Sunday, July 30, 2006

Robin Hood, reversed!

Are your tax dollars being funneled into WalMart's coffers through numerous subsidies? So claims a 2004 study, "Shopping for Subsidies: How Wal-Mart uses taxpayer money to finance its never-ending growth", at the Good Jobs First website. The subsidies granted to Wal-Mart take many different forms, but the following are the most common:
  • Free or reduced-price land.
  • Infrastructure assistance.
  • Tax increment financing.
  • Property tax breaks.
  • State corporate income tax credits.
  • Sales tax rebates.
  • Enterprise zone (and other zone) status.
  • Job training and worker recruitment funds.
  • Tax-exempt bond financing.
  • General grants.
This is a very interesting forced redistribution of wealth by government.

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