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Petition Tag - subsidy
1. Stop Massive U.S. Rum Subsidies in the USVI and Puerto Rico 
The future of Caribbean rum is under assault.
On January 1, 2013, U.S. President Barack Obama signed into law the bill averting the threatened "fiscal cliff" of higher taxes and spending cuts. Unfortunately the legislation included special gifts to a number of U.S. corporations.
Tuesday’s agreement included a provision extending a 1917 law that imposes a $13.50 tax on each gallon of rum produced in or imported into the United States. But the taxes paid by the rum distillers of Puerto Rico (PR) and the U. S. Virgin Islands (USVI) are returned to their benefit. Even taxes paid by other Caribbean distillers are rerouted to the USVI and Puerto Rico.
Worse yet Diageo (Captain Morgan) and Fortune Brands (Cruzan) have received huge special subsidies and incentives from the USVI totalling nearly $4 Billion dollars.
Diageo, based in Britain, will get a new plant built at taxpayer expense, exemption from all property and gross receipt taxes, a 90 percent reduction in corporate taxes, plus marketing support and production incentives totaling tens of millions a year.
These incentives are so rich they are double the cost of actually producing the rum.
Fortune Brands (Cruzan) was awarded $1 Billion dollars and will receive an assortment of tax-financed incentives, including $100 million for improvements to its distillery on the island and a wastewater treatment program. The agreement also ensures that the company will pay no more than 16 cents a gallon for molasses, the main ingredient of rum, now selling for more than $2 on the open market.
Big Winners: Bacardi, Diageo (Captain Morgan) and Fortune Brands (Cruzan).
Big Losers: All other Caribbean rums, especially distillers from the Barbados, Jamaica, Guyana, the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas who actually pay their taxes, and who receive no significant benefits.
Damage: Severe. According to Sir Ronald Sanders "The reduction of sales in the US market, and the EU due to this legislation will have an adverse effect on Caribbean CARICOM distillers financial capacity to survive, let alone continue to manufacture rum at a competitive price.
CARICOM (the Caribbean Community Common Market), speaking through its forum (CARIFORUM) speaks for 16 Caribbean members, plus 7 observer members and 3 French Departments. These include:
Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Suriname, Saint Lucia, St. Christopher and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago - all member states.
Observers include Anguilla, Aruba, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Montserrat, Turks and Caicos Islands, and the Netherlands Antilles.
The French Departments include French Guiana, Guadeloupe and Martinique.
Needless to say the CARIFORUM is furious. Their legal opinions indicate at least three violations of WTO (World Trade Organization) Rules by the self-serving actions of the USVI, Puerto Rico, and the United States. CARICOM is well represented and feels that pursuing recourse by the WTO is both winnable and essential.
All lovers of rum in American and abroad are seriously affected as well, as this legislation will great reduce the availability of fine Caribbean rums both by their absence and/or greatly increased prices. These subsidies are opposed by smaller American distillers as well. Keen observers of your local stores shelves will have already noted the takeover by Bacardi, Captain Morgan, and Cruzan.
The U.S. legislation and special subsidies have struck at the both the heart and history of rum, particularly those from the Dominican Republic, Bahamas, Jamaica, Barbados and Guyana. This legislation is anti-competitive, anti-selection and anti-quality.
It must be reversed, now.
With greatest hope,
All true lovers of rum...
On Jan. 1 2012, the federal government of Nigeria hiked the pump price of fuel from 65naira to 141naira and later to 97naira. We the citizens of Nigeria say NO!!! There is too much waste pipes in government finances that we know that what ever sacrifice we will be making will only be in vain. We say to the government.
REMOVE CORRUPTION AND, REDUCE GOVERNMENT RUNNUNG COST. THEN AND THEN ALONE CAN YOU TAKE AWAY THE FUEL SUBSIDY.
President Goodluck Jonathan has just fixed the price of petrol at N97 per litre while occupying major cities in Nigeria with Soldiers and the Police to deny Nigerians their right of association to engage in peaceful protests against the hike in Petrol prices.
This petition is with the view of gathering 20 million signatories to tell government to revert back to the status quo ante of N65 per litre as this represents the position of Nigerians.
4. Cloth Diaper Subsidy in Victoria, BC (CRD)
Many other Canadian municipalities (examples available at http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=180141345368688) are offering subsidies by way of cash rebates, reimbursements, city services credits and subsidized free trial packs. The environmental impact of disposable diapers should not be ignored.
Over 92% of single use diapers end up in landfills, representing about 4% of household solid waste.
We would like to have a subsidy in place for CRD families that are lowering their environmental impact by choosing cloth, thus reducing gross municipal tonnage and keeping single use products out of our landfills.
5. Crisis in Arts and Culture Funding
On 13th March 2011 a letter signed by 46 Equity members appeared in the Observer newspaper:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2011/mar/13/theatre-funding-cuts-actors
The letter speaks out about local and Government cuts to the arts and culture.
Read the letter here:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/theobserver/2011/mar/13/letters-arts-spending-cuts?INTCMP=SRCH
6. Say "No" to the taxpayer subsidising Global Warming
If it is assumed true that a man-made Global Warming phenomenon is potentially catastrophic then it makes no sense that the bulk of Energy subsidies go towards the use of fossil fuels for electricity generation when cleaner alternatives exist.
It would seem that either man-made Global Warming is a lie or the Governments of the world do not really wish to find a solution to it.
This petition assumes that man-made Global Warming is a reality with potentially catastrophic consequences if not fought against with immediacy and full intention.
7. Pay stay-at-home mothers the daycare subsidy
There are many mothers in todays world who would like to stay home with their children, however the economy does not support single income families.
The government of Canada has designated money for children of lower to middle income familes to attend daycares, thereby allowing both parents to work. However, the parents still have to pay a portion of the fees, which can make working rather useless.
Children who stay at home with their parents for the first 5 years tend to have better social and emotional balance, which is one thing that seems to be missing from todays citizens, citizens who were raised by daycare systems.
This petition is for people who would like to see the daycare subsidies go to the people who SHOULD be raising children...their parents. Parents should have a choice whether to work or be at home, and the decision should not be based solely on economic values. Since most families cannot afford to live on one income, this becomes the ONLY deciding factor on whether to work or not. This deprives Canadians of a fundamental choice in the way they live their lives and raise their children.
Give the stay-at-home parent the money that would normally go to a daycare subsidy, THEN the parent has a REAL choice.