Local Governments spend $90 Billion a year luring large corporations
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But the governors that most people elect are corrupt, their campaigns are funded by the richest people in America. They are not going to disobey their masters, sadly. The reality is that unless we strengthen labor unions and get big money out of politics, the situation will be far worse before it can be better. After all, we cant have massive inequality and democracy at the same time. When a tiny elite have so much money compare to the masses, they can easily buy the political process. We have to choose, either massive inequality or democracy. And democracy is a threat to any system of power, no matter how much the corporate elites pretend they are for it.
The most prosperous time for all Americans was when organized labor had a lot more power.
Now our economy resembles the Soviet Union where everyone else is getting poorer while the corporations that own our government and their puppets get richer.
Big labor unions represent millions of workers. Its not a single billionaire buying the political process and own most of what people hear, read and watch on media. Can labor unions be corrupt? Absolutely. But labor unions have democratized all societies where they are strong and powerful like nothing else has. Thats why the billlionaire elite always target labor unions first in their quest for total unchecked power. Labor unions and democracy is a huge threat to their power, status and privilege.
One of the first things Hitler did when he came to power was to disband the labor unions.
On May 2, 1933, Adolf Hitler’s storm troopers occupied all trade union headquarters across Germany, and union leaders were arrested and put in prison or concentration camps. Many were beaten and tortured. All of the unions’ funds – in other words, the workers’ money – were confiscated. Former union officials were put on blacklists, preventing them from finding work.
This was one of the first acts of Hitler and the Nazis, who had just come to power in Germany a few months earlier, in January 1933. The German labor movement was one of the largest and strongest in the world, with some 7 million members at the time.
Shouldnt corporations put on their bootstraps, not look for any handouts and support themselves?
I buy and invest in stocks and hope that the companies I invest in do their due diligence in making profit. And that includes any legal tax breaks or subsidies.
I found this interesting article on how local governments spend more than the Fed does every year on Housing, Education, or infrastructure on giant tax breaks for large multi billion dollar companies like Amazon. Imagine what we could spend that money on, especially places that don't really have the funds to spend on companies that are already extremely profitable. https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/ar...llegal/575539/
what's even worse is cities like NYC and states like New York are asking for federal funds too
The most prosperous time for all Americans was when organized labor had a lot more power.
Now our economy resembles the Soviet Union where everyone else is getting poorer while the corporations that own our government and their puppets get richer.
This is true, although not a great example. The 1950s were prosperous because Europe and Japan had been devastated by WWII. The US had no competition for manufacturing during that time.
But I agree with you about unionism. During the fifties, union membership was around 33%, mostly private sector. Today private sector unionism is down to 6%. Democrats could have addressed this in 2008, but didn't instead they push minimum wage, which is a phony issue. Sweden has NO minimum wage, and workers are 67% union.
You OBVIOUSLY don't know a thong about "tax incentives". (must be public school "educated!)
"Imagine what we could spend that money on,"
The REASON they give tax breaks is because of the REVENUES the company will BRING INTO the state they are gambling on.
The end result is a GAIN in revenues.
Your "thinking" is like if I go to college or trade school today, it will cost me say, $80,000 a year, no way am I going to pay that much money, it isn't worth it. I'll keep flipping burgers.
It is a SHAME the schools today DON'T teach ANYTHING about business, finance, tax incentives, investments, etc.
The fact that you make many broad generalizations show me you OTOH know absolutely nothing the irony in your idiotic statements. The problem is despite how much money these corporations bring to the areas many times the wealth is not spread throughout the community winch already occupies the land. Amazon is a trillion dollar company the question is why spend the money if they were already going to NYC, and DC in the first place. My grip is if the community needs to work on the people that already live there, how can it really sustain such a strain? Don't ask me just ask the locals of these communities and Seattle.
This is true, although not a great example. The 1950s were prosperous because Europe and Japan had been devastated by WWII. The US had no competition for manufacturing during that time.
But I agree with you about unionism. During the fifties, union membership was around 33%, mostly private sector. Today private sector unionism is down to 6%. Democrats could have addressed this in 2008, but didn't instead they push minimum wage, which is a phony issue. Sweden has NO minimum wage, and workers are 67% union.
I think this country has always done well for the majority when imports were low and exports can be high or low even. During the prosperous 1920's, Exports and Imports were low and were able to afford the same products we made. High Imports only benefit the small upper elites while everyone else's wages and purchasing power decreases.
Go a few years further into the late 1970's and study the major campaigns put forth by some big corporations to turn the tables to their benefit in their government.
CFR, Bilderberg and WTO and so on have had a major impact on our country, run by the heads of Big Corporations and Banks. The existence of these organizations was once labeled tin foil territory since the media was never allowed to join and broadcast the organizations goals.
The organizations are no longer denied as existing since some citizens took matters into their own hands and filmed the comings and goings of them.
Now they are down played.
But, the people attending, are the same people that have a heavy presence in Washington DC and lobbyists and politicians that are making the rules for us all.
This has not decreased with Trump either.
Under Trump, Lobbyists have only increased.
Open Secrets is a pretty good site that attacks both parties and the corruption involved.
President Donald Trump promised to drain the swamp. Instead, it’s filling up.
For the first time since 2007, the number of registered lobbyists along with federal lobbying spending each went up, reversing annual declines that began a decade ago.
In all, $3.37 billion was spent on federal lobbying last year, up 7 percent from $3.15 billion in 2016. The increase comes after declines in spending five of the previous six years, rising less than 1 percent the other year.
The 7-percent gain is the largest year-to-year bump since former President George W. Bush’s final year in office in 2008. A crackdown on lobbyists by the Obama administration curtailed years of free spending, which rose from $1.6 billion in 2000 to a record $3.5 billion in 2010.
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