[act-ma] MONDAY, APRIL 4: Tell Mayor Walsh and Gov. Baker: #MakeGEpay its Taxes!

[Cole Harrison]

[image: makeGEpay]

*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
<http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=7ySppdsj%2Fq9TeKvXIouchySMAkgIjDFH>.
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
<http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=tfMRgfNyAGSWO9fdEUGB5iSMAkgIjDFH>
".

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
<http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=%2FYYe9QswirHpqN0ttU7SXSSMAkgIjDFH>'".
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.

[image: Martin King]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!

[image: makeGEpay]

*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


-- 
Cole Harrison
Executive Director
Massachusetts Peace Action - the nation's largest grassroots peace
organization
11 Garden St., Cambridge, MA 02138
617-354-2169 w
617-466-9274 m
www.masspeaceaction.org
Facebook: facebook.com/masspeaceaction
Twitter: masspeaceaction