About the possible new Samsung plant. (Houston, Dallas: sales, homes, school districts)

[EDS_]

Read in the Dallas Morning News that Samsung may be asking the city, school districts and the state for tax breaks to build a new plant in Austin.

What is everyones thinking on this?


To me it's a no-brainer and the powers that be should allow it.

[ashbeeigh]

Every corporation asks for tax cuts to relocate. Austin is all about those tax cuts.

[Austin97]

Originally Posted by EDS_

Read in the Dallas Morning News that Samsung may be asking the city, school districts and the state for tax breaks to build a new plant in Austin.

What is everyones thinking on this?


To me it's a no-brainer and the powers that be should allow it.

absolutely not. There is no reason, austin has massive growth. If we were struggling economically I would say yes.

The city needs to reinvest the money to make austin a city people want to live. For example we just approved $7B to start a train system. We likely need the 1B that samsung wants as a tax break.

We already have plenty of people moving here. We dont need a company that attracts more people but that isnt helping to pay for the extra strain on services.

[Need4Camaro]

Originally Posted by Austin97

absolutely not. There is no reason, austin has massive growth. If we were struggling economically I would say yes.

The city needs to reinvest the money to make austin a city people want to live. For example we just approved $7B to start a train system. We likely need the 1B that samsung wants as a tax break.

We already have plenty of people moving here. We dont need a company that attracts more people but that isnt helping to pay for the extra strain on services.

I personally feel relocating companies in general need to pay their fare share rather than coming to Texas just to receive an tax break. Bring companies that actually want to be in Texas, rather than companies that want to 'use' Texas. Some of those corporations are using federal dollars to relocate here. The common people not only in Texas but across the nation are technically are paying for that but those who will directly benefit are a very minute group by comparison and it seems like local citizens are largely footing the bill for these corporate presences in terms of the tax levies largely upon them (property tax, toll roads, sales tax, ect)

[KerrTown]

Originally Posted by Need4Camaro

I personally feel relocating companies in general need to pay their fare share rather than coming to Texas just to receive an tax break. Bring companies that actually want to be in Texas, rather than companies that want to 'use' Texas. Some of those corporations are using federal dollars to relocate here. The common people not only in Texas but across the nation are technically are paying for that but those who will directly benefit are a very minute group by comparison and it seems like local citizens are largely footing the bill for these corporate presences in terms of the tax levies largely upon them (property tax, toll roads, sales tax, ect)

I have to agree. The corporate relocations benefit the few in the communities that are transplanted into, but ALL Texans end up footing the lost revenue. The property taxes are already high in this state and it's not fair for Houstonians, San Antonians, etc. (the rest of Texas) to subsidize Austin and Dallas corporate relocations where the few benefits from the relocation are experienced locally.

Austin and Dallas being dependent on corporate relocations says a lot about their inability to organically grow their economy. Being dependent to the corporate tax break drug is unsustainable, because in the next decade these nomads will pack up and move to the next hot-and-trendy town. The ruins of vacant homes and offices will be permanently left behind.

This is eerily similar to the cancelled Foxconn project on the Wisconsin side of the Chicagoland. The money was already taken, but the state has to sue for the money back.

[EDS_]

Originally Posted by KerrTown

I have to agree. The corporate relocations benefit the few in the communities that are transplanted into, but ALL Texans end up footing the lost revenue. The property taxes are already high in this state and it's not fair for Houstonians, San Antonians, etc. (the rest of Texas) to subsidize Austin and Dallas corporate relocations where the few benefits from the relocation are experienced locally.

Austin and Dallas being dependent on corporate relocations says a lot about their inability to organically grow their economy. Being dependent to the corporate tax break drug is unsustainable, because in the next decade these nomads will pack up and move to the next hot-and-trendy town. The ruins of vacant homes and offices will be permanently left behind.

This is eerily similar to the cancelled Foxconn project on the Wisconsin side of the Chicagoland. The money was already taken, but the state has to sue for the money back.

I generally avoid responding to any of your posts as they are usually hollow, almost paranoid, rants.

The history of company relocations into Texas, subsidized and not, has been a success story for the history books. The second portion of your post is just plain sloganeering. Toyota, McKesson, Schwab etc. aren't going anywhere.

[EDS_]

Originally Posted by Need4Camaro

I personally feel relocating companies in general need to pay their fare share rather than coming to Texas just to receive an tax break. Bring companies that actually want to be in Texas, rather than companies that want to 'use' Texas. Some of those corporations are using federal dollars to relocate here. The common people not only in Texas but across the nation are technically are paying for that but those who will directly benefit are a very minute group by comparison and it seems like local citizens are largely footing the bill for these corporate presences in terms of the tax levies largely upon them (property tax, toll roads, sales tax, ect)

That's sounds great but in a world in which NC, SC, GA, FL, TN, etc.not to mention sometimes Canada and Mexico are each vying hard for company relocations and growth opportunities with incentives to not play that game is to fold nearly always.

[EDS_]

Originally Posted by Austin97

absolutely not. There is no reason, austin has massive growth. If we were struggling economically I would say yes.

The city needs to reinvest the money to make austin a city people want to live. For example we just approved $7B to start a train system. We likely need the 1B that samsung wants as a tax break.

We already have plenty of people moving here. We dont need a company that attracts more people but that isnt helping to pay for the extra strain on services.

Your first line is literally the only counter argument that makes any real sense.

FWIIW any train system will be a disaster. I have a small warehouse in Carrollton TX. and all through the day nearly empty passenger cars whiz by between Dallas and Denton. Spending the money on anything nearly anything else would provide better Mong term payback.

[KerrTown]

Originally Posted by EDS_

FWIIW any train system will be a disaster. I have a small warehouse in Carrollton TX. and all through the day nearly empty passenger cars whiz by between Dallas and Denton. Spending the money on anything nearly anything else would provide better Mong term payback.

Umm we are in a pandemic, so people are WFH or taking advantage of the freeway traffic reduction to drive-in to work instead of potentially catching the virus on the commuter train.

Houston's METRO has reduced Park-and-Ride service by eliminating midday and evening service and only shuttling Downtown workers home during both rush hours. My mom's company is probably the only one in Downtown to implement back-to-normal by forcing everyone (regardless of age or other protected status) physically back to the office building. Meanwhile there are only few people at the bus stops because most other Downtown companies have implemented WFH or an alternating remote work scheme.

During normal times, the main Red Line of Houston METRO's light rail is the busiest in Texas. Perhaps the lack of demand in Carrollton is due to the fact that it's a sprawled far-out suburb with limited first/last-mile local bus route connectivity? Light rail works great in the urban core, especially with local bus connections!

[Austin97]

Originally Posted by EDS_

Your first line is literally the only counter argument that makes any real sense.

FWIIW any train system will be a disaster. I have a small warehouse in Carrollton TX. and all through the day nearly empty passenger cars whiz by between Dallas and Denton. Spending the money on anything nearly anything else would provide better Mong term payback.

I voted against the train, but it passed. Now that it passed we need as much tax revenue as possible to pay for it. Trains can create a high value for the people that like them. DFW and houston have tremendous sprawl so I would say it is too late for them.

Austin failed to build roads which may turn out to be a benefit as we havent sprawled nearly as much. The trains will drive density along their corridor and attract creative class employees that value those things.