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"Bridge To Microsoft" Gets Federal Stimulus Funds
theodp writes "Among the first to benefit from the investment in roads and bridges from Obama's stimulus plan is Microsoft, which has $20B in the bank. Local planners have allotted $11M to help pay for a highway overpass to connect one part of Microsoft's wooded campus with another. Microsoft will contribute almost half of the $36.5M cost; other federal and local money will pay the rest. 'Steve Ballmer or Bill Gates could finance this out of pocket change,' griped Steve Ellis of the Taxpayers for Common Sense. 'Subsidizing an overpass to one of the richest companies in the country certainly isn't going to be the best use of our precious dollars.' Ellis called the project 'a bridge to Microsoft,' alluding to Alaska's infamous 'Bridge to Nowhere.'" A White House spokesman said this bridge project is still under review.
How much does Microsoft pay in local property taxes? I would hope they have paid in a lot more than the cost of this project. Local governments are almost always willing to make concessions to businesses that make up a large part of their tax base by contributing to property taxes, state income taxes (by providing jobs), and sales taxes (which Microsoft pays very little of, not being a retail business). I would expect them to do similar improvements for a shopping mall, why not a tech firm? If the local government is giving them a free ride on property taxes AND subsidizing this improvement, then yes, local taxpayers have a right to be pissed off. But since a good number of people in Redmond owe their livelihood to M$ either directly or indirectly, I'd expect most of the taxpayers to keep their mouths shut. Plus, doesn't this overpass benefit everybody by keeping some cars off of the main highway?
I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.
Connecting two parts of the company campus? The company should pay for it.
If I understood correctly, it connects two parts of the city. It so happens that each has one part of MS campus in it, so MS will benefit greatly, but they're not the only one to do so (and of course, as TFA says, they do pay for it, just not for all of it).
>>>Microsoft probably brings in a teeny tiny bit of revenue for that community
The amount of money MS gives the community is far less than 11 million dollars. This is the equivalent of spending ten dollars to get a 1 dollar coupon mailed to yourself. The money spent exceeds the money earned. It's foolish.
"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." - historian Evelyn Beatrice Hall
I can't wait to get my street paved... it's asphalt on dirt and has more cracks and potholes than actual road surface left. They've been patching it with cold patch for about 5 years now. At one point, I would see several cars a night with flats from one particularly nasty pothole... typically it was a bent rim for added excitement. We're slated for curb-to-curb rebuild this summer. Hopefully they'll fish all the VW Beetles out of the potholes before they start digging.
And before you scream OT... I'm in WA ;-P
man, I feel like mold.
It's even worse. Microsoft has a shell organization in Nevada. So all of Microsoft's products are developed and created in Seattle and then they 'sell' Windows through Nevada so that they don't have to pay Washington State for any of their income tax.
Meanwhile we have a bridge (520) which is unable to keep up with Microsoft commuters every morning that needs a multi billion dollar investment to reduce traffic.
All in all I would say Microsoft is a net force of good in the local economy and they probably give more than they take, but it would certainly be a little less repulsive if Microsoft actually had to pay a little of their way like the rest of us. Once again: if you're rich you get a free pass while the small businesses have to pick up the slack.
On the other hand. If the money is being passed out evenly across the country. And this community thinks this is what is best for their community then by all means go for it. Microsoft Employees probably do pay their fair share in taxes since most make above the median income and probably are in a higher tax bracket. If your entire town is based around a Microsoft Economy, it would be silly to repair the bridge to home depot.