SUPREME COURT RULES IN $500,000 KANAWHA TAX PROBLEM - Bayer Trying "Corporate Welfare"

(11/07/2008)

Kanawha County Commission President Kent Carper says a West Virginia Supreme Court ruling will save taxpayers almost $500,000. The high court issued a 35-page opinion that Kanawha County does not have to refund the Bayer Corporation money for bad accounting practices on the part of Bayer. "What this was, was a large, foreign, out of state corporation that wanted to take back over a half-million dollars of taxes," said Carper. "It was a form of what you see on Wall Street, corporate welfare." Bayer claimed that it paid the county more taxes than it owed due to an inventory error. Carper said "I hope it sends the message that in Kanawha County. It's a good place to do business. All we ask you to do is pay your fair share so the average citizen doesn't have to pay your taxes." Bayer is in hot water in Kanawha County for their failure to advise emergency officials and responders about toxic chemicals connected to a fire at their Institute, WV plant in August. Plant officials declined to give any specific information about the fire for several hours, indicating it was policy. The company has apologized.

Hur Herald ®from Sunny Cal The information on these pages, to the extent the law allows, remains the exclusive property of Bob Weaver and Dianne Weaver The Hur Herald. All information may be freely used but must not be sold or used in any type of commercial endeavor, or used on any web site without the express permission of the owners ©Bob and Dianne Weaver, The Hur Herald, 1999, 2000, 2001