18 October 2007

state supreme court shafts international paper company

on tuesday 16 october 2007, the louisiana supreme court aided by moon landrieu father of lieutenant governor mitch landrieu and louisiana's senior senator and republican dildo katrina mary landrieu snellings ruled against a major employer in central louisiana all over ad valorem taxes that international paper company shouldnt have to pay.

click link to download 29 page .pdf
in 1973 international paper company created an industrial area not subject to taxation pursuant to La.R.S. 33:130.15 which was enacted in 1964. in 1976 greedy politicians seeing a good thing down the road created the ward nine recreation district.

in 1995 La.R.S. 33:130.15 was repealed and replaced by La.R.S. 51:1203. who the legislator was that authored the bill that went on to become act 581 that conveniently changed the law is unknown as the state legislature website only goes back to 1997.

the third circuit court of appeals said in ruling against international paper earlier:
"A plain reading of La.R.S. 51:1203 leads to the conclusion that any business located in an industrial area that provides the listed services for itself is, thereafter, immune from being included in any newly created municipality. A simple analysis would lead to the conclusion that the recreation district is not a municipality, and therefore, La.R.S. 51:1203 has no application to the facts at hand, and IP is subject to the recreation district’s ad valorem tax. Although we disagree with IP’s assertion that a recreation district falls within the definition of a municipality, we find the distinction in this instance irrelevant..."
this is more evidence that louisiana is unfriendly towards businesses. international paper (then kraft paper mill) built its "industrial area" in 1973 under the law and in good faith, only to be stabbed in the back later on by politicians. why should international paper, which is already a major employer and helps central louisiana land owners and tree farmers by keeping transportation prices low, not to mention all the loggers working, have to finance or partially finance the ward nine recreation district?

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Posted by wst... at 09:13

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