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Georgia’s lieutenant governor said on Monday he would work to derail a multimillion-dollar tax cut

OKSTATE1

MegaPoke is insane
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You can not make this stuff up...sorry Delta. Gonna cost you $40 million.

Georgia’s Lieutenant Governor Tells Delta To Give NRA Back Its Discounts, Or Else
“Corporations cannot attack conservatives and expect us not to fight back.”

By Nick Visser

Georgia’s lieutenant governor said on Monday he would work to derail a multimillion-dollar tax cut that would benefit Delta Air Lines unless the company reinstated its relationship with the National Rifle Association.

Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, who also serves as president of the Georgia state Senate, intimated in a tweet he would “kill any tax legislation” as punishment to Delta, which last week said it would end its discount program for members of the NRA. Delta, headquartered in Atlanta, is one of more than a dozen companies that have distanced themselves from the gun lobby following the massacre of 17 people at a Florida high school on Feb. 14.

“Corporations cannot attack conservatives and expect us not to fight back,” Cagle, a leading Republican candidate to replace Gov. Nathan Deal, wrote on Monday.
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Casey Cagle

@CaseyCagle


I will kill any tax legislation that benefits @Delta unless the company changes its position and fully reinstates its relationship with @NRA. Corporations cannot attack conservatives and expect us not to fight back.

HuffPost has reached out to Delta and Cagle for comment.

The Georgia legislature has been considering a new bill that would restore a massive sales tax exemption on jet fuel. Delta, the state’s largest private employer, would be the provision’s main beneficiary and save about $40 million a year.

Just last week, Cagle had endorsed the measure, and it was expected to move through to Gov. Nathan Deal’s desk quickly.

Cagle’s statement drew some rebukes from other lawmakers, including Stacey Abrams, a Democratic candidate for governor, who urged lawmakers to “take action to roll back dangerous laws that put guns in the wrong hands.”

“I applaud Delta’s decision to listen to feedback from its customers and reject #NRA extremism that has prevented commonsense reform for too long,” Abrams wrote on Twitter.
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Stacey Abrams

@staceyabrams


I applaud @Delta’s decision to listen to feedback from its customers and reject #NRA extremism that has prevented commonsense reform for too long. Our obligation is clear: reduce the risk of gun homicide and suicide in Georgia. #NeverAgain #gapol 1/

4:19 PM - Feb 26, 2018
Another Democrat, state Sen. Steve Henson, told ABC News that “Republican fear of the NRA is evidently more important than the Georgia business climate, jobs, or the well-being of Georgia citizens.”

And the ACLU of Georgia also called Cagle’s threat inappropriate in a statement to ABC. “Politicians should not use taxpayer dollars to impose ideological litmus tests and punish organizations that express views that politicians dislike,” ACLU Executive Director Andrea Young said.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Monday that Delta had been attempting to downplay the political motivations behind its decision, saying it was a supporter of the Second Amendment and that the company held a “neutral” stance on gun control measures. The company noted a separate instance in which it had withdrawn support “over a politically and emotionally charged issue” after it ended its sponsorship of a staging of “Julius Caesar,” which depicted the assassination of a Donald Trump-like character.


View image on Twitter


Greg Bluestein

@bluestein



“Delta continues to support the 2nd Amendment.” Atlanta-based airline tries to staunch fallout over its decision to sever ties with
12:33 PM - Feb 25, 2018 · Dunwoody, GA


The memo did little to assuage Cagle and other conservatives in the Georgia General Assembly.

“I’m tired of conservatives being kicked around on our values. It’s time we stand up and fight and show corporations that conservative values are important, not just to Georgia but to the entire nation,” Cagle told the Journal-Constitution. “We can fight for jobs, but we can also fight for values.”
 
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And the ACLU of Georgia also called Cagle’s threat inappropriate in a statement to ABC. “Politicians should not use taxpayer dollars to impose ideological litmus tests and punish organizations that express views that politicians dislike,” ACLU Executive Director Andrea Young said.
Isn't this similar to what Lois Lerner and the IRS did to conservative groups seeking tax exempt status? Lerner wasn't a politician but she got her marching orders from political appointees who definitely had a litmus tests and a desire to punish those with different political views.
 
My view on this is simple. Does Delta offer discounts and/or partnerships with other organizations that have any political presence (such as Planned Parenthood). If so, then unless they are dropping all of these associations as well, then the Lt. Governor is right. If they are dropping all of there partnerships with these political entities, then the Lt. Governor is wrong in his perspective.
 
They dropped the NRA right after the shooting which took an already politicized tragedy and politicized it some more.

They aligned themselves with the NRA over a profit motive.

I have no problem frankly with companies doing this in that the free market will react as companies make business decisions.

They would have been smarter to let this all blow over and then discontinued as a business decision, but the timing was both political and strategic, to maximize profits in their opinion.

So, I have no problem with the Georgia government reacting both political and strategic, to benefit their bottom line as well.
 
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The correct answer is they shouldn't get the tax cut either way.
Oh I am sure New Jersey and Washington state were on the phone within minutes of hearing this offering to provide those very same, if not better, tax benefits to attract those jobs. Hell, maybe even Tulsa would if they had the people skilled enough to take them...
 
Oh I am sure New Jersey and Washington state were on the phone within minutes of hearing this offering to provide those very same, if not better, tax benefits to attract those jobs. Hell, maybe even Tulsa would if they had the people skilled enough to take them...

Real easy to move the Atlanta Airport and that capacity and all those employees.
 
Oh I am sure New Jersey and Washington state were on the phone within minutes of hearing this offering to provide those very same, if not better, tax benefits to attract those jobs. Hell, maybe even Tulsa would if they had the people skilled enough to take them...
You're correct of course.
 
LOL It is $50 to $40 million sales tax exemption on jet fuel. Mmm hmmmm...Where you moving all those gates and jets??? LOL.

Delta has a hub in Seattle...which in Washington State...which is one of the state’s mentioned by DA.

Doesn’t make him absolutely right, but it does make it possible that he might be.
 
Delta has a hub in Seattle...which in Washington State...which is one of the state’s mentioned by DA.

Doesn’t make him absolutely right, but it does make it possible that he might be.

The tax benefits is related to sales tax, jet fuel. Nothing to do with employees or corporate presence. This was an exemption that has not always existed. Atlanta airport is the busiest in the World, Delta represents a substantial part of that. It is a huge hub for Delta. Delta operates 5,400 flights daily out of Atlanta. So, no they are not eliminating a huge hub in Georgia which makes sense logistically to a hub anywhere else, no one has that capacity, no cities are building new airports because no one wants to live next to them and they are super expensive. And no, Delta is not moving its Corporate headquarters away from the busiest airport in the World and uprooting that many families, many which will not move (I worked for a Fortune 500 Company that tried it, it failed because of the institutional knowledge you lose). Atlanta has been home since 1941.

It would take a city promising to build an airport that would cost more then a new NFL stadium which is a billion dollar commitment, (Seattle lost the Sonics because they did not want to pay the taxes for an NBA arena). Denver's airport cost $4.8 billion to build in 1995. And who knows how much it would have to pay Delta to move for the business interruption caused by a massive move, costs to pay to move those employees, buy their homes if they do not sell quickly (that is what the big companies do), pay for duplicate operations (an advance to team to go to the new city and hire new employees to replace those that not coming and train them) and the fact they will need to keep the legacy facility running and bribe people to stay with pay to stay bonuses until the legacy office is closed and transitioned. The costs goes on and on. Plus, you will need to give Delta some long-term profit out of the deal just for the pain and suffering of the move.

He made a comment that showed he had not clearly thought this thru or understood the nature of the tax exemptions and acted like he was smarter then everyone else in the room and acted like a smart butt.

No, DA is wrong, Delta not going anywhere, not over $50 or $40 million dollars, they deal with other costs that can swing much harder and faster then that sales tax exemption, they made $4.37 billion in 2016, $50 or $40 million to their top line is nothing and the people in power in Georgia knows it. Delta made a posturing move with the NRA, Georgia reacted in kind. The irony is a bunch of Delta employees in Atlanta I bet are members of the NRA.

I got $1,000 for DA that says Delta's hub or corporate office not going anywhere, no one could afford to wave enough money in front of them to make that move, that is a fact.
 
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Based on their total flight data, they average 2400 flights per day (900K flights / 365 days). It would not surprise me that on peak days they hit 4-5K.
No. They average 5,400 flights a day WORLDWIDE inclusive of its subs and regional operators.
 
No. They average 5,400 flights a day WORLDWIDE inclusive of its subs and regional operators.

This is correct, I misread the data. However, it does not change the point at all. There is not an airport in this country that could assume that capacity for Delta, geographically it would not make sense at all to ship it to either coast.
 
This is correct, I misread the data. However, it does not change the point at all. There is not an airport in this country that could assume that capacity for Delta, geographically it would not make sense at all to ship it to either coast.
I bet an airport would make a helluva an effort to do so if Delta said they were moving everything. It could be done in 12 months.
 
I bet an airport would make a helluva an effort to do so if Delta said they were moving everything. It could be done in 12 months.

I offer you the same $1,000 bet I offered DA, it will not happen and not possible for the reasons I gave previously. $1,000 dollars 18 months from now Delta hub in Atlanta still in place.
 
The tax benefits is related to sales tax, jet fuel. Nothing to do with employees or corporate presence. This was an exemption that has not always existed. Atlanta airport is the busiest in the World, Delta represents a substantial part of that. It is a huge hub for Delta. Delta operates 5,400 flights daily out of Atlanta. So, no they are not eliminating a huge hub in Georgia which makes sense logistically to a hub anywhere else, no one has that capacity, no cities are building new airports because no one wants to live next to them and they are super expensive. And no, Delta is not moving its Corporate headquarters away from the busiest airport in the World and uprooting that many families, many which will not move (I worked for a Fortune 500 Company that tried it, it failed because of the institutional knowledge you lose). Atlanta has been home since 1941.

It would take a city promising to build an airport that would cost more then a new NFL stadium which is a billion dollar commitment, (Seattle lost the Sonics because they did not want to pay the taxes for an NBA arena). Denver's airport cost $4.8 billion to build in 1995. And who knows how much it would have to pay Delta to move for the business interruption caused by a massive move, costs to pay to move those employees, buy their homes if they do not sell quickly (that is what the big companies do), pay for duplicate operations (an advance to team to go to the new city and hire new employees to replace those that not coming and train them) and the fact they will need to keep the legacy facility running and bribe people to stay with pay to stay bonuses until the legacy office is closed and transitioned. The costs goes on and on. Plus, you will need to give Delta some long-term profit out of the deal just for the pain and suffering of the move.

He made a comment that showed he had not clearly thought this thru or understood the nature of the tax exemptions and acted like he was smarter then everyone else in the room and acted like a smart butt.

No, DA is wrong, Delta not going anywhere, not over $50 or $40 million dollars, they deal with other costs that can swing much harder and faster then that sales tax exemption, they made $4.37 billion in 2016, $50 or $40 million to their top line is nothing and the people in power in Georgia knows it. Delta made a posturing move with the NRA, Georgia reacted in kind. The irony is a bunch of Delta employees in Atlanta I bet are members of the NRA.

I got $1,000 for DA that says Delta's hub or corporate office not going anywhere, no one could afford to wave enough money in front of them to make that move, that is a fact.
Can you point where I said Delta was moving? I said others would gladly match benefits to get even a portion of those jobs. Reading comprehension, worth investing in....
 
Can you point where I said Delta was moving? I said others would gladly match benefits to get even a portion of those jobs. Reading comprehension, worth investing in....

Your response was "Yeah, cause that is what the tax breaks apply to... mmm hmmm."

The tax breaks given was a sales tax break on jet fuel purchased in Georgia, specifically Atlanta, Georgia. The reason the fuel is purchased in Georgia is because that is where the Delta hub is at, Atlanta, Georgia. The planes get the fuel in Atlanta, got it Mr. Reading comprehension. Your above response was to: "Real easy to move the Atlanta Airport and that capacity and all those employees."

If you are too stupid to realize where that Airport is located and where that fuel is purchased is what generated that sales tax benefit to Delta, well carry on. And you obviously did not get it because of your response, you had no clue it was a sales tax benefit based on jet fuel and hence your mmm hmmm comment. I mentioned moving so you might "get it", but way over your head because you were making assumptions.

Your desire to be a jerk to people at times gets you twisted up.
 
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Your response was "Yeah, cause that is what the tax breaks apply to... mmm hmmm."

The tax breaks given was a sales tax break on jet fuel purchased in Georgia, specifically Atlanta, Georgia. The reason the fuel is purchased in Georgia is because that is where the Delta hub is at, Atlanta, Georgia. The planes get the fuel in Atlanta, got it Mr. Reading comprehension. Your above response was to: "Real easy to move the Atlanta Airport and that capacity and all those employees."

If you are too stupid to realize where that Airport is located and where that fuel is purchased is what generated that sales tax benefit to Delta, well carry on. And you obviously did not get it because of your response, you had no clue it was a sales tax benefit based on jet fuel and hence your mmm hmmm comment. I mentioned moving so you might "get it", but way over your head because you were making assumptions.

Your desire to be a jerk to people at times gets you twisted up.
Again, where did I say that Delta was moving?

Let me make it very simple: companies looking to maximize shareholder return and communities looking to increase jobs will often make special deals that include special tax treatment. If the Lt. Governor of GA wants to undo a deal with Delta, many other communities would perhaps like to make a deal with Delta to create or expand Delta presence in their state.

Your want to project that I am suggesting that Delta would abandon Hartsfield Jackson (ironically just about to land at HJ on a Delta jet in preparation for a meeting with a customer) is ludicrous.

You can say I am twisted up trying to be a jerk. I have no need to twist up to be a jerk. Sometimes that just comes easily.
 
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