Free Republic

The oldest maxim in politics is “follow the money.” That maxim also applies to electric grids. Following the billions of dollars that have been spent on the Texas grid explains why the state continues to have electricity shortages. On Monday, ERCOT, the state’s troubled grid operator, asked Texans to reduce their electricity use. That request came exactly four months after Texas residents were asked to conserve electricity due to a massive winter storm. Before going further, I’ll give you the punchline: As I explained in these pages in April, about $66 billion was spent on wind and solar in Texas...

Former DNC fundraiser was instrumental in luring Amazon to Virginia with lucrative tax incentives The Washington Post, a news blog owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, has issued a controversial endorsement in the Virginia governor's race, backing a white man over two qualified black women seeking the nomination. The Post endorsed Terry McAuliffe, who was elected governor in 2014 despite having no political experience beyond raising money for Democrats. The Post, which also endorsed McAuliffe in 2014, explained its decision by noting that McAuliffe's rivals, including two black women serving in state government, are "relatively untested" and lack political experience....

FINDING THE PATTERNS   Tax breaks worth $3 billion draw a giant Foxconn plant for up to 13,000 workers to make display screens. But economists question the math of an arms race for jobs, and say it advantages big firms at the expense of startups. If all goes to plan, a giant Taiwanese-owned electronics factory will break ground next year in southeastern Wisconsin. The $10 billion plant is supersized: at 20 million square feet, it would be five times the size of Boeing’s main plant in Everett, Wash., and would employ up to 13,000 workers to make screens for devices...

Here’s an interesting way the government is blowing your tax dollars, but more on the state and local level than the federal. As much as I love movies, (well, some of them anyway) the process of making them involves a lot of money. This won’t come as a surprise to anyone who follows the box office numbers on a regular basis. In 1980 the average cost of making a Hollywood film was $4.3M. By last year the average had gone up to $200M and studios are spending up to $100M just on marketing for the big ticket pictures. With that...

So the wife & I are thinking on taking the plunge. I commute about 75 miles a day round trip to work & back. Based on that, I pay over $410 in gas/month on a paid car that is just getting more expensive to maintain. Any other FReepers who are owners care to give your experiences? Is it worth it?

Illinois lawmakers are considering a tax incentive package in hopes of persuading agribusiness giant Archer Daniels Midland Company not to move its global headquarters out of the state. The proposal filed Friday in the Illinois House would give ADM a 10 percent break on utility taxes for up to 30 years and a credit against some state income tax withholdings. The value of the incentives was not disclosed. The package was introduced by state Rep. John Bradley, a Democrat from Marion who is chairman of the House Revenue and Finance Committee. The committee is scheduled to meet Tuesday in Chicago...

Los Angeles’ new mayor has vowed to help stanch the flow of film and TV production jobs out of Hollywood, starting with the appointment of a film czar at City Hall. But to make a real difference, Eric Garcetti needs to convince skeptical state pols to combat the lure of rich tax incentives from outside California. Two days after this year’s Oscars, Hollywood’s councilman Eric Garcetti, then running for mayor of Los Angeles, staged a media event at Sunset Gower Studios. Only a smattering of reporters and photographers showed up, perhaps because the gathering was to address “runaway production,” a...

Fellow RantPolitical.com blogger Jenny Craig (if that is her real name) asks the question, “Why Do Conservative Wingbags Hate Wind Energy?” Assuming that she is talking about wind power and not harnessing the flatulence of bovine bowel activity, I’m more than willing to help a fellow ranter out by answering her question. God knows SOMEONE needs to school her.She leaps off of Romney’s recent policy position that he wants to do away with wind energy tax incentives. She believes Romney (and by association every member of the GOP) are suddenly disconnected from scientific and economic reality for the following reasons:...

It is no secret that business and jobs are flowing to Texas from California but that is not the only state that is benefiting with new jobs as a response to higher taxes in once was called the Golden State.

Those of you who read Constitutional Guardian with some regularity know I am a proponent of smaller government and greater economic freedom. Already I know there are some who will see this as a call for free-wheeling, unbridled capitalism. The kind that brought us Enron they will say. And to them I say: Never mind. Don't bother reading any further. Pull up a chair and turn on MSNC--better for your blood pressure. If you are still reading... well, good. Here's my point. Economic incentives-no matter how poorly conceived-are effective. Cash for Clunkers increased sales for the auto companies dramatically. The...

Incentives for motion picture production shows Arizona's high sales tax rate A few weeks ago, officials shut down Loop 202 in Mesa to film a crash scene for the upcoming movie, The Kingdom. The flaming cars were the first tangible results of Arizona's new motion picture tax incentive program which took effect this spring. Qualifying film production companies are eligible for a corporate income tax credit equal to 10-20 percent of in-state production costs. They are also 100 percent exempt from state and county sales taxes. These tax incentives underscore how much regular Arizonans pay in sales tax: $877 per...

WASHINGTON (AP) - Lawmakers proposed tax changes Monday to encourage charitable giving and help victims of Hurricane Katrina get back on their feet. The Senate's top tax writers offered a package of tax aid that would let hurricane victims tap their retirement accounts without penalty. It also would assist businesses and encourage the donations of cash, food and school books. Senators said the incentives, estimated roughly to reduce taxes by $5 billion to $7 billion, could pass quickly this week. It would be followed with provisions for health coverage for storm victims and, later, by tax incentives to rebuild battered...

OLYMPIA – The Evergreen Freedom Foundation (EFF) received a phone call today from the International Trade Administration (ITA) division of the U.S. Department of Commerce asking for details concerning Governor Locke's 7E7 Boeing contract. This follows on the heels of President Bush's comments at a Seattle Boeing event last Friday, in which the President addressed Boeing's complaints about the subsidies rival Airbus receives: "We think these subsidies are unfair and that [U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick] should pursue all options to end these subsidies, including bringing a WTO [World Trade Organization] case if need be." Airbus has indicated that if...