Casino Mogul Tells Employees that Voting for Romney Would “Protect Your Job”
This is what Igor Volsky writes in ThinkProgess. Please go to their website to read the entire article.
Casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, who has donated more than $50 million to Republicans, is now pressuring his casino employees to vote for Mitt Romney. According to the Huffington Post, Adelson’s Management at Las Vegas Sands Corp. “has been distributing voter guides friendly to Republican nominee Mitt Romney and critical of President Barack Obama to its casino employees in Las Vegas.”
While the so-called Nevada “issues guides” don’t specifically endorse Romney, the pamphlets strongly imply that Obama’s policies could cause workers to lose their jobs. “Too much of big government doesn’t just affect our company; it affects our employees, our customers, and our shareholders,” the guide says. “Voting is an important way for you not only to do your civic duty, but to protect your job.” It goes on to misrepresent Obama’s health, tax, and energy policies — while painting Romney’s proposal in a favorable light …
Adelson’s efforts to elect Romney would greatly bolster his bottom line. A report from the Center for American Progress Action Fund found that Romney’s tax proposals, which call for massive tax cuts for the rich, corporate tax reforms that will encourage the offshoring of profits, and the elimination of certain investment taxes, could save Adelson more than $2 billion in taxes.
Romney’s corporate tax reforms would also provide Adelson’s casino company approximately $1.2 billion in tax breaks on overseas profits and $565 million from Romney’s proposed shift to a territorial tax system. Adelson’s share of that, the report says, would be upward of $900 million.
And while Adelson would benefit from Romney’s reforms, the workers receiving his brochures could see a $2,000 tax increase if Romney were to keep his plan to maintain current levels of revenue.
Since the Supreme Court expanded the rules governing corporations’ and unions’ ability to promote political speech in the Citizens United case, several CEOs have been pressuring employees in swing states (like Nevada) to vote for Romney, a practice the GOP presidential candidate himself has endorsed.
This practice seems to be very common: corporations and very rich people are strong-arming the American citizens, threatening them with the loss of their job and the ability to support their family. What’s next, two in the back of the head?
The Citizens United ruling seems to have given carte blanche to the worst elements of our society and has clearly demonstrated that Greed Is Not Good. The sad thing is that we call criminals like Adelson successful … the accumulation of wealth and power is seen as success even when it leads to the destruction of our country and the Democracy we like to imagine we live under.
For a parting shot, consider Romney surrogate John Sununu not long ago on Fox:
It seems that naughty business is only naughty if it doesn’t favor the chosen candidate: Mitt’s all for it now. Does that mean he’s not a real Republican?
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