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Post by megop on Mar 3, 2018 2:28:47 GMT
Forget jobs or economic growth in Georgia apparently. NRA seems to be more important. I have no freaking words here. Only 13 people took advantage of the NRA discount with Delta and their decision to take their brand out of the political fight is being met with a job killing hit. Can't be very attractive for Amazon to locate in Atlanta if this is how state legislators are going to behave. Thoughts?
Punative agenda driven legislationATLANTA — Georgia lawmakers approved a bill on Thursday that stripped out a tax break proposal highly coveted by Delta Air Lines — the most stinging punishment that America’s pro-gun forces have leveled so far on one of the many corporations recalibrating their positions on firearms after the Florida high school massacre. The $50 million sales tax exemption on jet fuel that was sought by Delta, one of Georgia’s biggest employers, had been included in a broader tax-relief bill. But this week, a number of Georgia Republicans, including Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, sought to remove the perk as retribution for Delta’s decision to end a promotional discount for members of the National Rifle Association. Delta, in announcing the policy change, said it was trying to remain “neutral” in a national gun debate that has been rekindled by a gunman’s attack at a school in Parkland, Fla., that left 17 people dead. A number of other major American companies, including the car rental company Hertz and MetLife insurance, have also ended relationships with the N.R.A. since the shooting on Feb. 14. On Thursday, the Georgia Senate overwhelmingly approved a version of the bill without the jet-fuel tax break. The House, which had already approved a version of the bill, also approved the change. Both houses are controlled by Republicans. The legislation now goes to the desk of the Republican governor, Nathan Deal, who has pledged to sign it into law. But Mr. Deal is a supporter of the jet-fuel tax break, and he said he would sign the bill only because it also included a significant reduction in personal and corporate tax rates. In a sign of the gulf that has opened between gun-rights purists and Republicans with a more pro-business bent, Mr. Deal this week appeared to chastise fellow Republicans who sought to punish Delta, and thus potentially harm Georgia’s business-friendly reputation. “Ours is a welcoming state — the epitome of ‘Southern Hospitality,’” said Mr. Deal, who will leave office because of term limits early next year. “We were not elected to give the late-night talk show hosts fodder for their monologues or to act with the type of immaturity that has caused so many in our society to have a cynical view of politics.” In addition to being one of Georgia’s biggest employers, Delta is the economic engine of Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, the busiest airport in the world and a bragging point in the city’s claim to national and even international stature. The divisions over gun control are stark in Georgia, where Mr. Cagle is among a handful of Republicans who are seeking to be the next governor. They are particularly eager to make an impression among the hard-right conservatives who will have a big voice in the Republican primary in May. Mr. Cagle, the presumptive front-runner in the governor’s race, presides over the State Senate, and his threat on Monday to kill the tax break was interpreted here as a way to protect his right flank from his Republican rivals. “I think that obviously Delta is free to make any decision that they want to,” Mr. Cagle said during an appearance on “Fox and Friends” this week. He added that Delta “chose to single out the N.R.A. and their membership, law-abiding gun owners, and I don’t think that’s right.” Delta announced on Saturday that it was ending a discount for N.R.A. members traveling to the association’s annual convention. Other Republican candidates for governor were also eager to weigh in in favor of rescinding the tax break. Secretary of State Brian Kemp said lawmakers should reject the perk to airlines and instead focus on creating a sales tax holiday for buyers of guns, ammunition, holsters and safes where guns can be stored. On the floor of the Senate on Thursday, Senator Michael Williams, another Republican candidate for governor, praised his fellow lawmakers for stripping the tax exemption, saying they “stood strong” in the face of pressure from liberals, the media and big business. Mr. Deal has said he was “committed to finding a pathway forward for the elimination of sales tax on jet fuel, which is nonnegotiable.” But the political reality seems to leave him with few options. Democrats have argued that the attack on Delta, which did not comment Thursday, could harm the ability to attract new businesses, chief among them Amazon. The online retailer named metropolitan Atlanta as one possible location for its new headquarters. “Unfortunately, we’re looking at political gamesmanship, and trying to send ultraconservative messages for the Republican primary,” said Senator Steve Henson, the minority leader. “I think it does not enhance our chances to get Amazon.”
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carhoch
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Post by carhoch on Mar 3, 2018 2:41:05 GMT
I will be very surprised if amazon choose Atlanta for there new HQ2 after that one .
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tracylynn
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Post by tracylynn on Mar 3, 2018 2:42:05 GMT
Agreed - They just lost Amazon I suspect.
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janeliz
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Post by janeliz on Mar 3, 2018 2:44:47 GMT
I think it’s outrageous. Over a discount? Ridiculous.
Amazon would be crazy to choose Atlanta for their headquarters at this point.
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amom23
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Post by amom23 on Mar 3, 2018 2:50:11 GMT
I think the Georgia state government has lost it's mind. They can most definitely kiss any Amazon deal goodbye. If they keep it up Delta could walk too. It's pretty dangerous territory for the state to demand a private company offer a discount to a specific group.
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Post by hop2 on Mar 3, 2018 2:55:37 GMT
Wonder if that moved Newark NJ one spot higher on Amazon’s list? Thanks Georgia every little bit helps.
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Post by pierogi on Mar 3, 2018 3:07:30 GMT
I think Amazon pretty much said beforehand that if GA passed this, they would be taken out of contention. Sadly Georgia will have to learn North Carolina’s lesson. The hard way.
I wish I was surprised at the hypocrisy, but ... I’m not at all.
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Post by elaine on Mar 3, 2018 3:43:07 GMT
I just don’t understand.
This isn’t even about protecting 2nd Ammendment Rights. It is about protecting the NRA, which is a private organization. Albeit a wealthy and way too powerful organization.
How can those politicians spin this and sleep at night, knowing that they are hurting the state’s economy?
I hope that the citizens vote their asses out of office for valuing the well-being of the NRA over the well-being of Georgians.
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Post by MissBianca on Mar 3, 2018 3:48:12 GMT
Man GA is going to go 0 for 3 if this keeps up. Piss off Delta and Amazon over the NRA and Hollywood over the legislation that LGBTQ people can be denied adoptions from foster care. The state is going to be in a huge financial bind if these organizations push back.
We are embarrassed to say we lived there.
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lizacreates
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Aug 29, 2015 2:39:19 GMT
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Post by lizacreates on Mar 3, 2018 3:49:24 GMT
Does Georgia know that Amazon is a supporter of LGBTQ rights, a vocal ally of that group? Reason I ask is because GA’s legislature is not. How about the religious liberty bill that almost became law if not for the threats of some corporations to pull out of GA? My understanding was that was a huge coalition – Delta, Google, Marriott, Coca-Cola, etc. How about Jeff Bezo’s donations to fund scholarships for DACA youths? Does GA know that Amazon supports NARAL Pro-Choice and Planned Parenthood by donating a small portion of purchases made through its AmazonSmile Foundation? What will GA do with Tommy Benton, defender of the KKK – lock him up in a closet so he doesn’t embarrass anyone?
How will the GA legislature reconcile its values with those of Amazon’s?
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Post by megop on Mar 3, 2018 4:23:04 GMT
Does Georgia know that Amazon is a supporter of LGBTQ rights, a vocal ally of that group? Reason I ask is because GA’s legislature is not. How about the religious liberty bill that almost became law if not for the threats of some corporations to pull out of GA? My understanding was that was a huge coalition – Delta, Google, Marriott, Coca-Cola, etc. How about Jeff Bezo’s donations to fund scholarships for DACA youths? Does GA know that Amazon supports NARAL Pro-Choice and Planned Parenthood by donating a small portion of purchases made through its AmazonSmile Foundation? What will GA do with Tommy Benton, defender of the KKK – lock him up in a closet so he doesn’t embarrass anyone? How will the GA legislature reconcile its values with those of Amazon’s? Quick answer is, they won't. And it will come back and bite them in the behind. Quickest way to lose your office, is vote against people's jobs. We wish it wasn't so and that more people voted for their beliefs/causes/what's right, but in my experience, it is ALL about job availability and earning potential that motivates a previous non-voter to an active voter.
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Post by megop on Mar 3, 2018 4:25:20 GMT
I just don’t understand. This isn’t even about protecting 2nd Ammendment Rights. It is about protecting the NRA, which is a private organization. Albeit a wealthy and way too powerful organization. How can those politicians spin this and sleep at night, knowing that they are hurting the state’s economy? I hope that the citizens vote their asses out of office for valuing the well-being of the NRA over the well-being of Georgians. I sure as heck don't get it one single bit. Not one. I've worked for some pretty conservative legislators, but thankfully no one near this completely deaf.
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mlana
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Post by mlana on Mar 3, 2018 4:31:16 GMT
I don’t post politics on Facebook, but I posted about this. I could not believe that the Lt Gov baldly stated that he would punish Delta for going after Conservative when he is supposed to represent all of GA and he fuckin KNEW the tax break was a good thing for GA. Bastard! As a born and raised GAn, I am so furious with our elected officials.
fucking idiots.
Marcy
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Post by megop on Mar 3, 2018 4:54:52 GMT
I don’t post politics on Facebook, but I posted about this. I could not believe that the Lt Gov baldly stated that he would punish Delta for going after Conservative when he is supposed to represent all of GA and he fuckin KNEW the tax break was a good thing for GA. Bastard! As a born and raised GAn, I am so furious with our elected officials. fucking idiots. Marcy Sing it Marcy!!! You go girl!
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Post by crazy4scraps on Mar 3, 2018 5:04:00 GMT
As the former home base of Northwest Airlines (which was absorbed by Delta), I’m sure MSP would be more than happy to have Delta move their headquarters here! ETA: Not that I’d wish that on my friends who live down south that would be negatively affected by Delta pulling up stakes and moving, but just saying they do have options and the legislators in GA need to be mindful of that.
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azredhead
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Post by azredhead on Mar 3, 2018 5:06:07 GMT
So it's ok to deny customers discounts if you disagree with them?! That's not right either.. that's targating a different group of people if it were reversed there would be outrage?! I don't understand why it's okay? I understand thiat it's up to a company to decide what they want to do, but when your specifically doing it to a group for polically purposes this doesn't sit right.
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Post by elaine on Mar 3, 2018 5:16:24 GMT
So it's ok to deny customers discounts if you disagree with them?! That's not right either.. that's targating a different group of people if it were reversed there would be outrage?! I don't understand why it's okay? I understand thiat it's up to a company to decide what they want to do, but when your specifically doing it to a group for polically purposes this doesn't sit right. Last I looked, Delta doesn’t give discounts to the LGBTQ community and there is no outrage over that. There is no discount for belonging to NOW. So, I don’t understand what point you are trying to make. Some car rental companies give discounts to AARP members, and others don’t. There isn’t any outrage, in my circles at least, that some companies choose not to give an AARP discount. Choosing not to continue to give financial incentives to people based on a lobbying group membership is every business’ right and isn’t discrimination. They are now allowing NRA members to pay the same as everyone else. They aren’t charging them more than everyone else, they are charging them/treating them the same.
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Post by crazy4scraps on Mar 3, 2018 5:28:49 GMT
So it's ok to deny customers discounts if you disagree with them?! That's not right either.. that's targating a different group of people if it were reversed there would be outrage?! I don't understand why it's okay? I understand thiat it's up to a company to decide what they want to do, but when your specifically doing it to a group for polically purposes this doesn't sit right. Last I looked, Delta doesn’t give discounts to the LGBTQ community and there is no outrage over that. There is no discount for belonging to NOW. So, I don’t understand what point you are trying to make. Some car rental companies give discounts to AARP members, and others don’t. There isn’t any outrage, in my circles at least, that some companies choose not to give an AARP discount. Choosing not to continue to give financial incentives to people based on a lobbying group membership is every business’ right and isn’t discrimination. They are now allowing NRA members to pay the same as everyone else. They aren’t charging them more than everyone else, they are charging them/treating them the same. ![:yeahthat:](//storage.proboards.com/5645536/images/yrGoHMAelQz8f2Qt0sjb.jpg) Giving one group of customers an extra discount is a PRIVILEGE not a RIGHT. Just because they have made the decision to end that privilege doesn’t equal discrimination. Not by a long shot. (Pun definitely intended.)
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Post by dewryce on Mar 3, 2018 5:34:23 GMT
So it's ok to deny customers discounts if you disagree with them?! That's not right either.. that's targating a different group of people if it were reversed there would be outrage?! I don't understand why it's okay? I understand thiat it's up to a company to decide what they want to do, but when your specifically doing it to a group for polically purposes this doesn't sit right. Well said elaine and crazy4scraps. Also, they aren't denying customers discounts, they just aren't giving them discounts. There's a mile long list of groups that don't get discounts. I saw a quote the other day, maybe here. I'm terrible with words and my memory is horrible. But it basically says when you have privilege and you lose it, that feels like oppression, but isn't. The way I read that was, when people stop receiving special treatment it feels like they're being discriminated against but really they're just being treated the way everyone else has been all along.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 3, 2018 5:49:45 GMT
So it's ok to deny customers discounts if you disagree with them?! That's not right either.. that's targating a different group of people if it were reversed there would be outrage?! I don't understand why it's okay? I understand thiat it's up to a company to decide what they want to do, but when your specifically doing it to a group for polically purposes this doesn't sit right. Last I looked, Delta doesn’t give discounts to the LGBTQ community and there is no outrage over that. There is no discount for belonging to NOW. So, I don’t understand what point you are trying to make. Some car rental companies give discounts to AARP members, and others don’t. There isn’t any outrage, in my circles at least, that some companies choose not to give an AARP discount. Choosing not to continue to give financial incentives to people based on a lobbying group membership is every business’ right and isn’t discrimination. They are now allowing NRA members to pay the same as everyone else. They aren’t charging them more than everyone else, they are charging them/treating them the same. When you're accustomed to privilege, equal treatment feels like oppression.
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azredhead
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Post by azredhead on Mar 3, 2018 5:54:45 GMT
So it's ok to deny customers discounts if you disagree with them?! That's not right either.. that's targating a different group of people if it were reversed there would be outrage?! I don't understand why it's okay? I understand thiat it's up to a company to decide what they want to do, but when your specifically doing it to a group for polically purposes this doesn't sit right. Well said elaine and crazy4scraps. Also, they aren't denying customers discounts, they just aren't giving them discounts. There's a mile long list of groups that don't get discounts. I saw a quote the other day, maybe here. I'm terrible with words and my memory is horrible. But it basically says when you have privilege and you lose it, that feels like oppression, but isn't. The way I read that was, when people stop receiving special treatment it feels like they're being discriminated against but really they're just being treated the way everyone else has been all along. [ Sorry in my phone - maybe I’m understanding wrong - They just are no longer offering the to members of the NRA?
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Post by dewryce on Mar 3, 2018 6:03:11 GMT
Well said elaine and crazy4scraps . Also, they aren't denying customers discounts, they just aren't giving them discounts. There's a mile long list of groups that don't get discounts. I saw a quote the other day, maybe here. I'm terrible with words and my memory is horrible. But it basically says when you have privilege and you lose it, that feels like oppression, but isn't. The way I read that was, when people stop receiving special treatment it feels like they're being discriminated against but really they're just being treated the way everyone else has been all along. [ Sorry in my phone - maybe I’m understanding wrong - They just are no longer offering the to members of the NRA? Correct. Like they're not offering discounts to the large majority of the population. To deny and discriminate would be like not allowing them to ride at all, or charging a higher fee for their fare. They simply took away a privilege, a perk that most people don't get in the first place.
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Post by megop on Mar 3, 2018 6:24:13 GMT
So it's ok to deny customers discounts if you disagree with them?! That's not right either.. that's targating a different group of people if it were reversed there would be outrage?! I don't understand why it's okay? I understand thiat it's up to a company to decide what they want to do, but when your specifically doing it to a group for polically purposes this doesn't sit right. 13 people took advantage of the NRA discount in a year. 13 out of how many? Please.
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Post by megop on Mar 3, 2018 6:26:33 GMT
So it's ok to deny customers discounts if you disagree with them?! That's not right either.. that's targating a different group of people if it were reversed there would be outrage?! I don't understand why it's okay? I understand thiat it's up to a company to decide what they want to do, but when your specifically doing it to a group for polically purposes this doesn't sit right. 13 people took advantage of the NRA discount in a year. 13 out of how many? Please. This is why the GA legislature position is so completely STUPID. NRA members didn't use it, but they still took this stance.
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Post by papercrafteradvocate on Mar 3, 2018 12:31:54 GMT
What’s ironic is that these idiots are telling anyone who doesn’t think like them (conservative) that they are not welcome, are wrong, we will try to destroy/hurt your business —all because you don’t agree with our politics. And they take this stance because the NRA has given them $$$$.
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tuesdaysgone
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Post by tuesdaysgone on Mar 3, 2018 13:07:12 GMT
It's not the first (or last) time the Georgia legislatuer has made some mind-boggling crazy decisions. I live on the south side of Atlanta where Delta and other airlines are the primary employers. Overall our state has a thriving economy and so far has been able to attract a lot of business. Now much of that may be a stake. All of the fellow Georgians I know and work with are horrified as well.
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maryannscraps
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Post by maryannscraps on Mar 3, 2018 13:34:39 GMT
I agree about the legislature getting involved -- ridiculous.
I also think that giving large tax breaks to individual companies is a bad idea. If Georgia doesn't need the fuel taxes enough to give a break to the largest airline in the state, then the rest of the airlines shouldn't pay it either.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 3, 2018 13:55:06 GMT
It's not the first (or last) time the Georgia legislatuer has made some mind-boggling crazy decisions. I live on the south side of Atlanta where Delta and other airlines are the primary employers. Overall our state has a thriving economy and so far has been able to attract a lot of business. Now much of that may be a stake. All of the fellow Georgians I know and work with are horrified as well. Georgians need to vote these moronic thinkers OUT - they drag the perception (and reality) of the state back to iron age thinking.
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Deleted
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Sept 6, 2024 20:34:06 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Mar 3, 2018 13:56:12 GMT
I agree about the legislature getting involved -- ridiculous. I also think that giving large tax breaks to individual companies is a bad idea. If Georgia doesn't need the fuel taxes enough to give a break to the largest airline in the state, then the rest of the airlines shouldn't pay it either. The key is Delta has their headquarters in Georgia and other airlines don’t. Giving tax breaks to businesses is designed to keep them and the jobs they generate in the area. The bigger the presence the bigger the potential tax breaks to keep them there Why do you think Amazon has a list of potential sites for its second headquarters? He’s shopping for the best deal. Sometimes it’s advantageous for a state/city to offer tax deals to lure or keep businesses in a particular area. Sometimes not so much.
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maryannscraps
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Post by maryannscraps on Mar 3, 2018 14:06:53 GMT
I agree about the legislature getting involved -- ridiculous. I also think that giving large tax breaks to individual companies is a bad idea. If Georgia doesn't need the fuel taxes enough to give a break to the largest airline in the state, then the rest of the airlines shouldn't pay it either. The key is Delta has their headquarters in Georgia and other airlines don’t. Giving tax breaks to businesses is designed to keep them and the jobs they generate in the area. The bigger the presence the bigger the potential tax breaks to keep them there Why do you think Amazon has a list of potential sites for its second headquarters? He’s shopping for the best deal. Sometimes it’s advantageous for a state/city to offer tax deals to lure or keep businesses in a particular area. Sometimes not so much. Oh, I understand why companies want them, and why states give them. But time and time again in Massachusetts those types of tax breaks have turned out to be a bust. And I'm pissed that Boston is considering the same thing for Amazon.
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