Cabela’s might as well start making vehicles for the working man
It seems another big wheel in South Dakota is looking for a FREE, socialistic handout;
All but one of four $500,000 cash payments to Cabela’s have been made by the city, but transfer of the land didn’t happen as quickly.
Sure, we will take the $1.5 million, but paying property taxes? No way dude.
Opponents of Cabela’s incentive package formed the No Free Lunch Committee that brought the issue to the ballot box. Spokesman Fred Weishaupl said he hasn’t changed his mind about the incentives package and questions why Cabela’s has waited to assume ownership of the land.
“Why should the city keep owning it? Why wait?,” he said. “Cabela’s doesn’t want it in their name to avoid paying property tax on it.”
Imagine that, kinda sounds like a couple of developers we have in Sioux Falls. I was surprised that Rapid City voters approved the subsidy. It has been well documented that Cabela’s asks for taxpayer handouts wherever they go. And it is not like they sell essential goods and services to citizens, they sell high-end hunting supplies and employee very few people at their stores. Cabela’s is a socialist company – wonder when they are going to start making ‘the people’s car’?
That’s Cabela’s M.O.
Extort a smallish town that needs the jobs and retail activity and end up paying almost no taxes while the taxpayers float your business for a few years. Then leave if things don’t work out after the free lunch is over.
I can’t believe 60% of RC voters approved the deal. Dumb.
If you know of the job market in Rapid City this would probably make sense to you. Finding a job out there can be difficult, so when Cabelas made the offer the citizens of the area were more than happy to help.
I know it seems like Cabelas got a sweetheart deal here, but it isn’t that unique. The resounding boost to their local economy with job creation, sales taxes, and the snowball effect will more than make up for it on the backend.
I can’t fault Cabelas for making a wise business decision, and I can’t fault the citizens of the area for voting to bring in a business that will end up contributing millions upon millions to the local economy.
Sometimes you need to look for the long term.