Christie Leaning on Tax Subsidies in Hunt for Jobs

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Panasonic received $102.4 million in tax credits to move its headquarters nine miles within New Jersey. Goya Foods picked up $81.9 million in credits to build offices and a warehouse in Jersey City, two miles from its current complex. Prudential Insurance obtained $250.8 million to move a few blocks to a new tower in Newark.

By CHARLES V. BAGLI

Published: April 4, 2012

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Gov. Chris Christie

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Prudential Insurance, now in the Gateway complex in Newark, will receive $250.8 million in tax breaks to move a few blocks.

Since taking office in 2010, Gov. Chris Christie has approved a record $1.57 billion in state tax breaks for dozens of New Jersey's largest companies after they pledged to add jobs. Mr. Christie has emphasized that these are prudent measures intended to help heal the state's economy, which lost more than 260,000 jobs in the recession. The companies often received the tax breaks after they threatened to move to New York or elsewhere.

The generous distribution of subsidies in New Jersey has come under fire from government-reform groups, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg of New York City and some New Jersey landlords, who contend that the programs are an expensive and ineffective form of assistance to wealthy corporations.

The critics pointed out that even when the promised jobs have not materialized, the Christie administration has merely reduced, not withdrawn, the subsidies. And they say that the administration is mortgaging the state's future by forgiving so much tax revenue for the next 10 to 15 years.

"Christie has taken this to a whole different level; it's become a feeding trough," said Deborah Howlett, executive director of New Jersey Policy Perspectives, a liberal policy organization. "It seems ridiculous to steal jobs from one city in the state and move them to another city a couple miles away. There just doesn't seem to be any benefit to taxpayers."

Mr. Christie, who has portrayed himself as a fiscal conservative, has in particular used a new program, the Urban Transit Hub Tax Credit Program, for the subsidies. The program, which is intended to encourage development around nine cities, offers tax credits equal to 100 percent of some capital investments.

"This is another success story about one of our largest businesses choosing to stay in New Jersey, continue to grow and invest in our state and people," Mr. Christie said at Panasonic's groundbreaking in October. "This project directly benefits New Jerseyans by keeping over 800 jobs here, creating up to 200 new, permanent positions, and spurring private investment."

Under the program, the Christie administration has granted more than $900 million in state tax credits over 10 years to 15 companies, including Panasonic, Goya, Prudential and Campbell's Soup. The companies have promised to add 2,364 jobs, or $387,537 in tax credits per job, over the next decade.

The most controversial of those deals is also the largest.

The state approved up to $250 million in tax credits last year for Prudential, Newark's most important corporate citizen, to build a new office tower. The company acknowledged that the jobs were not "at risk" of leaving the state and that renewing its leases at three buildings in the nearby Gateway complex were the "low-cost options by a wide margin when compared to the cost of new construction."

The $250.8 million in tax credits, however, made the office tower project possible. In return, Prudential claimed it would create 400 new jobs, including 100 coming from outside New Jersey. The other new jobs were based on the company's past growth patterns, which presumably would occur at either location.

The three landlords at Gateway filed a lawsuit in December to block the tax credits, arguing that the loss of Prudential, which leased a combined 922,000 square feet, would have a "devastating financial impact" on both Gateway and Newark, as the office vacancy rate shot up.

They contended that Prudential would have renewed its lease if not for the state's intervention in the form of tax credits. The state's decision, the landlords said, amounted to "corporate welfare at its worst."

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Two Arrested for Shootings of Black Residents in Tulsa

Kinh Doanh | children learning |

Authorities in the central U.S. plains city of Tulsa, Oklahoma, have charged two men with murder in connection with shootings Friday that left three black people dead and two others wounded. Bail for the two suspects was set at $9.1 million.

Photo: AP

This photo combo of images provided by the Tulsa Police Department via the Tulsa World shows Jacob England, left, and Alvin Watts.

Police arrested the two suspects without incident early Sunday morning, putting an end to two days of anxiety in Tulsa's black community. The two suspects are 19-year-old Jake England and 32-year-old Alvin Watts.

Tulsa police spokesman Jason Willingham tells VOA that the arrest of the two suspects has brought relief to a city where black residents in particular were worried about more violence. "Obviously there is still a lot of investigation to do, there are still a lot of questions that we are looking for, so we are not done; but having these two guys in custody really helps," he said.

On Sunday, ministers from African-American churches gathered with ministers and representatives of other communities in a service to commemorate the shooting victims. The Reverend Warren Blakney said such incidents are a threat not only to blacks, but to the entire city. "When one person is lost in our community, it diminishes all of us. We are affected by the death. We are affected by the shooting. We are affected by what happened," he said.

The shootings in Tulsa's black neighborhoods came at a time when questions were being raised about the shooting of a black teenager in Florida by a Hispanic man who was part of a neighborhood watch group. Although Tulsa has not had any major racial problems in recent years, the city does have a stain in its history from a 1921 riot, in which mobs of white men attacked blacks, who fought back. Unofficial tallies of the dead run as high as 300, with blacks making up the majority of victims.

But Jason Willingham says the legacy of that tragedy has spurred the community to promote racial harmony and to act quickly to deal with incidents like last week's shooting spree. "Certainly the 1921 race riot is something that, obviously, we are not proud of; however, because those events occurred, we are a better community today. I would not even come close to describing Tulsa, Oklahoma, as a hotbed for racial tension. While we have our problems, just like any community, I would say it is a peaceful community and racial tension is minimal," he said.

Although both suspects appear to be white, an acquaintance of Jake England describes him as being of Cherokee Indian descent. A large percentage of people in eastern Oklahoma have Native American blood because the area was used for relocation of eastern tribes in the 19th century before Oklahoma became a state.

England's father died two years ago after being shot by a black man, and police say revenge may have been a motive in this case. Friends of the 19-year-old suspect also say he was emotionally distraught by the suicide of his fiance in January. In postings England reportedly made on Facebook last week, he used a racial slur in referring to the man who killed his father.

African-American community leaders say they believe the shooters were motivated by racial prejudice, given the fact that all the victims were black, but they praise the police for having responded quickly to stop further violence.

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China Rights Group Missing Dissidents Relatives Arrested

internationalscholarship | children learning |

A U.S.-based China rights organization says blind Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng is under U.S. protection but that two of his realtives have been arrested.

Photo: VOA Chinese Kuofu

A rally in California supporting Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng.

Listen to Ira Mellman's interview with Bob Fu.

Speaking to VOA late Sunday, ChinaAid President Bob Fu said Chen is safe and at a location far from his home, but the only option left for him might be to flee to the United States.

Citing sources close to Chen, Fu said more than two dozen military police reportedly arrested Chen's elder brother and nephew Friday morning, the same day Chen allegedly went into U.S. protection.  Chen's wife, daughter and mother reportedly still are under very tight house arrest.

The United States has expressed concern about Chen's fate, but refused all comment on his whereabouts, amid reports he fled to the U.S. embassy in Beijing.

In an interview with Fox News Sunday, U.S. President Barack Obama's top counterterrorism advisor, John Brennan, said Mr. Obama will do whatever he thinks is in the best interest of the United States, as well as the individuals involved.  Brennan would not confirm when Chen was in U.S. custody, but reiterated the importance of U.S -China relations.

Chen, a lawyer and activist, was arrested after documenting abuses in China's policy on restricting the size of most families.  He disappeared Sunday from Dongshigu village in the eastern province of Shandong, although authorities did not realize he was missing until Thursday.  It is not clear where he went, but his friend and fellow activist Hu Jia said he believed that Chen was admitted into the embassy Friday.

U.S. diplomats there declined any comment and a spokesman for the Chinese government said he knew nothing of the reports.

The development comes days before U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner are due to visit Beijing for talks.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai said at a briefing in Beijing Saturday on the upcoming talks that he had no information on Chen's case.

In Washington, U.S. Republican Congressman Chris Smith of New Jersey, told VOA he is relieved that Chen has escaped. Smith chairs a commission on China that includes members of Congress and presidential appointees, the Congressional-Executive Commission on the People's Republic of China.

But Smith expressed concern about the safety of Chen's family and supporters in China.

A relative of Chen told VOA that many police officers, some armed, have converged on his home in Dongshigu.

In a video posted online Friday, Chen detailed the abuses he and his family have allegedly suffered in his year-and-a-half under house arrest.  He also called on Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao to investigate human rights abuses in China.

Chen, who campaigned against forced abortions under China's "one child" policy, had been held under house arrest since he was released from a four-year prison sentence in September 2010.

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General Orders Review of Military Schools After Class Is Told U.S. Is at War With Islam

Gamehay | children learning |

WASHINGTON — The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has ordered military schools to make sure they are not including anti-Islamic themes in training courses, the Defense Department said on Wednesday, after complaints surfaced about the curriculum in a course dealing with terrorism and radicalism.

By JOHN H. CUSHMAN Jr.

Published: April 25, 2012

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The chairman, Gen. Martin E. Dempsey , ordered the review after students questioned some of the teachings in a class called Perspectives on Islam and Islamic Radicalism, which was being taught to midlevel officers at the Joint Forces Staff College in Norfolk, Va.

General Dempsey's order was first reported by Danger Room , the national security blog of Wired magazine. It quoted his deputy for training, Lt. Gen. George Flynn, as calling the course "inflammatory" for including the message that Islam was at war with the United States.

"Our concern is there are some unprofessional things being taught to students in professional military educational curriculum," Capt. John Kirby, a Pentagon spokesman, told reporters on Wednesday.

The review comes at a time of heightened sensitivity over the American military's stance toward Islam, driven by events in Afghanistan like the inadvertent burning of Korans and the desecration of militants' remains by troops.

The Pentagon asked for a curriculum review last year, in response to similar complaints about training by the Federal Bureau of Investigation on countering extremism, as well as related Defense Department lectures. General Dempsey's new order seemed to reflect his irritation that the latest complaints "caused me to question whether all parties understood the spirit and intent" of the earlier effort.

He said that military instructors and guest lecturers appeared to be "advocating ideas, beliefs and actions that are contrary to our national policy, inconsistent with the values of our profession and disrespectful of the Islamic religion."

Captain Kirby said that Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta "completely endorses the chairman's intention to look at joint professional military education across the board to make sure we have done an adequate scrub on the content of this type of curriculum."

Among the course materials was a slide that said that "the United States is at war with Islam, and we ought to just recognize that we are at war," Captain Kirby said.

"That's not at all what we believe to be the case," Captain Kirby added. "We're at war with terrorism, specifically Al Qaeda, who has a warped view of the Islamic faith. That's just one example.

"These assertions are not in keeping with our principles or ideas," he said. "We believe the right thing to do was to suspend the course due to some of the things that were presented in the course."

This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:

Correction: May 1, 2012

An article on Thursday about the Pentagon's review of anti-Islam themes taught in military classrooms gave an outdated name for a Defense Department school where students complained about the curriculum. It is the Joint Forces Staff College in Norfolk, Va., not the Armed Forces Staff College.

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Corrections April 30

tai nghe nao tot | school logo |

An article on Thursday about the shooting death of an unarmed young black man in Georgia gave an unofficial height from the Toombs County Sherriff's Office for Norman Neesmith, who killed the young man. While the authorities said Mr. Neesmith is 6-foot-2, that was the height he gave them. As a height chart in an accompanying picture taken during his booking showed, he is closer to 5-foot-11.

Published: April 30, 2012

NATIONAL

•

An article on Friday about a magnetic sense that helps birds navigate misidentified an iron-containing substance found in a recent analysis of beaks. It is ferrihydrite, not magnetite. (The study found that the cells containing the substance were not involved in navigation.)

BUSINESS DAY

The listing of magazine ad pages in the Most Wanted chart last Monday included incorrect percentage-change figures for three magazines. Texas Monthly had an increase of 25.6 percent, not 157.8 percent, from May 2011 to May 2012; Chicago magazine had a decline of 9.3 percent, not a gain of 70.9 percent; and People en Español had a decline of 14.7 percent, not a gain of 97.9 percent. A corrected chart can be found at nytimes.com/media .

SPORTS

An article on April 20 about safety concerns in ocean racing events in the wake of five recent deaths in the Full Crew Farallones Race off San Francisco misstated the number of sailors who died during the 1982 Doublehanded Farallones race, which took place in the same area. Four sailors, not eight, died in the race.

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For newspaper delivery questions: 1-800-NYTIMES (1-800-698-4637) or e-mail customercare@nytimes.com .

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Burmese Democracy Party Skips Parliament Opening

noi com dien | saint james medical school |

Burma's parliament held its opening session Monday, without Aung San Suu Kyi and 42 of her newly elected colleagues from the National League for Democracy.

Photo: AP

Lower House lawmakers attend a regular session of parliament in Naypyitaw, Burma, April 23, 2012.

The main opposition party campaigned on pledges to amend the country's constitution. They are now holding up their participation in government over objections to the oath that all parliament members swear at the opening of each legislative session.

NLD party spokesperson Nyan Win and Aung San Suu Kyi herself have insisted they do not intend to boycott the parliamentary session, and that they believe the objection to the wording of the oath is an issue they can solve quickly.

They say they want the oath changed to say parliamentarians will "respect" rather than "safeguard" the constitution, which was drafted by the former military government.

U Thein Nyunt, former NLD member, political prisoner, and founder of the New National Democracy Party, has been a member of parliament since he was elected in 2010.  He said he is saddened not to be joined by other members of the opposition in parliament on Monday.

He said he expected to see the NLD leaders with whom he has worked since 1990, and also some young leaders who have very good prospects to do good work for the country, but it did not happen.

Thein Nyunt said he worries the NLD decision could harm voter confidence.

Visiting fellow at Australia National University Trevor Wilson pointed out that the NLD had previously objected to the wording of the oath as it appeared in the election law, which was changed by the government and the parliament so that the NLD could participate in the by-election.

"The NLD is being perfectly consistent in what they're saying, but they don't seem to have acknowledged that there is a legal process that has to be negotiated with the parliament about changing the oath of office as there would be with any parliament," Wilson said.

Wilson suggested that the NLD might have to take a more conciliatory approach, to build a coalition in parliament that can pass reforms.

President Thein Sein told reporters in Tokyo Monday that he does not intend to change the constitutional oath, but he is still committed to the country's ongoing political reforms.

Aung Thaung, a member of the USDP, the ruling government party, is one of the chief negotiators in talks aimed at ending conflicts with armed ethnic groups in border areas. Many ethnic groups see Aung San Suu Kyi as key to resolving the long-running conflicts.

Aung Thaung says the government will continue with peace talks with ethnic groups - with or without the NLD leader.

Leaders of the National League for Democracy say they are hopeful the standoff over the oath can be resolved within 10 days.

Sanctions on Burma

United States Apr. 17, 2012: U.S. Treasury allows U.S. based groups to do charity and humanitarian work in Burma. Apr. 4, 2012: Announced sanctions will be further eased. Arms embargo, bans investment in Burma and most imports.	Europe Apr. 23, 2012: Suspends trade and economic sanctions for one year. Apr. 13, 2012: British Prime Minister David Cameron called for further easing of sanctions during a visit to Burma. Feb. 2012: Lifted visa restrictions on some top officials. Bans weapons sales, restricts exports, imports and investments.
Australia Apr. 16, 2012: Lifted travel restrictions, except on senior military officers and human rights abuse suspects. Imposed sanctions against members of Burma's leadership in 2007.	Canada Apr. 12, 2012: Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird said sanctions are under review. Banned exports of arms and all non-humanitarian goods in 1988.
Japan Announced it would resume full development assistance in February 2012 after nine-year freeze.

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Vietnam, RoK enhance financial cooperation

Kinh Doanh | school logo |

During his meeting with Minister of Strategy and Finance Bahk Jae-wan on March 27 as part of his visit to the RoK, Minister Hue expressed his hope that the growing cooperation between the two ministries will foster bilateral economic and trade relations.

The Finance Ministry of Vietnam will actively work with the RoK Strategy and Finance Ministry, as well as RoK investors in Vietnam, to build an open, transparent and friendly business environment for investors to carry out long-term operation.

Minister Bahk Jae-wan thanked the Vietnamese Government and the Finance Ministry in particular for their support for RoK agencies and enterprises operating in Vietnam.

He spoke highly of new cooperative contents between the two sides, showing his belief that comprehensive cooperation will see further developments, contributing significantly to the two countries' strategic partnership.

At his talks with President of Korea Eximbank Kim Dong-soo, Minister Hue praised the bank's positive contributions and effective operation in Vietnam, especially the comprehensive cooperation between the Finance Ministry and Korea Eximbank.

They also reviewed Vietnam-RoK cooperative activities in preferential loan provision and talked about orientations for future cooperation.

Minister Hue called for Korea Eximbank's further support given Vietnam's high demand for investment in infrastructure.

The bank executive informed that the RoK government will continue to invest in infrastructure, green growth projects and climate change programmes in Vietnam.

The same day, Finance Minister Hue also met with National Tax Service Commissioner Lee Hyun-dong to evaluate the two agencies' cooperative programme.

Lee Hyun-dong affirmed that the RoK National Tax Service is willing to cooperate effectively with the Vietnam General Department of Taxation, contributing to the development of the Vietnam-RoK strategic partnership.

The RoK is one of the most important partners of Vietnam in the fields of economics, investment, culture, education and labour, while Vietnam is an important partner of the RoK in Southeast Asia.

It is always among the top three investors in Vietnam. In 2011, the country committed 411.8 million USD to Vietnam, a year-on-year increase of 39 percent.-VNA

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