Sara S
08-20-2015, 01:42 PM
from SF Chronicle:
By Chris Rufer
August 19, 2015
Here’s a depressing statistic: 68 percent (https://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/general_politics/february_2011/68_believe_government_and_big_business_work_together_against_the_rest_of_us)of Americans believe big government and big business “work together against the rest of us.”
Here’s something even sadder: It appears they’re right.
I say that as a business owner who has seen collusion between politicians and my fellow business leaders. The explosion in the size and scope of government — driven by both parties and from Washington down to the smallest city council — has led to a similar explosion in corporate welfare and special-interest handouts.
There are far too many examples to count. They include subsidies, tax credits, mandates, favorable loans and regulations, and more.
The Cato Institute (https://www.cato.org/)estimates that business subsidies cost taxpayers at least $100 billion (https://www.cato.org/publications/policy-analysis/corporate-welfare-federal-budget)every year. The New York Times estimates that state and local subsidies add $80 billion (https://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/02/us/how-local-taxpayers-bankroll-corporations.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0). Federal tax carve-outs increase the price tag by yet another $100 billion (https://taxfoundation.org/sites/taxfoundation.org/files/docs/sr184.pdf), according to the Tax Foundation (https://taxfoundation.org/principles-sound-tax-policy).
This money is taken directly from the people’s pockets — where it rightly belongs — and is divvied up by bureaucrats and politicians who think they can make better decisions than the rest of us.
Even worse, corporate welfare corrupts the role of business. In a free and fair economy, ...
Continues here. (https://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/openforum/article/Corporate-welfare-is-killing-the-economy-6454138.php)
By Chris Rufer
August 19, 2015
Here’s a depressing statistic: 68 percent (https://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/general_politics/february_2011/68_believe_government_and_big_business_work_together_against_the_rest_of_us)of Americans believe big government and big business “work together against the rest of us.”
Here’s something even sadder: It appears they’re right.
I say that as a business owner who has seen collusion between politicians and my fellow business leaders. The explosion in the size and scope of government — driven by both parties and from Washington down to the smallest city council — has led to a similar explosion in corporate welfare and special-interest handouts.
There are far too many examples to count. They include subsidies, tax credits, mandates, favorable loans and regulations, and more.
The Cato Institute (https://www.cato.org/)estimates that business subsidies cost taxpayers at least $100 billion (https://www.cato.org/publications/policy-analysis/corporate-welfare-federal-budget)every year. The New York Times estimates that state and local subsidies add $80 billion (https://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/02/us/how-local-taxpayers-bankroll-corporations.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0). Federal tax carve-outs increase the price tag by yet another $100 billion (https://taxfoundation.org/sites/taxfoundation.org/files/docs/sr184.pdf), according to the Tax Foundation (https://taxfoundation.org/principles-sound-tax-policy).
This money is taken directly from the people’s pockets — where it rightly belongs — and is divvied up by bureaucrats and politicians who think they can make better decisions than the rest of us.
Even worse, corporate welfare corrupts the role of business. In a free and fair economy, ...
Continues here. (https://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/openforum/article/Corporate-welfare-is-killing-the-economy-6454138.php)