Halliburton, the energy services company that received the lion's share of "reconstruction" contracts in Iraq without tender (and also happened to be run formerly by Vice President Dick Cheney) has now said it's moving its headquarters from Dallas, Texas to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.
One can only surmise they're doing this so they will no longer be under the scrutiny of the SEC or other regulators but will be able to do their own thing -- under a regime that ranks just 31st on the perceptions of the least corrupt countries in the world (Canada is 14th while Finland, New Zealand and Iceland were tops). True, things are better in the UAE than in many other countries where bribes are a matter of course (and where they are actually tax deductible even in "clean" countries like France) but the fact is the US Treasury stands to lose billions in taxes from this post-boxing move.
Say what you will about Sens. Ted Kennedy and John Kerry (D-MA), but their idea for a "Benedict Arnold" tax -- an exit tax for companies and persons who renounce their homeland -- sounds like a great idea. If it means Cheney loses the rest of his deferred compensation, I wouldn't mind.
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