Chiquita Brands International is moving its global headquarters to Charlotte, North Carolina. This bad banana shook the money tree and millions of dollars fell from the pockets of taxpayers. Charlotte Chamber president Bob Morgan proclaimed this as a once in a decade opportunity.
The total short-term package approved was $5 million, including the $730,000 in property tax refunds. It was more than originally offered, though less than what the banana company was seeking.
In addition to the property tax refunds, the city and county will each pay Chiquita $875,000 each over three years.
The state will match that with a $2.5 million grant, in addition to the state's $16.1 million in larger income tax grants.
In the end, the city put some "clawbacks" on the short-term incentives.
The money is tied to job creation, and the headquarters must remain in Charlotte for 10 years. The average salary must be more than $100,000, and the company needs to keep 90 percent of its jobs in the city over 10 years.
Chiquita is laughing all the way to the bank. The banana cartel knows how to deal. In 2007, they were fined for making payoffs to Columbian terrorist.
In court documents filed Wednesday, federal prosecutors said the company and several unnamed high-ranking corporate officers paid about $1.7 million between 1997 and 2004 to the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, known as AUC for its Spanish initials.
The total short-term package approved was $5 million, including the $730,000 in property tax refunds. It was more than originally offered, though less than what the banana company was seeking.
In addition to the property tax refunds, the city and county will each pay Chiquita $875,000 each over three years.
The state will match that with a $2.5 million grant, in addition to the state's $16.1 million in larger income tax grants.
In the end, the city put some "clawbacks" on the short-term incentives.
The money is tied to job creation, and the headquarters must remain in Charlotte for 10 years. The average salary must be more than $100,000, and the company needs to keep 90 percent of its jobs in the city over 10 years.
Chiquita is laughing all the way to the bank. The banana cartel knows how to deal. In 2007, they were fined for making payoffs to Columbian terrorist.
In court documents filed Wednesday, federal prosecutors said the company and several unnamed high-ranking corporate officers paid about $1.7 million between 1997 and 2004 to the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, known as AUC for its Spanish initials.
The AUC has been responsible for some of the worst massacres in Colombia's civil conflict and for a sizable percentage of the country's cocaine exports. The U.S. government designated the right-wing militia a terrorist organization in September 2001.
Prosecutors said the company made the payments in exchange for protection for its workers. In addition to paying the AUC, prosecutors said, Chiquita made payments to the National Liberation Army, or ELN, and the leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, as control of the company's banana-growing area shifted.
I’ll give Chiquita kudos for looking after their workers. They sure as hell did a good job at shaking down the taxpayers of Charlotte in this “once in a decade opportunity.”
Source: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/12/01/2816928/chiquita-payout-called-%20munique.html#ixzz1fKtPbhsb
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/03/15/terror/main2571969.shtml
I’ll give Chiquita kudos for looking after their workers. They sure as hell did a good job at shaking down the taxpayers of Charlotte in this “once in a decade opportunity.”
Source: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/12/01/2816928/chiquita-payout-called-%20munique.html#ixzz1fKtPbhsb
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/03/15/terror/main2571969.shtml
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