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I agree. President Trump should call for ending sports teams' subsidies whether their players kneel during the Anthem or not. That is the proper way to stop "meddling in private industry matters".
Don't you agree?
Sports never had any business being subsidized in the first place, but threatening to revoke them afterwards punitively seems like a violation of the 1st. However, if it was made clear that they will be revoked either way, regardless of the protests, that would be great. Unfortunately you can't really put the true intent back in the box once you vocalize it to millions of people via Twitter.
I agree. President Trump should call for ending sports teams' subsidies whether their players kneel during the Anthem or not. That is the proper way to stop "meddling in private industry matters".
Don't you agree?
I don't care if they get subsidies. As I said, I adamantly dislike the NFL, and would not cry a tear over their demise.
But this is not what we're talking about now are we? No, we're talking about Trump's dangerous game with the first amendment.
It's not private industry. They are registered with the government as a special organization. So they have limits.
Now anthem sits may not be an official reason to adjust the tax benefits, but there may be something else. Does there need to be an official reason to adjust their taxes? My point is that as a 501c6, they are not private industry, and choose to subject themselves to the government, moreso than a business not registered as a special organization.
The league itself held non-profit status and had been exempt from taxes since 1942, which sounds ridiculous considering the amount of revenue it generates each year. But it’s important to know that the league office was the entity with the exemption. The 32 individual teams are subject to taxes.
The NFL was able to secure tax-exempt status as a trade association, but these days, it doesn’t really resemble one of those. The public began to focus on the fact that the league wasn’t paying taxes on its revenue, and with a commissioner who was making around $44 million a year at last count, that was bound to raise some eyebrows. So the league voluntarily gave up its tax-exempt status in 2015.
Now, many of the stadiums built have had various financial incentives, but those are state and local issues, not federal. There's basically nothing Trump or the federal government can do.
They are a 501c6 league that gets tax breaks for a bunch of millionaires.
We are not talking US Steel here...
Not really. The only part of the NFL that is 501c6 is the league office - the entity that writes the rules, hires the refs etc. The millionaire (billionaire) team owners pay taxes on team revenue like any one else. Even then, the league office has voluntarily foregone its tax status. So Trump's threats, like his head, are largely empty unless one is concerned with a president who threatens the First Amendment.
It's not private industry. They are registered with the government as a special organization. So they have limits.
Now anthem sits may not be an official reason to adjust the tax benefits, but there may be something else. Does there need to be an official reason to adjust their taxes? My point is that as a 501c6, they are not private industry, and choose to subject themselves to the government, moreso than a business not registered as a special organization.
Even if that was the case for the entirety of the league and the owners, we all know that Trump's very public threats could very easily be linked to the change in their tax status. That is a dangerous connection, and borders on First Amendment infringements.
Now, many of the stadiums built have had various financial incentives, but those are state and local issues, not federal. There's basically nothing Trump or the federal government can do.
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Originally Posted by Ponderosa
Not really. The only part of the NFL that is 501c6 is the league office - the entity that writes the rules, hires the refs etc. The millionaire (billionaire) team owners pay taxes on team revenue like any one else. Even then, the league office has voluntarily foregone its tax status. So Trump's threats, like his head, are largely empty unless one is concerned with a president who threatens the First Amendment.
Sports never had any business being subsidized in the first place,
I agree completely. It's also true of many other things Big Government subsidizes.
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but threatening to revoke them afterwards punitively seems like a violation of the 1st.
How absurd. The subsidy was applied individually to just the NFL. That error must be corrected individually, on the same NFL. What does "speech" have to do with it?
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However, if it was made clear that they will be revoked either way, regardless of the protests, that would be great.
Would be nice if Trump actually addressed the issue of police killing people of all races. Instead of worrying about fake-patriotism. How about actually addressing the issue that all of this is about?
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