The Spark

the Voice of
The Communist League of Revolutionary Workers–Internationalist

“The emancipation of the working class will only be achieved by the working class itself.”
— Karl Marx

Where Is the Money?

Sep 30, 2013

A journalist for Baltimore’s newspaper found what city officials never seem to find–big tax mistakes.

It was three hundred thousand dollars here, two hundred thousand dollars there. The miscalculations are based on special tax deals for “enterprise zones,” which already are huge tax cuts over a 10-year period that go to corporations and property developers.

And who benefitted from these tax “mistakes”? Peter Angelos, owner of the Orioles, one of the biggest property developers in Baltimore. Another beneficiary of the mistakes: W.R. Grace, a three billion dollar a year corporation, a leader in chemical engineering, with headquarters in Maryland.

How convenient! As if their taxes weren’t too low already. Meanwhile, the mayor of Baltimore keeps raising fees and cutting services for residents, claiming no money exists to maintain parks and keep open recreation centers for young people.

Clearly, the city needs someone to check their books!