I am Leading the Charge for Change in:
Healthcare, Education, Childrens Issues, Civil Rights & more
I'm Beth Low and I have a story to tell.
This week my story is about standing up against corporate welfare. Here is my press release for the week of February 7th, 2009.
So-Called Job Creation Bill Loaded with Corporate Giveaways
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Legislation passed Thursday by the Missouri House of Representatives will do nothing to create jobs and amounts to little more than a taxpayer giveaway to corporate interests, state Rep. Beth Low said.
Low, D-Kansas City, was among a handful of lawmakers to vote against House Bill 191, which provides a variety of tax breaks to various special interests at an unknown – but expected to be substantial – cost to Missouri taxpayers. The bill was sent to the Senate on a vote of 141-19.
“We needed to take a stand against corporate welfare,” Low said. “It is time for Missouri to get serious about progressive solutions to the economic problems that were created by the same type of ineffective policies that the House passed today. We cannot solve our economic problems with the same failed economic policies that got us into this mess.”
Low noted that majority House Republicans blocked from being debated an amendment that would have protected taxpayer interests by requiring tax breaks recipients to refund their subsidies if they fail to deliver the promised new jobs. As the bill stands, businesses don’t need to prove taxpayers are getting a return on their investment.
“When corporate lobbyists talk about public-private partnerships, what they mean is the public puts up the money and takes all the risk and private businesses reap the windfall,” Low said. “Taxpayers have absolutely no protection in this bill. Enough is enough. I will continue to oppose legislation that fails to protect taxpayers and refuses to acknowledge the failures of past economic development packages by repeating past mistakes.”
