Protesters Target GE, Dick Durbin On Corporate Tax Cheats

By aaroncynic in News on Aug 24, 2013 4:00PM

Protesters delivered a "cease and desist" order to GE's offices Thursday, calling the corporation a tax dodger and demanding it pay its fair share in taxes they say it avoided.

General Electric received $8.4 billion in tax breaks between 2008 and 2010. Toby Chow, a leader in IIRON, an organization which helped to organize the demonstration, told Progress Illinois:

“Everyday people are suffering while corporate taxes are at historic lows, even though corporate profits are at an all time high."

The demonstration was part of a national day of action various activist groups held in 10 cities across the nation to protest corporations they say have hurt Americans by avoiding federal taxes. An analysis by the AFL-CIO showed GE dodged paying income tax on $108 billion in profits thanks to offshore accounts.

Demonstrators, many of whom participated in the protest that occurred at the Apple Store on Michigan Avenue in June, also called out GE CEO Jeffrey Immelt for his involvement in the Fix The Debt lobby organization, which supports cutting Medicare and Social Security, as well as not taxing corporate offshore profits. Chow said “Jeff Immelt has a $60 million retirement account, but he wants working-class seniors to tighten their belts and deal with Social Security cuts. It’s time for this to end.”

Afterwards, the group of demonstrators headed to Sen. Dick Durbin's office, where they demanded he take action to close corporate tax loopholes and stop cuts to social services. Several groups participating in the rally staged a sit in at Durbin's offices last year.