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MICROSOFT 99, TAXPAYERS 1

February 15, 2008

Andrew Jackson said "One man with courage makes a majority." Tell that to Bruce Hunter. The Democrat from Des Moines' south side was the only vote in the Iowa House yesterday opposed to maybe $36 million in tax breaks to Microsoft.

The Des Moines Register reports on the one man with courage:

Rep. Bruce Hunter, a Democrat from Des Moines, cast the lone opposing vote. He said corporate tax breaks lead to unhealthy competition.
"States competing with each other have kind of gotten into this slippery slope that we can't get out of anymore," Hunter said, noting Iowa's high education levels, skilled labor and affordable and reliable access to energy.

"Compete on that level instead of how much money are you willing to give us,' " Hunter added.

Minority Leader Christopher Rants comes up lame:

House Minority Leader Christopher Rants, a Sioux City Republican, voted for the bill but also requested that lawmakers look at what can be done to help smaller companies, many that already exist in Iowa.
"Surely this chamber cares as much about your neighborhood manufacturing plant, the retailer down the street, the small business in your community as much as you care about one of the largest, most wealthy companies in the world," Rants said.

Surely they don't. They care about subsidizing headline-grabbing projects for well-connected companies and industries. They care about appeasing the Corn God, the heck with the consumer. They care about subsidizing Hollywood. If they cared about folks without lobbyists, we wouldn't rate 45th in our business tax environment or dead last in entrepreneurial vitality.

Tags: iowa tax policy.