Subsidizing billionaires

by | Jun 11, 2018 | Budget, Editor's Blog | 15 comments

Mixed in the pork from the North Carolina GOP’s 2018 budget is a line item giving $1 million to an equestrian center in Polk County. That’s a big horse arena to host shows for wealthy owners from across the country. Among the owners are members of the Mercer family.

Who? you ask. Robert Mercer and his daughter are the billionaires who underwrite Breitbart, financially support Donald Trump and other Republicans, and were instrumental in sending Steve Bannon to the White House. His wife and another daughter are partners in the group of millionaires and billionaires building the $100 million luxury resort in Tryon. Now, it seems taxpayers are also they’re partners.

At a time when the Republican-led legislature tells us we don’t have money for more schools or paying teachers more money, they find it to subsidize billionaires who support Republican candidates and campaigns. That sure looks like pay-to-play to me. Regardless, it’s the type of sleaze Republicans ran against before they took power and are engaged in now that they’ve got it.

15 Comments

  1. M

    Throw some money towards Route 176 where many people lost everything in the mudslides .

  2. Debbie

    My My how the crap just keeps getting deeper and leading back to a huge misuse of our taxes.. When did it become ok to help the big businesses who are still paying their employees wages from 30 yrs ago while their profits soar

  3. Jo Hartman

    Why is this not tweeted to the people and governor and all reps in North Carolina? It’s their taxes!!! We had the olympics in LA. Yes it took tax money but no private company or family got rich and many small enterprises as well as the city once underway gained profits from it being here. That’s how calif does it.

    • Ebrun

      OMG, are we advocating the “calif” model for NC. Surely you jest!

  4. Ms G

    It’s ok for the Mercers and other wealthy to come begging for corporate welfare but those who truly need it or money for education? Pfftt. Pull yourselves up by your boot straps and go work 3 minimum wage jobs if you can find them.

  5. Pat Salomon

    The $1 million in the NC budget is going to the Polk County government – not TIEC – to help cover the County’s costs for police, fire, emergency services, etc. The World Equestrian Games will bring visitors from all over the world and will create a big boost in the economy for Polk and neighboring counties. It’s called economic development. This is the only WEG funded by private money. All other WEGs had very large contributions from government.

    The new I26 overpasses being built in Columbus were long overdue. The roundabouts were a poor short term solution to get I26 traffic to US 74.

    I am no big fan of everything the TIEC partners do, but they (and their hundreds of sponsors) are footing the bill for the WEG.

    • Ebrun

      Right Pat, The Games, which last for several weeks, will not only be a boon to Polk County, but will have a positive economic impact from Charlotte to Asheville and beyond. This is part of the legacy of the McCrory Administration that promoted private sector economic development throughout the state instead of heavily subsidizing large international corporations to entice them to locate here.

    • smartysmom

      Pat, when you end up on the same side as Ebrun,what does that make you. Are you perhaps also a snake (go read the poem, so beloved of Trump and Miller)

      • ebrun

        Wow, seems like the left wingers are engaging in guilt by association again, Pat. Name calling and personal insults are pretty much their modus operandi when the absurdity of their partisan claims become blatantly obvious.

  6. Joshua Horn

    Sounds like something that NC shouldn’t be spending money on. How about we all agree to this – no corporate welfare or bailouts to any company, industries or persons? Then there can be no accusations of political bias or payouts.

  7. Thomas Sutter

    Their not they’re

  8. smartysmom

    Oh and you aren’t counting the millions in highway “improvements required to handle the increased highway traffic created by the World Equestrian Games being held here, and all the infrastructure and government services being required by these events, all to be paid for by the taxpayers while the Mercers and friends get richer. But this is Trump country, and the voters do not see the connection.

  9. smartysmom

    The Mercers are my neighbors. They plant their oversized foot in everyone’s face. Longtime residents of Polk County are being forced out because they can no longer afford the property taxes. Ours went up 150%

    • Ebrun

      I thought liberals were in favor of public investment to improve infrastructure. Polk County will host events that will have a positive impact on the entire state. The State should help this small, rural County bear the expenses of this major economic development.

  10. Kicking Butt

    Mercer is also closely associated with the British company Cambridge Analytica who did the targeting of voters for the Trump campaign using millions of names gleaned from Facebook. This probably won the election for Trump.

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