Ungrateful conservatives

by digby

The New Hampshire Union Leader’s John DiStato today reports that in 1999 the business in question, Gilchrist Metal, “received $800,000 in tax-exempt revenue bonds issued by the New Hampshire Business Finance Authority ‘to set up a second manufacturing plant and purchase equipment to produce high definition television broadcasting equipment’…” In addition, in 2011, Gilchrist Metal “received two U.S. Navy sub-contracts totaling about $83,000 and a smaller, $5,600 Coast Guard contract in 2008…”

The businessman, Jack Gilchrist, also acknowledged that in the 1980s the company received a U.S. Small Business Administration loan totaling “somewhere south of” $500,000, and matching funds from the federally-funded New England Trade Adjustment Assistance Center.

“I’m not going to turn a blind eye because the money came from the government,” Gilchrest said. “As far as I’m concerned, I’m getting some of my tax money back. I’m not stupid, I’m not going to say ‘no.’ Shame on me if I didn’t use what’s available.”

Right. Some of his personal tax dollars paid for all of that, including the roads he’s been using for decades and the education of his workforce and the police and fire protection and reliable energy and water and everything else that contributes to the environment that makes it possible for his business to exist. He’s quite the macho pioneer.

You know, if none of that matters to him, why doesn’t he move his plant to Somalia? They don’t have all these taxes and you really can do it all on your own — including building your own roads and bridges. If what you want, however, is to make a business in first world country where all these services are so taken for granted you aren’t even aware that you are getting them, maybe you ought to STFU and say “thank you” to all your neighbors who helped make it possible for you to be successful.

Oh, and offer them a helping hand as well. It’s the decent thing to do.