Opinion: Donald Trump’s gift to Carrier Corp.: a shakedown of taxpayers

To the editor: Details remain murky about President-elect Donald Trump’s high-profile intervention that led Carrier Corp. to keep in Indiana about three-quarters of the 1,400 jobs it had planned to ship to Mexico. (“Trump says he saved American jobs, but he hasn’t shown how he can turn the victory into policy,” Nov. 30)

Might Trump’s meddling foretell his administration’s proposal of a viable, comprehensive economic policy that discourages outsourcing? Or might it be more about playing to his gullible base?

Either way, look for firms to adopt a hot new business model: Whenever a company seeks to profit from outsourcing a certain number of jobs, announce its decision to send four times that many out of country. Then the Trump administration will pledge some valuable incentive that “saves” most of those jobs.

Thus, a win-win: The company gets enriched while outsourcing as planned, and Trump gets to unleash another grandstanding barrage of tweets to excite his credulous legions.

Devra Mindell, Santa Monica

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To the editor: Right on the front page, there was article about the cost of tax breaks and giveaways Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence had to give to Carrier to keep about 1,000 jobs in the U.S. The people quoted in the article said those giveaways will be used as leverage by other companies to get incentives from the Trump administration.

OK, fine. But in the same day’s Business section, there was an article on California providing tax breaks to film companies that return to or decide not to move out of the state. People interviewed said it was a good thing and helped our economy.

Why was it a bad thing for Trump to do and good thing for California? The bias of The Times is really starting to wear thin.

Louis Grinbaum, Northridge

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To the editor: After taking credit for saving a token number of jobs at one company, Trump held political rallies in Indiana and Ohio. In these rallies he boasted about his campaign and incited the crowds with attacks on his critics.

This behavior confirms that Trump’s compulsive need for adulation and his disdain for Americans who do not agree with him will not change.

After Trump’s inauguration in January, our democratic values and institutions will be tested by a president who thinks and acts like a dictator. Who will resist him?

John D. Kelley, Santa Barbara

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