Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Montgomery County Workers Pound Ike Leggett Over $900,000 Tax Cut Plan for Lockheed Martin // #OccupyMoCo Plans Protest

A source within Montgomery County's government reports that MCGEO -- the union representing thousands of county government employees -- is generating a large number of emails to county politicians today: "FYI. The email below was just sent out and the emails are already flooding into the council."

The trigger for MCGEO's advocacy campaign is a proposal from County Executive Ike Leggett to give defense contractor Lockheed Martin nearly one million dollars a year in tax cuts. In an email blast today, the government workers condemn Leggett's proposal and ask members to write to county officials. They also invite readers to attend a protest this Thursday at the County Council that is being organized by a local #Occupy group. Notably, the Council is holding public hearings on the budget this week. Maryland Juice prints MCGEO's email blast and the #Occupy invitation below:

UFCW Local 1994
April 11, 2012

Oppose Corporate Welfare to Lockheed Martin!

Mr. Leggett is at it again.
The County Executive has proposed a corporate welfare package totalling $5 MILLION dollars - giving a $900,000 grant to corporate giant Lockheed Martin, no strings attached! Read more here.
Two years ago, the Montgomery County Council tried to pass a bill that would forgive $450,000 in hotel taxes to Lockheed. Because of community outrage, the Council tabled the bill and the proposal failed!
This latest attempt at coddling  an ultra-rich corporation without regard to the County's taxpayers who end up paying the freight is downright outrageous!
MCGEO is testifying against this ridiculous example of corporate welfare on tomorrow at 1:30pm when the County Council will take up Mr. Leggett’s budget. 
It is outrageous to offer this super-rich corporation a gift of almost a million dollars when Montgomery County is cutting all kinds of services and is asking the average taxpayer to pay more.

Unjustifiable Corporate Welfare

The "Lockheed Tax"

Most of Lockheed's revenue comes from contracts with the federal government. In 2008, $36 billion of their sales came from federal contracts and $29 billion from the Pentagon. One expert calculated that each taxpaying household contributes roughly $260 in the “Lockheed tax.”
And Mr. Leggett wants US TO SUBSIDIZE THEM MORE?

Send a letter!

Tell the county council you object to this corporate give-away! Click here to send a letter to the County Council.

Protest this plan!

Occupy Montgomery County is organizing a protest outside the Council offices, 100 Maryland Avenue, Rockville. Join the protest outside, from 6 to 8 p.m.


MEDIA ADVISORY for 
Thursday April 12, 2012

Occupy Montgomery County To Protest 
Tax Giveaway To Lockheed Martin

As schools are forced to trim budgets, county considers cutting taxes for war profiteer


ROCKVILLE, MD – Occupy Montgomery County, a group of residents who have joined together to build community and amplify voices of the 99% in America’s 12th richest county, are protesting a proposed tax giveaway to Lockheed Martin in the 2013 county budget.

The Montgomery County Council is holding public hearings this week on County Executive Ike Leggett’s 2013 budget proposal. Among Leggett’s proposals is a recommendation to grant Bethesda-based Lockheed Martin a controversial $900,000 tax grant. The county council has rejected such giveaways for the company in the past. And the newly formed Occupy Montgomery County will be taking action to make sure they do the same this year.

The following is a statement from the group:

 “A company that in 2010 derived fully 84 percent of its profit from taxpayer dollars has absolutely no business siphoning much-needed resources from the people of Montgomery County. At a time when teachers are being laid off and schoolchildren are being stuffed into overcrowded classrooms, Lockheed Martin needs to pay its fair share. They can certainly afford to: the company paid its CEO $21.9 million and spent another $15.9 million on lobbying. The question is this: will our elected county officials invest in war profiteering merchants of death? Or a future for our children? We intend to make sure they make the right choice.”

WHERE: 100 Maryland Ave, Stella B. Werner Council Office Building, Rockville, MD

WHEN: Thursday, April 12 6 pm

FOR MORE INFORMATION: visit www.occupymocomd.org

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