Ohio Hearts GM. Maybe Too Much?
GM's $350m investment in Cruze production capacity in Lordstown, OH was big news for the "American Revolution." A compact car, built in America… and all it took was $80m in taxpayer-funded incentives to GM. That, ladies and gentlemen is what passes for a PR win-win these days. In fact the good vibrations were flowing so freely at the big Cruze announcement that Ohio Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher even told Rick Wagoner that if he commited to another Lordstown model by Thursday, the good people of Ohio would "double the incentives." The Detroit News reports that Fisher was "joking" but goes on to say that GM did take the offer seriously enough to go on the record and decline the kind joke/offer. But the unrequited-love awkwardness isn't stopping the DetN from wallowing around in the Cruze-y feel-good. Check out their soft-focus paean to GM's once-proud tradition of actually employing Americans, featuring proud Hamtramck workers gushing lines like "We've got such an incredible history. I mean GM, of course, but I guess I'm thinking of my family too." As the kids say, Vom.
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...And we will welcome those large businesses with open arms. However, our legislature has decided to try putting the little guy out of business with regulation and tax programs that are both byzantine and oppressive. I do have faith though. We will get it fixed. They know better than to try to take our guns, here. So they know who is really in charge.
The rust belt psyche: "faith and guns". And with this life philosophy they try to fend off Toyota and BMW.
Our Gov is really worried about keeping HIS job. John
Ohio is among the top-5 highest taxed states. This is one of the main reasons driving businesses away from the state, and preventing new ones from forming in-state. Giving away free taxpayer money to corporations is a good way to further alienate Ohio businesses. Not only do they and their employees pay very high taxes to the state, but the state turns around and give it for free to other corporations. Of course, the cost for that, and the big crunch in the state government, will have to be made up by raising the already high taxes for businesses and individuals who just made a sweetheart contribution to GM, with no say in the matter. And so the Ohio death spiral continues. As taxes are thereby raised, so do frustrated business owners depart, and so does unemployment continue to rise.