Relevant and even prescient commentary on news, politics and the economy.

Wisconsin Buys Foxconn Facility for Kenosha

I picked up this version 4 BS lies of Trump and Scott Walker’s Imaginary Foxconn Factory on Tom Bozzo’s facebook page where I stopped to see what he had to say as of late. While it is a great attention grabber, a link caught my eye in Wonkette’s article leading to this America and the […]

Here’s what “unaffordable” long-term leukemia care ACTUALLY looks like, Ms. Boonstra. And Rep. Peters.

Just when I thought I’d written my last post on Julie Boonstra, I read Kenneth Thomas’s post below, from Sunday.  The only comment to that post–mine, which I just posted–reads: How very, very, very sad that there was no ACA during his years of leukemia treatments and hospitalizations, and that we still do not have […]

NYT Series Illuminates – And Confuses – State of the Subsidy Wars

Louise Story’s series in the New York Times this week has created a substantial buzz about the issue of economic development subsidies.This is a welcome development, because it’s an issue that doesn’t get nearly enough attention in the highest profile media. Story has, in addition, appeared on shows such as MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” and NPR’s […]

NYT: $80 Billion in State and Local Subsidies Annually (Updated)

by Kenneth Thomas NYT: $80 Billion in State and Local Subsidies Annually (Updated) In today’s New York Times, Louise Story begins a series, “The United States of Subsidies,” ten months in the making, with a story focusing on General Motors closures, the border war for investments between Kansas and Missouri in the Kansas City metropolitan […]

Gigantic journalistic investigation into tax havens

by Kenneth Thomas Gigantic journalistic investigation into tax havens While Mitt Romney may be fading from view in the wake of his defeat on November 6, the issue of tax havens is definitely not following suit. Via the Tax Justice Network, I’ve just learned of a massive, multi-national joint investigation into secrecy jurisdictions by three […]

What the Fiscal Cliff Means for the Middle Class

by Kenneth Thomas What the Fiscal Cliff Means for the Middle Class Now that the election is over, it seems like all the politicians and pundits can talk about is the so-called “fiscal cliff.” But the chatter around the fiscal cliff is deeply weird, so in this post I will explain what it is and […]

Discussing Tax Increment Financing on TV

by Kenneth Thomas Discussing Tax Increment Financing on TV I recently appeared on a local public access TV show, Conversation with Lee Presser, discussing tax increment financing and European Union subsidy control regulations. It’s a great format, just an almost 30-minute discussion without interruption, which allowed me to explain the problems with TIF as it […]

McMahon’s WWE has taken $36.7 million in Connecticut subsidies

 by Kenneth Thomas McMahon’s WWE has taken $36.7 million in Connecticut subsidies U.S. Senate candidate Linda McMahon’s World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) has received $36.7 million in Connecticut film tax credits in 20 separate deals since 2006, reports CTPost.com (thanks to Karin Richmond on the LinkedIn Public Incentives Forum). As in many states, what historically began […]

Starbucks in Hot Water Over British Tax

 by Kenneth Thomas Starbucks in Hot Water Over British Tax Reuters (via Tax Research UK) reported on October 15 the results of an extensive investigation into the British unit of coffee giant Starbucks, the second largest restaurant firm in the world after McDonald’s. It turns out that the company has reported losing money in every […]

Romney’s Accountants Busted in New Tax Justice Network Study

by Kenneth Thomas Romney’s Accountants Busted in New Tax Justice Network Study When Mitt Romney released the second of his tax returns last month, he also gave us a summary of his 1990-2009 taxes prepared by his accounting firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). The whole point of that exercise, aside from trying to distract people from demanding […]