Emma Berry

For one specific example, the citizens of Plano Texas could contact their local council members in person and let them know how penny wise and pound foolish they  are in bending over for Wall Street Corporations.

In November of 2009, we saw reported on WFFA that Pizza Hut is now poised to move from Addison to Plano. the company will likely build its new headquarters at the Legacy business park, alongside other corporate giants like JC Penney, Frito Lay and Hewlett-Packard.  “Any time you can get a national or multi-national corporation to call your city its home base or headquarters, it’s a huge thing for a community, a very positive signal to people that this is a great place to do business,” said Plano Mayor Phil Dyer.  Another council member referred to is as a “jewel in Plano’s crown.”

Those incentives were approved by the Plano City Council in November of 2009, including a $1,350,000 tax break, $500,000 in relocation expenses and $250,000 cash for building inspection and permit fees. –Did any interested citizen ask if the $1,350,000 tax break was a one time event, or an ongoing gift from the taxpayers of Plano?  Did anyone ask if the $250,000 waiver of permit fees  was a one time event or another annual gift?

The Pizza Hut, a Wall Street corporation moved from Addision, a nearby community to Plano.  Does anyone really think that people from Addison and nearby communities are going to sell their homes and move to Plano because of this move of the corporate headquarters?

Does anyone think that these employees will do any more shopping in Plano that they did before–not likely.  The real beneficiary of this largess provided by the elected officials of Plano was not its citizens.  It was Pizza Hut.

And those local conservatives of Plano who love to yammer about lowering property taxes would do well to remember their property taxes were raised in 2006 to the tune of $40 a year per $244,000 homes (and more or less according to value of home) in 2006–just to provide for such nonsensical shell games as communities competing against each other for the “honor” of a Wall Street corporation in their midst.

“CONSERVATIVE” REPUBLICANS NEED TO START CONNECTING THE DOTS

Plano City Council members got their first look at the proposed 2011 budget on Wednesday that calls for a property tax rate increase for a second straight year.

The annual tax bill on a house valued at $245,802, the city average, would rise $14 to $990 under the recommended budget from City Manager Tom Muehlenbeck.

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Perhaps if the Plano City Council would stop giving away the taxpayers money to Wall Street corporations like Pizza Hut.  Perhaps if they asked that Pizza Hut like all the other corporate freeloaders in Plano to pay their fair share of local taxes that the citizens would not be stuck paying the freeloaders bill.