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Mississippi’s Crony Capitalism Under Microscope

Like South Carolina, Mississippi is populated disproportionately with dumb as dirt, overweight, flat broke mouth breathing government dependents too stupid to realize how colossally their “Republican” government is giving them the shaft. Specifically, these dim bulbs believe unswervingly that “economic development” occurs when politicians tell them new jobs have been…

Like South Carolina, Mississippi is populated disproportionately with dumb as dirt, overweight, flat broke mouth breathing government dependents too stupid to realize how colossally their “Republican” government is giving them the shaft. Specifically, these dim bulbs believe unswervingly that “economic development” occurs when politicians tell them new jobs have been “created” – never suspecting that they are in fact subsidizing those new jobs.

Ah, blissful ignorance …

In fact things are actually much worse in the Magnolia State than they are in South Carolina (if you can imagine that), hence the unofficial motto of the Palmetto State – Deo Gratia Mississippi.

Anyway …

Making headlines this week is a new report which claims the $300 million in taxpayer-funded incentives offered by Mississippi to Japanese automotive manufacturer Nissan back in 2000 was really more on the order of $1.3 billion. The study was commissioned by United Auto Workers (UAW) supporters – so take its findings with an ocean of salt – but it certainly appears as though the package offered to the company in exchange for its decision to locate a plant in Canton, Mississippi was much larger than originally reported.

That highlights the No. 3 problem with incentives … they’re simply not transparent (i.e. big bucks doled out today could wind up being much bigger bucks tomorrow).

The No. 2 problem? “Economic development” isn’t – or at least shouldn’t be – the responsibility or prerogative of government. It’s just not a core function.

The worst thing about incentives, though? They shift (and raise) the tax burden on other businesses, making them doubly unfair to the un-incentivized.

Last year Nissan announced a big expansion in Mississippi (one greeted with a fresh injection of taxpayer funding). That prompted one local media outlet to question whether the massive (and ongoing) investment had been a good deal for the state.

Here in South Carolina we already know the answer to the question “are incentives good public policy?”

What we need now is for our state’s intellectually incurious media to stop parroting politicians’ talking points and start asking it …

***

 

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40 comments

GrandTango May 20, 2013 at 12:55 pm

Yeah FITS: “Capitalism” is the problem…
You F^&*in, lockstep idiot….

Reply
LMAO May 20, 2013 at 1:36 pm

No, T…Capitalization is the problem…

Reply
Sex Wax May 20, 2013 at 2:05 pm

Ouch!

Reply
? May 21, 2013 at 8:38 am

You represent the average GOP voter very well sometimes Big T. You can’t even distinguish “capitalism” from crony capitalism.

Reply
CNSYD May 20, 2013 at 1:00 pm

Is the Canton plant a UAW shop? If it is not, then why in hell would you believe anything the UAW says.

Reply
Smirks May 20, 2013 at 1:27 pm

A quick Google search brought this up:

Clergy members, activists, politicians, students, and concerned citizens
from across Mississippi created the Mississippi Alliance for Fairness
at Nissan (MAFFAN) to protest Nissan’s intimidation and suppression of
union activity and to advocate for a fair union election process at
Nissan’s Canton, Mississippi plant.

So I’m guessing that, no, there isn’t a union there. I believe Honda and Toyota are much the same in that regards. The “Big Three” fucked up big when they screwed over their employees to the point where they unionized back in the day, and they’re paying the price for that even today. A lot of these foreign brands that build cars here give sufficient, decent, comparable pay and bennies – as well as good ol’ fashioned union suppression techniques – to avoid the same fate.

Reply
GrandTango May 20, 2013 at 1:32 pm

Didn’t Toyota give Jesse Jackson $5 million that he used to pay-off the mistress, mother of his illigit???

And Obama (his media) still went after Toyota, when Obama nationalized GM for himself and the Unions…

The left will F^&k you if you pay them off or not…if it benefits their crusade…

And Dumb@$$ FITS is complaining about “Capitalism”…Any wonder we have the biggest F%^&k up in American in the White House, TWICE???

Reply
dwb619 May 20, 2013 at 4:49 pm

It is certainly nice to have a breath of fresh air,”Big idio”T”, to clear the fog of mis-information. Of course , he is “a trained professional journalist”.
How many quarters of keyboard kussing you have take to tjat online degree?
YOU BETCHA!
YOU BETCHA!

Reply
CNSYD May 20, 2013 at 1:00 pm

Is the Canton plant a UAW shop? If it is not, then why in hell would you believe anything the UAW says.

Reply
Smirks May 20, 2013 at 1:27 pm

A quick Google search brought this up:

Clergy members, activists, politicians, students, and concerned citizens
from across Mississippi created the Mississippi Alliance for Fairness
at Nissan (MAFFAN) to protest Nissan’s intimidation and suppression of
union activity and to advocate for a fair union election process at
Nissan’s Canton, Mississippi plant.

So I’m guessing that, no, there isn’t a union there. I believe Honda and Toyota are much the same in that regards. The “Big Three” fucked up big when they screwed over their employees to the point where they unionized back in the day, and they’re paying the price for that even today. A lot of these foreign brands that build cars here give sufficient, decent, comparable pay and bennies – as well as good ol’ fashioned union suppression techniques – to avoid the same fate.

Reply
GrandTango May 20, 2013 at 1:26 pm

Headline DOJ TARGETED FOXNEWS REPORTER…and FITS is wringing his sissy little hands over: “Capitalism”…

Reply
Billy K Mulligan May 20, 2013 at 2:06 pm

Dreamliner up, up and away today! And soon, another 1000 IT and Engineering jobs will be located in SC to serve Boeing’s global footprint. Try as you might, but the BMW and Boeing deals are a great investment for South Carolina taxpayers. Many more, Michelin, Bridgestone, Bayer, and on and on, too many to list. Some turkeys along the way but overall, the jobs tax credits and public infrastructure have great ROI’s.

Reply
Unemployment Rate May 20, 2013 at 2:13 pm

Man, I can’t walk out of my house without tripping over a job. Jesus, Jesus…and they complain about people losing them. Well, it’s right here in SC, folks.

Reply
Bi-Curious George May 20, 2013 at 2:45 pm

…but will 1000 IT and engineering jobs be given to the people of SC?

Reply
Smirks May 20, 2013 at 3:09 pm

The problem is there is not a large enough market for those kinds of jobs in SC, so a lot of people who study that kind of thing in college here in our state end up leaving at some point to get a job and/or further their career.

The more those jobs exist, the more our own kids can actually finish college and actually find a job without having to move over 100 miles away.

Besides that, those who move to this state to get the jobs end up paying taxes and spending money here, so it’s better than nothing.

Reply
? May 20, 2013 at 4:44 pm

“Some turkeys along the way but overall, the jobs tax credits and public infrastructure have great ROI’s.”

This is an unverifiable claim. There are no #’s anywhere to even back it up, or dispute it for that matter.(in fairness)

The questions abound:

If you had no corporate income tax(or taxes on property, etc. et al) would the net effect be better than taxing small business(that typically get no breaks) to bring large business in?

There is no magic/accurate spreadsheet that can account for all variables in answering that question.

When looked at morally though, you can easily say it’s wrong to take from those with less wealth and give it to those with more wealth and hope the wealthier party ends up “paying off”.

Those kinds of risks are what the free market is supposed to be for, the free market is not pols “central planning” their way into wealth and power by picking who gets the stolen taxpayer loot.

Reply
A Friend May 20, 2013 at 7:30 pm

It’s basically trickle down economics.

Reply
? May 21, 2013 at 8:37 am

Not exactly. The concept of “trickle down” has to do with eliminating taxes for the wealthy, not taking taxes from poor people and giving them to wealthy people.

Reply
Billy K. Mulligan May 22, 2013 at 9:20 am

No poor person’s taxes are collected to pay for a tax concession for an investment of over $100 Million and more. What the state receives is money that would never have been collected in the first place. Odd that you want the state to collect more in taxes as opposed to starving it of revenue, and therefore its size.

? May 22, 2013 at 10:50 am

“Odd that you want the state to collect more in taxes as opposed to starving it of revenue, and therefore its size.”

and where in my writings do you see that?

“No poor person’s taxes are collected to pay for a tax concession for an investment of over $100 Million and more.”

I call bullshit. Go ahead and cite your source.

Billy K. Mulligan May 28, 2013 at 4:15 pm

You’ve stated you want State Government to collect more money from companies locating here. When you oppose the tax breaks offered for significant new investment, the alternative is that the companies pay the full freight – your proposal as elimination of the corporate income tax is not going to happen. I’d support its elimination but you’ll never see it happen. As for the latter, that burden is on you. Prove that tax collections from the poor pay for tax concessions of $100 Million and more. Can’t prove a negative dipshit.

Billy K Mulligan May 20, 2013 at 2:06 pm

Dreamliner up, up and away today! And soon, another 1000 IT and Engineering jobs will be located in SC to serve Boeing’s global footprint. Try as you might, but the BMW and Boeing deals are a great investment for South Carolina taxpayers. Many more, Michelin, Bridgestone, Bayer, and on and on, too many to list. Some turkeys along the way but overall, the jobs tax credits and public infrastructure have great ROI’s.

Reply
Unemployment Rate May 20, 2013 at 2:13 pm

Man, I can’t walk out of my house without tripping over a job. Jesus, Jesus…and they complain about people losing them. Well, it’s right here in SC, folks.

Reply
Bi-Curious George May 20, 2013 at 2:45 pm

…but will 1000 IT and engineering jobs be given to the people of SC?

Reply
Smirks May 20, 2013 at 3:09 pm

The problem is there is not a large enough market for those kinds of jobs in SC, so a lot of people who study that kind of thing in college here in our state end up leaving at some point to get a job and/or further their career.

The more those jobs exist, the more our own kids can actually finish college and actually find a job without having to move over 100 miles away.

Besides that, those who move to this state to get the jobs end up paying taxes and spending money here, so it’s better than nothing.

Reply
? May 20, 2013 at 4:44 pm

“Some turkeys along the way but overall, the jobs tax credits and public infrastructure have great ROI’s.”

This is an unverifiable claim. There are no #’s anywhere to even back it up, or dispute it for that matter.(in fairness)

The questions abound:

If you had no corporate income tax(or taxes on property, etc. et al) would the net effect be better than taxing small business(that typically get no breaks) to bring large business in?

There is no magic/accurate spreadsheet that can account for all variables in answering that question.

When looked at morally though, you can easily say it’s wrong to take from those with less wealth and give it to those with more wealth and hope the wealthier party ends up “paying off”.

Those kinds of risks are what the free market is supposed to be for, the free market is not pols “central planning” their way into wealth and power by picking who gets the stolen taxpayer loot.

Reply
A Friend May 20, 2013 at 7:30 pm

It’s basically trickle down economics.

Reply
? May 21, 2013 at 8:37 am

Not exactly. The concept of “trickle down” has to do with eliminating taxes for the wealthy, not taking taxes from poor people and giving them to wealthy people.

Reply
Billy K. Mulligan May 22, 2013 at 9:20 am

No poor person’s taxes are collected to pay for a tax concession for an investment of over $100 Million and more. What the state receives is money that would never have been collected in the first place. Odd that you want the state to collect more in taxes as opposed to starving it of revenue, and therefore its size.

? May 22, 2013 at 10:50 am

“Odd that you want the state to collect more in taxes as opposed to starving it of revenue, and therefore its size.”

and where in my writings do you see that?

“No poor person’s taxes are collected to pay for a tax concession for an investment of over $100 Million and more.”

I call bullshit. Go ahead and cite your source.

Billy K. Mulligan May 28, 2013 at 4:15 pm

You’ve stated you want State Government to collect more money from companies locating here. When you oppose the tax breaks offered for significant new investment, the alternative is that the companies pay the full freight – your proposal as elimination of the corporate income tax is not going to happen. I’d support its elimination but you’ll never see it happen. As for the latter, that burden is on you. Prove that tax collections from the poor pay for tax concessions of $100 Million and more. Can’t prove a negative dipshit.

GrandTango May 20, 2013 at 2:09 pm

Obama Nationaized GM. and FITS is A-Ok with that…but FITS attacks Capitalism…

Reply
dwb619 May 20, 2013 at 5:06 pm

I wonder why Nissan used 100% union construction crafts to build this facility?

Some of which were even paid per diem to make up for the low wage scaleei

Reply
dwb619 May 20, 2013 at 5:06 pm

I wonder why Nissan used 100% union construction crafts to build this facility?

Some of which were even paid per diem to make up for the low wage scale.

Reply
lowcorider May 20, 2013 at 5:32 pm

Boeing has been and continues to release the highly paid and highly qualified techs who were teaching former Walmart employees how to build aero planes. Before this year is out the Charleston SC Boeing plant will be mostly staffed with folks that 3 years ago were changing tires, loading trucks, and inquiring of your need for fries. Think about that when you board that Dreamliner.

Reply
Lowcorider May 20, 2013 at 5:32 pm

Boeing has been and continues to release the highly paid and highly qualified techs who were teaching former Walmart employees how to build aero planes. Before this year is out the Charleston SC Boeing plant will be mostly staffed with folks that 3 years ago were changing tires, loading trucks, and inquiring of your need for fries. Think about that when you board that Dreamliner.

Reply

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