Governor Ducey to withdraw AZ Nike plant incentives amid Betsy Ross-Colin Kaepernick controversy
Source: ABC-15
In a series of tweets early Tuesday, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey announced that he has ordered the Arizona Commerce Authority to withdraw all financial incentive dollars to encourage Nike to add a manufacturing plant in the Valley.
Ducey's decision stems from a Wall Street Journal report that said former NFL quarterback-turned-social justice activist Colin Kaepernick convinced Nike to pull its sneakers featuring an early American flag
commonly known as the Betsy Ross flag. Kaepernick reportedly found the shoe to be offensive.
"Nike has chosen not to release the Air Max 1 Quick Strike Fourth of July as it featured an old version of the American flag," Nike said in a statement to CNN Business following the WSJ report.
Nike has planned a massive shoe manufacturing plant in Goodyear,
with an initial investment of $184.5 million. The plant would create over 500 full-time jobs
Read more: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.abc15.com/sports/governor-ducey-to-withdraw-nike-az-plant-incentives-amid-betsy-ross-colin-kaepernick-controversy%3f_amp=true
ananda
(28,782 posts)Me, I really don't see why Nike wanted a plant in AZ
in the first place.
KY_EnviroGuy
(14,483 posts)I heard something on NPR about a special economic zone they perhaps would be in:
Arizona Opportunity Zones approved, poised for investment
By Jordan Rose and Dan Gauthier, Rose Law Group
Link: https://www.roselawgroup.com/arizona-opportunity-zones-approved-poised-for-investment/
(snips)
-------
Opportunity Zones provide three primary tax benefits to investors who invest in the Opportunity Zones through the use of an Opportunity Fund. If you own property in one of these areas we can help to set up the framework for investment.
1. Tax on income for capital gains is temporarily deferred for capital gains reinvested in an Opportunity Fund.
2. Capital gains reinvested in an Opportunity Fund receive a stepped-up basis, which will effectively exclude up to 15 percent of the original gain from being taxed.
3. Capital gains from the sale or exchange of an investment in an Opportunity Fund are not taxed, so long as the investment is held for at least ten years.
Let's all call our favorite Rethugs and thank them for throwing more of our national tax burden onto everyday citizens.....
Sounds like a good idea on the surface, but we can bet this law will be abused as with anything related to big business and taxes.
This is also near Mexico, where Nike might have shoe components made and shipped to the facility (speculation on my part).
On Arizona news outlets, the City of Goodrich seems to still be very dedicated toward attracting this Nike plant, with the mayor speaking up strongly in favor.
KY............
quakerboy
(13,901 posts)Last election Phil Knight donated a 2.5 million dollars to try and put a Republican in charge of Oregon.
The Nike Branding and advertising is completely different than their corporate drives and ownership values.
Mr Jimmy
(21 posts)Primarily in Asian countries.
Nike can go fuck themselves.
Not needed here in Arizona.
pangaia
(24,324 posts)Freethinker65
(9,930 posts)madaboutharry
(40,150 posts)The "Betsy Ross Flag" is a flag of the American Revolution. Kaepernick is just wrong this time.
Nike shouldn't have pulled the shoe.They should have put the explanation for the design in historical context.
And the ridiculous governor of AZ putting a new Nike plant in jeopardy, which would only serve to benefit the people of Arizona, is just plain stupid. There might be other reasons for not having a Nike plant in Arizona, but this isn't one of them.
Over a sneaker. Really.
no_hypocrisy
(45,771 posts)mr_lebowski
(33,643 posts)Is that what Kaep said or something?
If so, as the person you're responding to points out ... that makes him wrong.
pangaia
(24,324 posts)Just because some right wing assholes try to usurp it doesn;t make it evil
Of course the Nazis also usurped an ancient spiritual symbol as well and turned it into.. well...
Major Nikon
(36,814 posts)...
Cle J. Jackson, the president of the NAACP Greater Grand Rapids Branch, said the Betsy Ross 13-star flag has been appropriated by the so-called Patriot Movement and other militia groups who are responding to Americas increasing diversity with opposition and racial supremacy.
madaboutharry
(40,150 posts)Thank you for the information. It is unfortunate that hateful people appropriate old symbols and change their meaning.
Major Nikon
(36,814 posts)Regardless of whether or not anyone agrees with Nike and Kaepernick, there's some context behind this that's getting missed.
brewens
(13,395 posts)that was built on slavery and was still practicing it is not good, but you didn't see rednecks parading around with it to intimidate black people.
snowybirdie
(5,191 posts)You did so good! Arizona don't need any stinkin jobs!
PS. We'd love to see Nike here in Illinois
hlthe2b
(101,714 posts)and I don't think Kap can automatically assume everyone associates that flag with slavery. I certainly don't conflate it with the Confederate battle flag, which absolutely IS a symbol of enslavement and white supremacy. (And yes, I fully acknowledge that American history has taught a story, highly biased at best and overtly revisionist, white-centric in its full context). Of course, slavery was present from the beginning of early colonization and it was sadly enshrined in the constitution. Once one thinks about it it becomes more understandable to make the association with the 13 colony flag for that reason, yet to conflate it with the Confederate battle flag still seems a stretch to me--maybe a step too far. I just don't think a lot of Americans do so without some explanation and even then it seems unclear. Do we have information that Betsy Ross was a big proponent of slavery? Seems to me, for all their faults, the founding fathers were seeking to address freedom from British tyranny. While many of us looking back would wish that that had not ignored slavery and more to the point, overtly included freedom for all-- that evolution was sadly incremental in our history. Still, if that flag is a symbol of slavery, then what from that time period (including the constitution) would not be?
Regardless, Nike is seemingly trying to be responsive to these issues, yet hardly deserves kudos given their embrace of child workers for profit throughout the world. I'd like to see Kap address this with them.
And Arizona? Give me a break. Cut off your nose to spite your face if you wish, but why the hell were you offering tax breaks to begin with if Nike's selection/support of Kaepernick was such a big issue for you.
Paladin
(28,202 posts)Smooth move, Gov...
ck4829
(34,975 posts)when they held her responsible for what happened with Amazon.
atreides1
(16,046 posts)Ross was merely one of several flag makers in Philadelphia (such as Rebecca Young, who is historically documented to have made the earlier Grand Union Flag of 177576, with the British Union Jack of the crosses of St. George and St. Andrew, in the upper corner canton and 13 alternating red and white stripes for the "United Colonies" for the Continental Army, along with many other ships' colors, banners, and flags which were advertised in local newspapers.
But there is no irrefutable proof that it was Betsy Ross who sewed the 13 stars and stripes flag, named after her!
certainot
(9,090 posts)ArizonaLib
(1,242 posts)Paying Nike to come to AZ? Nothing else to use that money for? I see homeless and pot holes everywhere. Not sure of the terms the corporate welfare entailed, but if it was a long term trade for tax paying jobs for long term corporate welfare so that Nike could claim its shoes were being made in America, they can keep their shoes, etc. We buy American whenever possible, but only a small portion of shoes made in America does not fool us. Even with a 'Made in America' label while most other shoes are made somewhere else does not make me feel any better about buying them.
As for the Betsy Ross flag, I have seen enough flags - seems like every month, particularly in the summer, is a holiday to nationalistically celebrate the flag, and I stay quiet because if someone wants to do that, so be it. The problem is the people who get offended if you don't fly it. Kaepernick didn't call for a boycott, and Nike wasn't forced to pull the shoes. Ducey and the other racists don't like the perception that Kaepernick has power to do anything. Ducey is OK to screw 500 or so Americans out of jobs just so that Kaepernick can't have any social or political weight.
LBJ used to say "If you can convince the lowest white man he's better than the best colored man, he won't notice you're picking his pocket. Hell, give him somebody to look down on, and he'll empty his pockets for you."
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GeorgeGist
(25,294 posts)shoes displaying the American flag to be in good taste?
Jake Stern
(3,145 posts)Conservatives used to bash hippies for wearing clothing that had American flag patterns.
pstokely
(10,510 posts)unitl now
Initech
(99,913 posts)And this is what they're concerned with? Some fucking vanity shoes? Argh I hate these people.
Polybius
(15,238 posts)If they decide to sell the sneakers again, they will sell like hotcakes and Arizona Nike plant will proceed. No one on the left is going to boycott them, it's win-win.
Maeve
(42,224 posts)with the exception of a flag patch on uniforms. (Also, it didn't belong in advertising or on throwaways, like napkins).
Now it seem to be treated as disrespectful NOT to use the flag in every conceivable manner.
Frankly, putting it on something that is going to get dirty when used still strikes me as a dumb idea.
Polybius
(15,238 posts)Wearing a flag t-shirt was once taboo but now its ok, especially on Independence Day.
My question to the older DUers: What did you wear to 60s (and earlier) 4th of July parties? I cant imagine going without something patriotic.
Maeve
(42,224 posts)But it would be blue pants/skirt, white or red shirt, maybe stripes, maybe a scarf with stars. The colors were patriotic enough without putting flags on them.