Rally Outside Welcome Party for GE Execs Hosted by Gov Baker & Mayor Walsh
Monday, April 4th, 2016, 3:30pm-5:30 pm
60 State Street, Boston, MA (State Street T)
“GE’s warm welcome to Boston shouldn’t include free rent”, Joan Vennochi wrote in yesterday’s Boston Globe. But in fact, Governor Charlie Baker plans to give GE $125 million in tax breaks to ease its move to Boston, and Mayor Marty Walsh will chip in $25 million plus spend $90 million on a bridge. This corporate welfare comes at a time when public education is underfunded and public transit is cutting services and raising fares.
This, for a company that refuses to pay the $613 million it owes to clean up pollution it caused in the Housatonic River in western Massachusetts; that has avoided at least $37 billion in federal taxes; and that is one of the state’s major military contractors, building the airplanes that are daily being used by the U.S. to destroy Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan, and that were used by Israel to flatten Gaza in 2014.
The full extent of the government giveaways and influence buying that are part of the GE move are explained by Dig Boston’s Jason Pramas in “GE Boston Deal: The Missing Manual — GE’s Boston charm offensive presents dilemma for Boston nonprofits, others.
The broader context for the fight over GE, though it does not mention the company by name, is examined by Thomas Franks in “Beware the Blue State Model: How [Massachusetts] Democrats Created a ‘Liberalism of the Rich Franks writes that the knowledge economy epitomized by higher education, biotech, and pharma is destroying the middle class, and that its political representatives are ascendant in the Democratic Party over the working class.
April 4 is the anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who was killed after he stood up against what he called America’s racism, poverty and militarism. We will gather on April 4 in Dr. King’s memory.
The Budget for All campaign now joins with others, as Tax Day approaches, to challenge the giveaway of state and city tax dollars to the war manufacturer, General Electric. We are linking the need for a People’s Budget at the federal level with the need for people’s budgets at the state and local levels. Please join us Monday afternoon at 60 State Street as we protest GE and call for a people’s budgets at all levels!
WHAT: Rally Outside Welcome Party for GE Execs Hosted by Gov Baker & Mayor Walsh
WHEN: Monday, April 4th, 2016, 3:30pm-5:30 pm
WHERE: 60 State Street, Boston, MA (near Boston City Hall and State Street Stop on the Orange Line)
WHO: Coalition of Boston area social justice groups and leaders
#MakeGEPay! $37 billion in Federal Taxes: GE has parked $119 billion in profits overseas, avoiding over *$30 billion in federal taxes. If GE paid their fair share, billions would be available for public schools, low cost housing, fixing the T, renewable energy, green jobs and countless other needs. GE also receives federal funds for weapons used by the U.S. and Israel to commit war crimes in the Middle East.
#MakeGEPay! $125m in State Taxes + $613m Cleanup of Housatonic River: Governor Baker has promised $125 million in tax breaks for GE. $125 million would help reduce MBTA fare hikes, lower public college costs, move homeless families out of motels, and support jobs, not jails! Not a penny for GE until it cleans up its pollution of the Housatonic River in Western MA!
#MakeGEPay $25m in City Tax Breaks + $90m Bridge: Mayor Walsh has promised a $25 million tax break and a $90 million bridge over Fort Point Channel for GE. $25 million could stop budget cuts in the Boston Schools or provide rent vouchers for the homeless. And $90 million would be better spent to rebuild the bridge to Long Island to reopen facilities for people in recovery.
On April 4, Mayor Walsh and Gov. Baker are hosting a Public Forum with GE’s CEO Jeff Immelt at 60 State Street in Boston.
Let’s welcome GE to Boston!
Union of Minority Neighborhoods • Budget for All Campaign • Jewish Voice for Peace – Boston • Neighbor to Neighbor • Right to the City/Boston • Mass Alliance of HUD Tenants • Progressive Mass • American Friends Service Committee • Women’s International League for Peace & Freedom • Unitarian Universalist Mass Action Network • New England War Tax Resistance • OPENBoston • Alliance for Water Justice in Palestine • United for Justice with Peace • Massachusetts Peace Action • Boston Homeless Solidarity Committee • Housatonic River Initiative • MassMuslims • NoBoston2024 • Massachusetts Senior Action • Pass Mass Amendment
To get involved contact:
Union of Minority Neighborhoods • 617-522-3349 • horacesmall(AT)umnunity.org
Budget for All Massachusetts • 617-354-2169 • info(AT)budget4allmass.org
Jewish Voice for Peace – Boston • 339-223-3185 • jvpboston(AT)gmail.com
