Taxpayer money subsidizes huge corporations, while vital state services are slashed

by Brian Leubitz

You know about the cuts to services, especially if you are reading this. But, cuts to so-called “tax expenditures”? Well, let’s just say that it hasn’t been a focus. And now the California Labor Federation is trying to change that with their new End the Gravy Train campaign. You can also join the campaign at the End the Gravy Train facebook page. You can also sign the pledge today.

The campaign focuses on some of the tax loopholes that we have in California, particularly on the enterprise zone credit that has somehow been manipulated to subsidize some familiar names:

It’s no secret that corporate CEOs game the system to their favor. There’s a maze of loopholes, carve-outs, and tax dodges for big corporations like Walmart that the rest of us wouldn’t dream of getting. These big corporations are riding the corporate gravy train. And taxpayers like us are paying the fare.

In California, the poster child for the corporate gravy train is the so-called “enterprise zone” tax credit program. The program is supposed to encourage job creation in disadvantaged areas. But the only thing it actually encourages is more of our hard-earned taxpayer dollars flowing to richest of the rich.

Taxpayer money shouldn’t subsidize wealthy mega-corporations like Walmart that treat their workers poorly and pay their CEOs outrageous amounts.

Big corporations have had a free ride on our dime for too long. It’s time to End the Corporate Gravy Train, starting with reforming the wasteful enterprise zone program!

In order to make some of these big changes, where you are fighting a program supported by huge corporations with virtually limitless money, you have to start somewhere.