May 30, 2007

Bredesen: Millions for Big Biz, Nothing For You

Today's Tennessean front-pages a story about the raft of new corporate tax breaks being proposed by the Bredesen administration, tax breaks the administration is seeking even as it also refuses to cut the state's high sales tax on food and while the administration seeks to start taxing on the sale of propane for barbecue grills. (Details here.

Companies that invest in major factory upgrades or move their headquarters to Tennessee could qualify for tens of millions of dollars in incentives under a plan submitted to the legislature Tuesday by Gov. Phil Bredesen's administration. The incentives are meant to make it easier for the state to land new companies and keep them once they've arrived, said Matt Kisber, the state's commissioner of economic and community development.

The rest of the paper's story reads like an administration press release with not one word of criticism from a single critic finding its way into the story, even though the package is being derided as "corporate welfare" by well-known Tennessee low-tax advocate Ben Cunningham:

Governor Bredesen is packing all sorts of goodies into the ominous Omnibus Bill which is being pushed through the General Assembly with as little notice as possible during the last weeks. He doesn't want to give taxpayers a break on their groceries but he sure wants to tax your propane grill gas and hand out tax funded welfare to corporations.

The first commenter on the Tennessean web site version of their story today pretty much nails the administration's position on tax cuts for business but not for average Tennessee taxpayers:

Gov. Bredesen and Matt Kisber, what can you give my family if I invest 100% of my earnings in housing, transportation, and agriculture in the state of Tennessee?