Connecticut AG gives Wal-Mart some homework

Why would CT allow a redneck business in the state?

Why would world class Ivy league universities and endowments sell their art for pennies in the dollar to a redneck art museum?

Wal-Mart Billionaire Alice Walton: Is the Art Connoisseur Bilking Arkansas Out of Millions?
Monday, May 23, 2005

Washington, D.C., May 23, 2005 – Today, one of the world’s wealthiest women, Wal-Mart heiress Alice Walton, unveiled plans for the new Walton museum Crystal Bridges.  The Bentonville, Arkansas museum will display Walton’s newly purchased painting “Kindred Spirits” by Asher B. Durand, which she bought for a record $35 million.  But amid growing concerns about Wal-Mart’s corporate ETHICS lurks a question about how, yet again, the Walton family may be USING their jaw-dropping wealth to arrange sweetheart deals that BENEFIT THEM and LEAVE OUT OTHERS.  Wal-Mart Watch today calls upon Alice Walton to admit if she used a new Arkansas bill to avoid paying the requisite 6 percent sales tax for her acquisition, leaving Arkansans to LOSE OUT on the $$$ revenue.

The Background Behind Alice Walton’s Possible Multi-Million Dollar Sweetheart Deal

New Walton Painting Could Generate $3 Million in State and Local Taxes. According to the Arkansas Times, the $35 million spent by Alice Walton to purchase “Kindred Spirits” by Asher Durand could generate state and local sales tax of some $3 million.  And the New York State Department of Taxation & Finance reports that, regardless of the location of the purchase, the state where an owner takes physical possession of a painting – in this case, presumably Arkansas – is the state sales tax that would apply.  [Arkansas Times, 5/19/05; New York State Department of Taxation & Finance, phone report, 5/23/05]

Without Special Exemption, State Law Mandates Sales Tax on Art. Tim Leathers, the Arkansas revenue commissioner, said all the state’s museums, like other nonprofits, are subject to sales tax on items they purchase.  Even if they buy them in a state that exempts art from sales tax, they still have to pay the tax in Arkansas, he said.  [Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 3/16/05]
BUT New Arkansas Legislation EXEMPTS Walton Museum from SALES TAX. “An act passed this year by the Arkansas Legislature helped solidify plans for the new Walton museum. Arkansas Act 1865, sponsored by Rep. Horace Hardwick, R-Bentonville, provides sales and use tax exemptions to nonprofit museums for the building construction and art purchases. To qualify, the museum must open to the public before Jan. 1, 2013, cost more than $30 million to build and house more than $100 million worth of art.” The Walton Foundation museum is scheduled to open May 2009. [Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 5/20/05]
Walton Family Widely Considered To Be Behind Exemption Legislation. Alice Walton and the Foundation LOBBIED for passage of a BILL that EXEMPTS the Foundation from having to PAY Arkansas’ 6 percent sales tax on the acquisition or sale of artwork. [Bill sponsor Rep. Horace] Hardwick wouldn’t identify the nonprofit organization mentioned in the bill, but sources who requested anonymity told the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal that it’s the Walton Foundation and that Alice Walton, daughter of Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton, was behind the museum plan.  [Arkansas Business, 5/19/05; 3/14/05]
Special Treatment: Little Rock Arts Center NOT Eligible for Walton Exemption. “The [sales tax exemption] law didn’t exempt the Walton museum by name, but was written in such a way to apply to IT and NO other.” For example, the Arkansas Arts Center in Little Rock has to pay sales tax on its acquisitions, and is not eligible for the exemption, because the legislation passed this year it only applies to museums opened between Jan. 1, 2005, and Jan. 1, 2013. [Arkansas Times, 5/19/05; Arkansas Business, 3/14/05]
Tax Law Secrecy Masks Tax Payments, But Waltons Could Choose to Disclose. The Arkansas Times reported, “Because of tax law secrecy, it’s likely Arkansans will never know if [Alice Walton’s $35M purchase of the Durand] painting was taxed or even if an effort was made to collect the tax. The Waltons could say if they chose.” [Arkansas Times, 5/19/05, emphasis added]~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Who pays taxes on something purchased in a different state.

Arkansas is making a killing off the Fayetteville Shale Natural Gas Play.

a smoking gun that would firmly tie Barack Obama to a radical to illustrate how out of step he is with most of America.

Guess what? That radical is the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

Unlike Obama’s association with admitted terrorist William Ayers, no one can say Obama’s relationship with Wright was tangential. By his own account, over a period of 20 years, Obama considered Wright not only his minister but his mentor, sounding board, friend, and adviser. When the mainstream media last March finally began running stories on Wright after Newsmax had done so for two and a half months, Obama said Wright was like an uncle.

“I can no more disown him than I can disown the black community,” Obama said.

On the Sunday following 9/11, Wright characterized the terrorist attacks as a consequence of violent American policies. Four years later, Wright suggested that the attacks were retribution for America’s racism.

Wright has said America created the AIDS virus to kill off blacks. He gave an award for lifetime achievement to Louis Farrakhan. He has equated Zionism with racism and has compared Israel with South Africa under its previous policy of apartheid.

“We are only able to maintain our level of living by making sure that Third World people live in grinding poverty,” Wright has said. “God d— America!” Wright has shouted.

To those who say Obama did not really believe in Wright’s views, I say: Would you listen to such hatred without walking out? Even among the most liberal Democrats who are my friends or family members, the answer is always the same: No.

Dick Morris has said John McCain needs to run ads reminding voters of Wright’s connection to Obama. Sarah Palin told Bill Kristol that the fact Obama didn’t get up and walk out says something about his character.

“I don’t know why that association isn’t discussed more, because those were appalling things that that pastor had said about our great country...” she said.

But last summer, McCain ruled out bringing up Wright in his campaign, which he said would be “respectful.” McCain at other times has said he considers Wright a religious issue. But there is nothing religious about Wright’s racist hate speech.

More recently, McCain held a conference call with Jewish leaders. During the call, Rabbi Shlomo Riskin, the founder of the Lincoln Square Synagogue in New York and now the city rabbi of Efrat in Israel, said Obama is “obviously comfortable” with the views of Wright, whom Riskin described as anti-American, anti-Israel, and anti-Jewish. He noted that until Obama finally severed his relationship with him, he and his wife Michelle had been contributing over $20,000 a year to Wright’s church.

The rabbi asked McCain why he was not raising Wright as an issue and running ads featuring him. According to one participant, McCain said it would be a waste of time, since “everyone knows about Wright.”

I beg to differ. The National Republican Trust PAC has started running ads tying Obama to Wright. The clips of Wright denouncing America are devastating.

Wright holds the key to what Obama is all about, demonstrating his attraction to a left wing, anti-American agenda. At this point, given the economic downturn, Wright could also be the key to McCain winning the election

Speaking of a smoking gun and state investigations…

“The state already is reviewing nearly $17,000 in per diem payments to Palin for 312 nights she slept at her home in Wasilla, about an hour’s drive from her satellite office in Anchorage.”

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081030/ap_on_el_pr/palin_ethics_complaint

Sarah Palin- Not only white but also bimbolicious! But then again, so is George W. Bush.

On this thread we should hate Barack Obama because of his “anti-American” Christian ties. On another thread, Larry, you post that we should hate Barack Obama because he is Muslim.

Have you seen the Lewis Black routine where he tells of overhearing the following sentence while wandering though the mall?

If it wasn’t for my horse I wouldn’t have spent that year in college.

This inexplicable, nonsensical tidbit goes in his ear and circles around and around in his brain until exploding in an aneurysm. That’s pretty much the way I feel when I read your “stuff”, Larry.

Can anyone spare a couple of aspirin?

Live Better In Cheap Underwear

aspirin?

sounds like you need a couple of “xanex” so you can crawl back under your liberal Rock and lay down in the pile of sh*t you forgot to shovel!

Since when did this site become “political?” I thought it was an anti Wal-Mart site. Am I missing something here?

Jane: Evidently.

Since when did this site become “political?” I thought it was an anti Wal-Mart site. Am I missing something here?

Since about this time, last year, when “Google Gal” made the scene!!

You might notice WMW posts about the connection between Wal-Mart and politics every chance they get.

Tell me, Larry, win, lose, or draw, are you planning on hanging around here after the election? Besides being boring, you are not at all what you claim to be.

What’s good for Wal-Mart is BAD for America!

“You might notice WMW posts about the connection between Wal-Mart and politics every chance they get.”

As well as the connection between The Unions and politics (who will pass the card check law?), every chance they get!!

As well as the connection between The Unions and politics...

Your grasp of the obvious is profound.

The Walmart mentality propagates the idea that more crap will make us happy. ~ Phil Butler

Ken V,

“Your grasp of the obvious is profound.”

Too bad you have a problem with grasping the obvious!!

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