Helping the less fortunate is the most Christian of values

I read with interest this article on how government checks during the pandemic have helped ease the suffering of many Americans.

I've been working and paying taxes since I was 14 years old.

Other than Pell Grants in college, there is not one time I've taken a dime of money in direct public aid. Not unemployment. Not welfare. Not HEAP. Nothing else. Not once.

Do I resent that I work hard and pay taxes to help out those less fortunate?

NOT ONE DAMN BIT.

Even though a small minority might take advantage of it?

Still NOT ONE DAMN BIT.

No reason to throw the baby out with the bath water.

The reason why is very simple.

I've personally known a lot of people who have been unemployed and were the furthest thing from lazy. I've seen proof of the old saying that you work harder when you're trying to find a job than when you have a job. I've seen the shame and humiliation these good people felt for a situation that, quite often, was no fault of their own. And that's even without privileged jackasses crapping on them.

Do I resent that I was working hard to ease their misfortune?

NOT ONE DAMN BIT.

But the reason is simpler. I was raised in a household with Christian values. I recall the old saying "There but for the grace of God go I."

If I lost my job after working hard for all those years and some schmuck crapped on me for it, I wouldn't be too thrilled.

And if after paying into system for over 30 years, someone called me lazy or a leech because I tried to get a fraction of that back, I might well punch them in the mouth.

I try to have empathy for others - except the cruel - because my luck might run out at some point and I would want others to be decent to me in such a situation. It's the civilized human being thing to do.

There are literally thousands of things I resent my tax dollars going toward. Corporate welfare. Imperialism. Funding foreign armies who commit human rights abuses.

I would much rather my tax dollars go toward easing human suffering than causing it. https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/06/02/nation/stimulus-checks-substantially-reduced-hardship-study-shows/?p1=BGSearch_Overlay_Results&fbclid=IwAR3LqKe53Yn3z4uHjHzNIdvUuz8H-OD4Gd17QLFtS0uE2ANmwrESgeyfwCI

'Economic development' scams three times more likely to lose jobs than create them

The slush funds known as economic development programs not only lavish 7 billion in New York state tax dollars each year, not only lavish these special perks to a mere 4% of businesses, they do so in a secretive fashion that provide no accountability to assure the recipients actually produce the number of jobs they promise. Over a quarter of projects receiving "economic development" funds were not obligated to promise to create or retain a single job.

To the extent that the data could be analyzed, only 13% produced the number of jobs proposed while 40% either didn't create a single job or actually lost jobs.

Ignore the wizard behind the curtain

After scamming the taxpayers of New York out of about $2.4 BILLION in corporate welfare (I mean, "economic development"), the chumps at Global Foundries are now cutting dozens of jobs in the state.

But forget about them. Focus your anger instead of the guy buying a buck fifty Twix with food stamps.

How tax dodging General Electric threw a community to the wolves

General Electric spent decades polluting the Hudson River that runs through the twin villages of Hudson Falls and Fort Edward, NY. Then GE spent decades and lots of money fighting attempts to make them clean up the mess it made in the river. Then it closed the plants in both villages dealing a gargantuan blow to the local economy and to those who want to work for a living. It claims the Fort Edward plant is “uncompetitive.” It rejected the union’s offer of job givebacks and modernization. It was also reported that the factory’s equipment dates from the 1940s.

This is a bit shocking. You'd think that since GE pays no income taxes, they would have more money to invest in proper equipment.

 

Call me crazy, but is it a possibility that the factory wasn’t uncompetitive because of its workers, but because GE saddled those employees with 70 year old equipment?

 

Corporate welfare, spying, Egyptian 'democracy' and malaria

-The Nation of Change website explores which company is the biggest wage stiffer in America. The article also pointed out that: A study in Wisconsin by the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce determined that a typical Walmart store costs taxpayers over $1.7 million per year, or about $5,815 per employee.

-President Obama today announced modest changes to the program that spies on every America. Despite the tweaks, the program remains a clear violation of the 4th Amendment.
If Obama had truly ‘welcomed’ this debate, as he disingenuously claimed in his press conference, he would’ve started the debate on himself a long time ago. For him to say the debate would've happened without Snowden's actions is so disingenuous as to be laughable.

-John Kerry, secretary of state of our Nobel Peace Prize president, recently described the coup in Egypt as 'restoring democracy.' Yes, that's the military coup that overthrew a democratically-elected government. And we thought such Orwellian doublespeak was a relic of the Cold War. In Egypt itself, some protesters are trying to find a third way. "What Egypt is doing right now is repeating the same mistakes, only doing so with much greater enthusiasm and speed," warned one expert. "All of the plots in the 2011 transition — a rushed constitutional process, a failure to hammer out consensus on basic issues, a complete trust in the military — those are all being repeated."

-Many media outlets reported the successful trials of a vaccine against malaria, the world's deadliest disease. A hopeful sign... hopefully.

Wal-Mart: America's biggest welfare queen

I was reading an article on how giant retailers stiff their workers and it pointed out how they're also stiffing American taxpayers.


It cited a study by the US Committee on Education at the Workforce [which] determined that a typical Walmart store *costs* taxpayers over $1.7 million per year, or about $5,815 per employee.

The analysis is probably overly generous to retailers, seeming to assume the average employee is actually assigned to work for 40 hours.

When they receive huge corporate welfare benefits *and* pay employees so little that they have to seek food stamps, Medicaid and other social services, Wal-Mart is leeching off the taxpayer at both ends.

One of the great propaganda coups of our time

Take $700,000,000,000 away from working Americans to bailout crooked bankers and then convince the public our fiscal woes are the fault of a teacher earning $40,000 a year. This has to be one of the great propaganda coups of our time.

Welfare queens

The New York Times did a revealing article on General Electric. On $5.1 billion ($5,100,000,000) profits it made in the US, its federal tax ball was... zero ($0).

A teacher or prison guard making $40k with good benefits enrages American society but grotesque welfare queens like this are barely a blip on our radar.

A good example of political bribes... I mean... "donations" well spent.

My taxes are too high, now give me more handouts

In the last few days, I’ve read two stories about GlobalFoundries, which is constructing a chip fab plant in Malta with $1,300,000,000 (and counting) in subsidies from the taxpayers.

One article was them whining about New York state taxes and fees.

Another was about how they were allegedly going to create 400 jobs with another almost $16,000,000 in subsidies from already strapped new York state.

And despite getting $1.3 billion in subsidies, they're balking about a claimed $94 million discrprency in their property tax assessment by the town of Malta. Haven't they milked the taxpayers enough?

Maybe a reason taxes and the budget deficit are so high in NYS and is because we’re shoveling so much money toward this sort of corporate welfare. But if some mom on food stamps buys a $3 Red Bull, now THAT’S the real outrage.


Update: As if that sort of bad neighborliness isn't enough, Planet Albany blog reports on serious concerns by local officials about the storage of hazardous chemicals in undisclosed, off-site locations.

The GlobalFoundries black hole wants to suck even more taxpayer money

Matt over a Farenell Photography noticed that GlobalFoundries (formerly AMD) is seeking even more taxpayer money for its Luther Forest project in Malta, NY. This sum is in addition to the $1.2 BILLION in corporate welfare the conglomerate has already been handed over.

Tellingly, a GlobalFoundries spokesman would not say precisely how much money the company is seeking from the state, how large the expansion could be or how many jobs may be created if the expansion occurs

Meanwhile, schools, parks and hospitals are facing dramatic cuts in state aid, some even mooting closure, while schools and municipalities are looking at hikes to the state's already sky high property taxes.

As Sarah Palin (who I never thought would say anything worth repeating in public) might say: "Not just no, HELL NO."

Brodsky looking into Yankee Stadium funding

Updating an earlier piece...

State Assemblyman Richard Brodsky, who represents the district to the immediate north of the Bronx, has become a thorn in the side of the Yankees.

Brodsky has been pressing the Bronx Bombers on spending related to their new stadium, much of which has come with public funds.

The chairman of the Assembly Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions is trying to subpoena documents related to the ballpark's construction.

Brodsky contends the Yankees are spending $4 billion in public money without providing enough jobs, affordable tickets or public information about the new stadium. He issued the subpoena as chairman of the Assembly's committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions, reported the Albany Times-Union.

The Yankees said Brodsky's numbers were wrong and called him publicity hungry.

Brodsky stressed his money figures were accurate, outlining dollars spent between bonds, interest and aid.

"The state could have bought the Yankees for less than it cost to build the stadium," Brodsky told reporters.

Brodksy's long struck me as one of the few good guys in Albany. And if his numbers are correct, this is an even more scandalous tax giveaway than the infamous AMD project in Saratoga County. So I wish the Westchester Democrat well.

IDAs and the ruse of 'economic development'

Earlier this month, the NYS Assembly Committee on Local Governments held hearings on reform of Industrial Development Agencies (IDAs).

WMHT's New York Now program devoted its show last week to reform of the controversial IDA and Empire Zone programs.

Defenders of these programs claim that these programs are ways of offsetting the high cost of doing business in New York. But the real solution to that problem is to reduce corrupt wasteful spending, such as in the state's infamous public authorities (exposed as an over $1 billion slush fund by an excellent series in The Syracuse Post-Standard).

This would lower state and property taxes for EVERYONE, rather than letting the good ol' boy network dish out tax breaks to their buddies. If anything, these special tax giveaways reduce the amount of revenue coming into the public coffers and ends up RAISING taxes for everyone else, those without good connections. Steal from the hard working small business owners so you can give $1.2 billion to the gargantuan multinational.

I'll specifically deal with Empire Zones in a future entry, but New York Now pointed out something that shocked me: IDAs have the power of eminent domain.

It's bad enough that elected bodies like a city council can seize your property and give it to monied developers. It's even more disgusting that an unelected, opaque body like an IDA can do so.

In addition to appearing on the New York Now episode referenced above, local small businessman Matt Funiciello testified before the Assembly committee. His testimony explaining the wasteful and unaccountable nature of the IDA process can be found here.

Cut the budget or the corporate welfare?

If you support a progressive agenda, then support a progressive candidate.

I've been a big fan of the way David Paterson has tried to run New York since becoming the Accidental Governor. He recognizes that the state is facing a serious budget crisis and that the state has to fundamentally change the way it does things. He understands and is trying to make legislators accept that irresponsible spending habits have contributed to what was a state budget crisis even before the collapse of Wall Street. He's lectured repeatedly and, astonishingly, to great public approval, on the need for austerity. He understands that the status quo is unacceptable.

Or at least I thought he did.

Just days after saying he'd seek a further $2 billion in cuts to the existing state budget, Paterson has said that Albany can afford to waste $1.2 billion in subsidy handouts to Advanced Micro Devices, in possibly the largest corporate welfare scheme in state history.

I am disappointed beyond words in Paterson. He'd appeared to show courage in standing up to both public sector unions and the business lobby in pushing for across the board cuts. But when it came to one of the most obvious cuts of all, gargantuan, no strings attached handouts, he reverted back to the bad old habits.

Shame on him.

The corporate fleecing of America: it's not just for Washington anymore

If you support a progressive agenda, then support a progressive candidate.

Adirondack Almanack blog has a great editorial on corporate welfare and how the ingrateful recipients of it are now biting the hands that once fed it. So, for example, taxpayers in Ticonderoga, NY subsidized the destruction of main street locally-owned business by the corporate behemoth Wal-Mart only to see that corporate behemoth (most recent annual profit $3,500,000,000) raise holy heck about $30,000 in town taxes.

Save money? Live better? Not quite.

Local Greens to protest gargantuan tax giveaway

The US is a country where big business yammers on about 'the free market' and whines whenever government 'oppresses' them. But when government messes with the free market in their favor, big business is always appreciative of such corporate welfare.

A computer chip fabrication company called Advanced Micro Devices has promised to build a huge factory in Saratoga County's Luther Forest Technology Campus, about half an hour north of Albany, NY.

The company claims that plant would not have been built without a gargantuan tax giveaway. The state promised AMD a $1.2 billion incentive package that includes capital grants, tax breaks and infrastructure improvements. The building would cost only $600 million.

By comparison, $1.2 billion is more than the gross domestic product of 29 independent countries.

The factory will allegedly employ 1200 people.

That's $1 million per job.

$1 million in subsidies paid by the ordinary taxpayer.

I've never been a fan of tax breaks for businesses. I can tolerate such programs for small businesses, because mom and pop stores aren't going to up and move after a few years because another state offered them a sweeter deal.

But big corporations location shop all the time. They play one locality/state against another to extort the best deal.

The purported justification of these tax breaks is that they allow for job creation... even when it's merely job relocation.

Even if the new jobs in Luther Forest represent entirely new money, a questionable premise, how long is it going to take to recoup $1 million per job?

For the sake of argument, let's say the jobs offer a generous average annual salary of $50,000. And let's say all of the money is spent locally. Even under these two conditions, it's going to take 20 years before the local and state governments (taxpayers) break even.

Of course, this doesn't factor inflation, which will raise salaries. But it also doesn't factor that much of the money will be leaving the region in federal taxes. And it doesn't factor in further costs to maintain infrastructure for AMD's, such as roads, water and electricity.

It's going to take an entire generation for the state and local taxpayer to break even.

And that's assuming AMD actually sticks around. That it'll do so without cutting jobs. And that chips will still be a relevant technology in 20 years. None of these is a given.

This is also not factoring the future costs based on AMD's poor environmental record.

The Tri-County (Warren, Washington, Saratoga) Greens point out that 'AMD has had several superfund sites.' Such as in Santa Clara County in California. The different sites, in fact.

The corporation's filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission has a long section on its legal proceedings. It has a good summary of how it screwed up Santa Clara County's environment and the incredibly intrusive steps it had to take as a result.

New York state is not the only government AMD is leeching off. It recently sucked 262 million Euros (US$359 million) from the teat of the German taxpayer.

The same economic development myth was used.

'I am pleased to approve aid for an important investment project in a high-tech sector which will contribute to regional development and job creation in a disadvantaged region of Germany,' competition commissioner Neelie Kroes said in a statement.

But as North Country Public Radio has reported in the last few days, the job creation myth is often just that.

Some years ago, New York state created the Empire Zone program, which is designed to give tax breaks to companies who create jobs in disadvantaged areas. Or rather, promise to create jobs. There's been little accountability until very recently, when a newspaper investigation has shamed officials into action.

The program's cost has exploded from $30 million to around $550 million in only seven years. But of thousands of programs who signed up for the job creating Empire Zone, as many as 3000 may have failed to meet their goals for... creating jobs, according to Gov. Eliot Spitzer's office.

The Syracuse Post-Standard has done a long series of good articles detailing abuse and inefficiency in Empire Zone tax giveaways.

Maybe if the state closed all these corporate loopholes and stopped all the giveaways, it would have enough money to lower tax rates for EVERYONE. Isn't this a far more sensible economic development program than throwing money with no strings attached toward big companies that don't need it?

$550 million was judged by the legislature as sufficient economic development seed money for the state (and bloated and corrupt at that amount). How could taxpayers possibly benefit from a giveaway to a single environmentally dubious corporation in a single town that's more than twice as generous as a program for the entire rest of the state combined?


Note: The Tri-County Greens are organizing a protest against an AMD summit hosted by local Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand. Opponents of this environmentally destructive corporate welfare scheme will be congregating outside the Gideon Putnam hotel in Saratoga Springs at noon on August 14. Contact me at popeyeckn @ yahoo.com if you need more info and I'll either answer you or pass it along to the organizers.