Corporate Welfare

Buncombe County Commissioners approved an incentive package of some $17 million dollars in a land swap/tax break deal that would result in a whopping 52 jobs by 2017. For those who are math challenged, that's $325,000 per job.

Jerry Richardson met with Thom Tillis seeking $62 million from NC taxpayers, plus the remainder of an estimated $250 million from the City of Charlotte, to renovate Bank of America stadium.

The US Supreme Court keeps on giving and giving. Last week, the Court tossed yet another bone to corporations and dealt another blow to environmentalists. The issue in PPL Montana LLC v Montana was who owns the riverbed beneath 10 hydroelectric dams sitting on three Montana rivers. This may seem like a snoozer, but given the latest grabs for the public’s water by private corporations, it has huge implications for the American people, and especially the people of North Carolina.

This is a cross-post from AFLCIONC.org

Protesting GOP budgets which give to the rich, take from the rest

About three dozen North Carolinians who are fed up with calls by Republican leaders for everyone else to sacrifice so they and their corporate campaign backers can continue to sacrifice nothing walked a picket line outside the headquarters of the North Carolina Republican Party in Raleigh, on April 29.

Picketers carried signs that read, “Corporate Welfare: GOP Approved”, “Hands off my Medicare”, “GOP: No Millionaires Left Behind”, “GOP Loyalty: Wall St, not Workers”, and “Shame on Ellmers” – referring to U.S. Rep. Renee Ellmers (R-2nd).

With no apparent sense of irony, a representative of the NC GOP came outside during our picket and offered picketers some cake. Yes, you read that right. The Republican response to picketers upset by their immoral state and federal budgets which give to the rich by taking from the rest was, “Let them eat cake.”

How embarrassing! We've been pointing out the sometimes grotesque measures taken to attract businesses to our fair state, but we're now getting international attention for it and it isn't pretty. It's downright embarrassing.

Here are the first two paragraphs from the post in The Register:

North Carolina will do just about anything to keep technology companies happy, including offering IBM up to $750,000 to bring just 10 jobs to the state.

Great news. Just read on the Wake Up Wal-Mart blog that after a six year battle, the residents of Union County have successfully deflected the attempts by Wal-Mart to build a new supercenter.

This blog is cross posted from The Progressive Pulse.

Every politician dreads the moment when the special interest group which paid for their campaign is in direct opposition to the well-being of the citizens they were elected to represent. Such is the case with Senator Burr, Senator Dole, and the pharmaceutical industry. Last week the Senate blocked a bill which would have allowed the government to negotiate lower drug prices on the 2003 Medicare Drug Bill. The vote was 55 “yes” (49 Democrats, 6 Republicans) and 42 “no” (42 Repubs, 1 Dem). 60 “yes” votes were required to pass the bill. Senators Burr and Dole voted no.

This is a long post but please bear with me.

Okay. So I am new to North Carolina and I am starting to look around at some things. Most things here in Asheville are pretty cool, and I agree with the city council, for the most part.

And then there is this.

from Mountain Express

In December, the Asheville Housing Authority – which manages McCormick Heights for the property owner, a subsidiary of Progress Energy – announced that the project had sunk into severe debt, with only 40 of the 100 units occupied, and that the owners planned to sell it.

Now, first off why is the city managing a private apartment complex? And if said private apartment complex is only 40% occupied, no wonder they are going broke and why is the private owner getting this special treatment?