http://money.cnn.com/2018/02/26/news/companies/delta-nra-georgia-republican/index.html

Okay, what makes this interesting, is that for the first time I've seen anyway, there is a weird political conflict going on in an area that has been cut and dried until now.

Usually, all we hear about major corporations and state governments, is that the state government arranged to give the big company all sorts of tax breaks and "benefits" in order to get the big company to put their headquarters or some other big facility in that state.

In short, the state is bribing the company to spend money there.

In this case, the big company (Delta) was all set to get such a "bribe," until they decided to weigh in against the NRA.

And now the "bribes" are reversed. The state is threatening to renege on the special allowances, as revenge for the NRA being slighted.

Usually the only political fuss, is between the people who want the big company and accept the "bribery" as being the way things are done, versus the people who don't think big companies should have to be bribed.

What is going on here? Is it "dueling bribery?" Why does Georgia suddenly think that IT has the upper hand, and that Delta has no where else to go?

You scratch our backs and we'll scratch yours, it is a fairly human interaction that impacts all areas of life INCLUDING politics and business. There are probably more examples than can be listed of people receiving 'donations'or being promoted or fired, before deciding upon a law or lawsuit or investigation going forward. I think this is the same type of thing, sometimes its called 'pay to play' sometimes its just overlooked as 'good business', depending upon the briber and the bribee.

Its simple..DON'T do bussines with Delta, United Airlines and Hertz....easy peezzy!
They are being motivated by leftist politics to attack the NRA for no reason.

So, stick it to global America, and I will do buissnes with Southwest and OTHER lines.

I don't know if it is an 'attack' to end a discount. Happens all the time in business. But to each their own. Some will no longer do business with those that turn a blind eye to mass shootings, and some will no longer do business with those that take away their discount ... to each their own.

The thing that's interesting to me, is that every OTHER time I've seen this kind of sweetheart deal going on with governments special tax breaks to corporations, the politicians explanations for the give-away, has been that the corporation had the state over a barrel. That the state had to give the beaks away, in order to get the corporation to bring jobs there.

That's how state politicians always sell the citizens on the overt bribery.

This time, the state politicians are claiming the opposite, that they were ABOUT to bribe the corporation with tax breaks, apparently because they felt sorry for them or something.

They expect Delta to cave in and go back to giving discounts to NRA members, because they are more desperate to move business to Georgia, than they are to establish or to hold any moral principles of any kind.

So which is it? Were they lying when they said they HAD to bribe Delta with tax breaks? Or are they lying now?

Good question. And also will NRA allegiance be larger than allegiance to jobs and safety? Looks like Enterprise car rental is ending NRA discounts too ... lets see how much more upset politicians get over their discounts being taken than they do over kids in schools being mowed down


http://www.yahoo.com/news/stephen-colbert-nails-nra-apos-045754347.html

Good question. And also will NRA allegiance be larger than allegiance to jobs and safety? Looks like Enterprise car rental is ending NRA discounts too ... lets see how much more upset politicians get over their discounts being taken than they do over kids in schools being mowed down


http://www.yahoo.com/news/stephen-colbert-nails-nra-apos-045754347.html

State = The people that live in that state.
The 'officials' doing the bribery are the people the people of that state elected to represent them.

The state officials aknowledging bribery tactics to entice big business, no matter the reason, is telling on themselves.

At what point in history did We the People start tolerating bribery in any form? Don't answer that, its just something to ponder.

Where is the line drawn?
At what point do we hold our elected representatives liable for their moral discourse?

The issue should not be that the company has political views.
The issue should be that the government has revealed its under-handed practices in the name of its people.

Lets have a look at all the big business deals and see just how far they are willing to go.
Then, lets look at the other stuff these officials are doing in the name of the people.

Our house is on fire and we're watering the garden.

also, it IS business, I mean how many times have you got a 'free' meal. You give to get. on the consumer side we call it a transaction. Some transactions are more of a 'bribe' than others. In this case, I feel it makes since to do transactions where business stands some 'gain' for creating jobs in a location or bringing in business to that location

it is a bribe when a party to a legal action in any way pays the party deciding upon the action and potentially sways their decision.

But it is still interesting to see where priorities lie in this NRA discount versus kids lives war ... very telling indeed.

bribery vs incentives..I mean if you see that your state or city has a high unemployment rate I'm sure one would offer incentives to get them there,now the one thing I would do as an already existing business in that state or city I would ask for the same break depending on what it was..after all fair is fair..now I could see that as possibly being a problem for them ..

does delta offer discounts to teachers, or nurses, or others in the country who do so much? If not, who cares whether an NRA card holder gets one? Just saying.

isn't Delta the one who kicked paying customers off so their employees could travel?

The point is, that the State was about to give away tax breaks, in order to gain the jobs. That's the standard exchange. Now, they are saying that the company can't act independently for it's own best interests commercially, and has to knuckle under to the State leaders' political opinions and biases, in order to get the sweetheart tax deal.

Essentially, they are saying "you give discounts to NRA members, or you don't get a tax break that we said we had to give you in order to get your business here in the first place."

So this also goes against the more common Republican opposition to governments telling businesses who they have to do business with and why, as well.

I wonder if they realize that they are establishing a principle, that governments should use favoritism to decide how to govern? And once this door is opened, they wont have a valid complaint when inevitably someone from the non-conservative, non-pro-NRA side of things gets into power, and wants to do the same thing, going the other way.

They are undermining themselves in all sorts of ways.

I agree, but worse than that, it's just about money, not much else..
Congress and Senate have doing lots worse for far longer, but yet the people still vote the incumbents in, almost every time...it's our own fault, and even if anyone realizes that, they will still do nothing...

Seems pretty simple. It's in the article.
"The bill ... an important part of the state's tax reform plan...state's Republicans ... are threatening to kill part of a bill that would eliminate a state tax on jet fuel."


Why would Delta consider leaving?
It doesn't state it in the article, but was the tax break meant to keep Delta from leaving because Delta was considering moving?

Were they passing legislation that was lowering taxes on all fuel, and jet fuel just happened to be included in the definition, and would have serendipitously affected Delta?

So "what's going on here" could be just coincidence. They were passing a tax reform bill that affected different state taxes.
Then a republican read some lefty newspaper about Delta's anti NRA stance and said "hey! You know what? Dat bill we's gonna pass? There's're provisions in dere dat would give tax breaks to Delta...not on my watch y'all! Rarrr! mmm hmmm, yep."
(That's my Georgia accent)


Where do you get that from the article you linked?


Delta is already headquartered in Atlanta.
Georgia has already gained the jobs.
Tax incentives are given to specific companies or industries in order to get a company to move to the state, or to keep a job/industry from leaving the state.
Delta is already there.
Were they planning on leaving?


IMO they are essentially saying "We were going to pass legislation that lowered taxes. One component of the bill would have lowered taxes on jet fuel. Since that helps Delta, and we've learned/feel Delta is discriminating against a valued institution/belief surrounding a constitutional right, we aren't going to pass it unless Delta changes its stance."


That door was opened a long time ago.
Or have you never heard anyone in government say "those tax breaks are only going to benefit the wealthy!" Or "Trickle down theory!"
Or of Haliburton? Or pork? Or earmarks? Or EEOE? Or HUD? Or Fannie, Freddie, or Mac?

]quote]IMO they are essentially saying "We were going to pass legislation that lowered taxes. One component of the bill would have lowered taxes on jet fuel. Since that helps Delta, and we've learned/feel Delta is discriminating against a valued institution/belief surrounding a constitutional right, we aren't going to pass it unless Delta changes its stance."

Yes. Again, they are talking about favoring one company specifically over another.

Either the tax adjustment was for improving ALL businesses in the state, or it was a sweetheart deal for only one. Can't have it both ways, and pretend that it was a "lowering business taxes to help the economy" if you are going to yank it away because ONE company makes a business decision that you don't like.

That's what they've done here.

I think by lowering jet fuel taxes, it lowers it for anyone who buys jet fuel?

Exactly. That also means that if they want to do as they threatened, and pull the reduction back because they are mad at Delta for ending their discount for NRA members, then they have to pull it back for everyone.

That's what fascinates me. They appear to be struggling to punish Delta, by breaking a number of their more common and standard "principles." And since punishing a business because you disagree with their politics is supposed to be something to attack Democrats for, it's extra weird.

Dat's what they call "doin bidness".