Making Detroit into America’s very own Third World country is decidedly NOT the solution
In the television series The West Wing, Republican candidate for president Arnold Vinick is asked in a debate about debt relief for impoverished countries. “Senator, are you saying you’re opposed to debt relief for impoverished countries?” Vinick is asked by the moderator.
“No,” he replied. “We should forgive the debts but it’s not going to help… that’s not going to help those countries very much.”
When he’s asked what will help them, his answer is, “Tax cuts”.
That scenario will play out tomorrow in Detroit when Senator Rand Paul visits to unveil his new proposal for helping impoverished cities: tax cuts.
U.S. Sen. Rand Paul will present a plan in Detroit on Friday that would allow lower tax rates for individual income, capital gains and other income in areas where the unemployment rate is higher than the national average. […]Paul said allowing for greatly reduced tax rates in Detroit and other ZIP codes where unemployment is high could cut revenue for the federal government but it would increase job creation in urban and rural regions. […]
He acknowledged that with a high level of poverty in Detroit, that reducing income taxes could have a limited effect but believes it can serve as a means to attract entrepreneurs and others – including immigrants – to struggling areas.
So, he wants to cut taxes but it will only affect big corporations coming in to enjoy/exploit the decimated property values in Detroit — not the hundreds of thousands of impoverished Detroiters. It’s the same approach taken by Michigan Republicans to spur our economy, an approach that has led to a stagnant unemployment rate that is the third highest in the country and hasn’t budged in three months (after having actually INCREASED the three months prior to that.)
But wait! There’s more! He wants to relax federal pollution and wage laws, too!
He would also suspend certain EPA regulations in those zones as well as federal wage requirements on public projects.
What he’s talking about with these “zip code-by-zip code” “economic freedom zones” (does the word “freedom” have to be in EVERYTHING they propose?) is to basically turn Detroit into a Third World county where Big Business gets all the benefit and the poor people that live there get lower wages, no assistance, and more pollution in their communities.
That should go over VERY well in Detroit, Senator. There’s nothing Detroit residents enjoy more than being exploited to benefit corporate profits.
By the way, if you’re planning on attending Senator Rand’s opening of the GOP’s new “African American Engagement Office” (I’m not kidding) tomorrow in Detroit, be aware that they have moved it to a larger venue: Grace Bible Chapel at 5440 Oakman Blvd. Detroit, MI 48204. Tickets are free but you have get them online HERE. It starts at 9:45 a.m.
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Michigan Democratic Party Communications Director Josh Pugh sent me this about Senator Paul’s proposal:
Senator Paul was a vocal opponent of the auto rescue, which saved over a million jobs, and led the Republican effort to shut down the government, costing Michigan’s economy hundreds of millions. His special interest tax handout plan is nothing new. Here in Michigan, Rick Snyder gave $1.8 billion to wealthy special interests, and paid for it with billions in devastating cuts to our local communities and public schools. It’s time for our elected leaders to stop the tax giveaways, invest in communities and improve education.
[Rand Paul caricature by DonkeyHotey]
