestible nugget of talk-radio stupidity afflicting the guts of conservatism is the idea that there is some sort of fundamental difference between bribing a business with tax cuts and bribing it with a wheelbarrow full of cash. The Trump-Pence bailout of Carrier’s operations in Indiana provides an illustrative case...
Republicans might have had a little bit of a point in the question of general tax cuts: A tax cut and spending are different things, even if the budgetary effects are exactly the same.
But in the matter of industry-specific or firm-specific tax benefits of the sort extended to Carrier in Indiana, they do not have a leg to stand on. These are straight-up corporate welfare, ethically and fiscally indistinguishable from shipping containers full of $100 bills...
(Excerpt) Read more at nationalreview.com ...
NRO can’t get over Trump winning in spite of their sabbotage
The barrel full of cash presumably wasn’t taken from Carrier to begin with, as is the case with the tax incentives. THAT is the difference.
Coming or going?
The annual tax break per job is less than the state income tax those employees would pay. I guess the free trade folks at NR think Indiana should cut off its nose to spite its face.
FUNR. You are moot poop. Welcome to the middle of reality.
Does this idiot even realize the difference is letting the company keep money to invest over a period of years, instead of getting a handout that hurts everyone, and is limited in nature?
It’s not a bailout. Like how they mislead and lie about tax cuts and deregulation.
That story is “rich” with irony.
Trump not only promised to work on tax breaks to keep companies in the U.S., he promised to bring companies back using the same tactics.
Poor NRO didn’t listen.
They were too busy popping off, they hated him so much.
#Nevermore#NeverTrump
They clearly didn't make a decision to stay in Indiana because of the $7 million incentive package that Indiana gave to them. The Indiana economic development authority has been offering those incentives to Carrier for a long time (maybe two years?), but they weren't interested in it before.
Something changed their mind in the last few weeks, and I'm sure it had more to do with the leadership and attitude that Trump/Pence brought to the table more than the money itself.
National Review has consistently supported outsourcing jobs to foreign countries since the Bush years. This trend has damaged the American economy and also contributed to the deficit, since the laid off employees are either unemployed or holding minimum wage jobs that pay little in Federal taxes.
Patriotism should apply to every American, including overpaid corporate executives.
The Glass-Steagal act was repealed by Congress and the Repeal was signed by then president Bill Clinton. That was a deregulation. However, pretending that only the Republicans were involved was the lie. Tax cuts were across the board.
I hate to admit it but he has a point.
Shouldn’t every business get the same tax cuts, not just ones threatening to move their business to a different country?
I know Trump was trying to help out in this specific situation but it does, in effect, reward a company that was threatening to move a chunk of its business to Mexico.
The problem is the overall business climate in the US is not friendly to businesses large and small. In addition, States have the power to tax (or not tax) businesses and if we believe in the right of States to set their own policies then the Federal government (or its representatives, like a president) should not be interfering in that.
I’m sorry, there is a lot wrong with this deal, even if we agree that it is good for the particular families involved that have their jobs saved (for how long no one knows). I’m happy for these families but the bigger picture is important here too.
Williamson should apply for work with the Huffington Post.
Yeah, but if Carrier moved their plant to Mexico they would be paying even less in taxes, plus all their workers would be on unemployment for some amount of time.
Written from the philosophical (Teachers lounge) point of view that its ALL the governments money and not the individuals or company that made it.
If NRO doesn’t like it it’s most likely a good thing
NRO sounds just like Levin. They are stuck on crazy stupid.
I would rather Carrier keep their seven millions (over ten years) than give it to government to waste.
That seven hundred thousand a year will result in about $40 million in direct payroll income a year for those 1000 people, which even at a 10% tax rate results in $4 million a year in tax revenues.
Additionally think of all the money governments save in unemployment benefits, as well as probably food stamps and some welfare from not having 1000 people unemployed.
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