Donald Trump saved 1000 jobs at Carrier! Or so right-wingers would have you believe.
In reality United Technologies Inc was given $7,000,000 in taxpayer money from the state of Indiana, to refrain from moving their subsidary company Carrier Corp Heating and Air Conditioning manufacturing to Mexico.
As was easily predicted conservatives are readily carrying Trump's water and proclaiming this a miracle of Trump business acumen. MAGA in action! Little Alt-Right darling Tomi Lahren took time out of her busy schedule of "not seeing color" to laud her MAGA Savior Trump over Carrier
Over at Breitbart, (warning link goes to Nazi HQ) the official organ of the Trump Presidency, these "1000 jobs" are treated as 1000 separate miracles. Of course, the same conservative neo-nazis who decried, denounced and derided government assistance to General Motors, and typed thousands of hot takes from all corners of the fetid right-wing diarrhea internet chuckled at their turn-of-phrase, "Government Motors". Ho ho ho!
Now, as always the conservative neo-nazis over at Breitbart who so vociferously proclaiming this an unparalled success have ZERO connection to Carrier and are simply commenting to help "catapult the propaganda", while they have fun insulting liberals.
It's going to be a long four years of right-wingers proclaiming everything Trump does a MAGA success while decrying liberals at every turn, and blaming everything else on President Obama.
Because despite their pouting that Obama had to stop blaming Bush circa Jan 21st 2009, Conservative Neo-Nazis hold grudges forever, still blame President Carter for events 30 years later, and are busily working towards turning the Nation into a Wage Slavery State, while happily affixing chains of corporate bondage to all of us.
A solid link in the chain of corporate bondage was forged in Indiana because that $7,000,000 will have to come from somewhere and the conservative neo-nazis are always ready to kick the poor.
Let's break down these numbers a little bit. First of all, then7 mil is over 10 years, which is $700,000 per year. Spread that across 1000 people, and it is $700 per person, or about $0.35 per hours for a full time worker. That's enough to stop Carrier from moving?!?
ReplyDeleteIndiana's annual budget is about 15 billion. $700,000 get lost in round off error. It is less than 0.005% of their budget.
No! There is something else going on here. Carrier was threatened by something else.
A few thoughts:
ReplyDelete1. I agree with Jerry. $7 million in credits is not enough to keep a plant open unless there was more on the line. On their own the tax credit package is no more than states would work out anyways, so something else is up. Eastern European crony capitalism at its finest, perhaps?
2. If Trump's plan to "protect American jobs" is effectively to bribe companies rather than slap tariffs on at the border, it's going to get expensive. Every factory owner in the country must be opening their books tonight to see whether they can get similar treatment.
3. I never was a fan of NAFTA, but somebody ought to be the one to say it: if this kind of chicanery is going to be par for the course from now on, isn't it illegal? I know Trump promised he would get rid of NAFTA, but unless and until that happens, surely America should stand by the agreements it signed in good faith. All of us would expect other countries to do the same.
Jerry and David,
ReplyDeleteThnaks as always for your comments but, I think you're missing the picture with the 700k a year. Yha is money the State of Indiana can slash from programs such as:
- The Indiana DNR testing Lake Michicgan water around Whiting, allowing BP to dump a few extra tons of mercury into the Lake over EPA allowable limits.
- Domestic Violence placement services for battered women in Gary.
- money to the registrar aat Purdue for investigations into Title IX violations or on-campus rape allegations.
These are just a few of the wonderful things the conservatives could axe in order to make the budget work. Under Trump the right-wing dream of slashing the social safety net and shackling the 99% in corporate bondage got a little bit closer, expect more.
True, it is very important where the money comes from, what program or programs will not be funded. But, my point was that $700,000 per year is not enough incentive by itself to convince Carrier to keep 1000 jobs in the US. Carrier clearly thought they would save more than that amount by moving. There is more to the deal than we are being told.
ReplyDeleteAlso, with a state budget of around 15 billion, 700,000 is within the error of their estimated state income for the year.
Gene - I take your point about budget "priorities" but with respect I think you're missing the forest for the trees here. United Technologies has an annual revenue of something like $50 billion. Indiana's annual budget is around $15 billion. Even if Trump is overstating his wealth by an order of magnitude, he's probably still a billionaire. A few million dollars in tax credits is a triviality to all concerned here. What's more, it doesn't come close to the savings they would net from moving production to Mexico.
ReplyDeleteSo one is entitled to ask exactly WHAT did form the crucial part of this deal.
This isn't the first step in a systematic program to boost American manufacturing employment. I could get behind that if it was, although I would prefer it not be done through tax credits.
Instead this is the first step towards a Putin-style economy where investments are based on backroom deal-making between the boss in the capital and the company.
Most countries that run that way feature staggeringly high levels of corruption, but I'm sure that Trump is pure as the driven snow.
Trump is using the same gimmick that Republicans have been using since Reagan's reign of error: pouring jillions of taxpayer dollars into a smoke-and-mirrors Wag-The-
ReplyDeleteDog illusion for gullible people to keep falling for. Whether it's bribing a company to stay in Indiana instead of leaving; or "stimulating" the economy by pouring trillions of dollars into the Military- and Prison-Industrial Complexes -- GOP "leaders" keep doing this because dimwitted voters keep falling for it hook line and sinker.
Allowing a company to earn higher profits by cutting their taxes does not create jobs. Demand for their products creates jobs because if demand is high enough, they will expand production and most likely create jobs. How do you create demand? Get money into the hands of the people who want your product.
ReplyDeleteIt seems as though this was done with Hoosier tax dollars. Why are we not asking why the governor didn't do this a year or more ago. HOAX
ReplyDeleteMatthew - He did. Pence's version of the story is that the offer was made to Carrier and they turned it down flat, but now, thanks to Trump's charismatic presence, they simply bent the knee and agreed to the terms.
ReplyDeleteNaturally the paranoid among us wonder whether something done was done to sweeten the pot. I'm sure Trump is just that great a deal-maker, though.
Of course something else was done to sweeten the pot...or something was threatened that Carrier did not want to happen. $700,000 per year for 10 years is a pittance.
ReplyDeleteCarrier released a statement that 1300 US jobs are still moving to Mexico; “While this announcement is good news for many, we recognize it is not good news for everyone. We are moving forward with previously announced plans to relocated the fan coil manufacturing lines, with expected completion by the end of 2017. Impacted employees who are interested in relocation will be able to apply and be considered for job opportunities at other United Technologies U.S. locations, which could include relocation assistance.”
ReplyDeleteBut, facts are stupid things and all that is important to conservatives is they have some propaganda to attack liberals.
Gene - Those 1300 jobs must be moving only because Trump hasn't noticed them yet. Next week he'll save them too.
ReplyDeleteAnd then the week after that he will force China to close down completely, which will force all overseas factories to come back overnight, creating half a billion jobs.
Wait... are you referring to Big China or Little China or Big Trouble in Little China?
DeleteThe nice thing about living in a post-truth reality is that China can be whatever I want it to be. Or at least whatever Trump says it is, which amounts to the same thing.
ReplyDeleteDo you think Trump can prevent a trade war by agreeing to send all green-eyed Americans on unpaid internships to Beijing?
Come to think of it Trump is trying to channel the Kurt Russell character "Jack Burton" bravado and I can not believe I missed the BIGLY Trouble.
Delete