FedEx, UPS Push for Tax Cuts as Documents Show Them Sinking Millions into Automation

When's that wealth trickling down? Record tax cuts in the 80's. Another $ trillion worth of tax cuts in the 2000's primarely aimed at the super rich. Now more tax cuts for the rich? Despite the Middle Class stagnating in growth? Check the stats on income inequality. Worse now than in decades. The term 'Tax reform' is just another word for Reaganomics. Trickle down taxes. A myth, which really doesn't equate to reality. Take the big Corporations pushing for more major tax cuts:

FedEx and UPS—two of America’s biggest employers—have been publicly pushing tax cuts as job creators even as they plan to spend hundreds of millions of dollars for a coming wave of automation at their distribution centers and along their delivery lines, corporate documents show.

Neither company has said what effect their automation plans may have on their job numbers, but both FedEx and UPS are also actively developing new technology designed to expand automation, according to patent applications reviewed by TYT. One UPS executive told Wall Street analysts new automation initiatives currently being planned will be coming online as late as 2020.

www.globalresearch.ca...

Now you know what? If Corporations like FedEx wish to invest in automation to maximize profit and productivity, have at it. In the end their goal is to the make profit like any business. It's inevitable, automation. The solution isn't to limit technological advances that are inevitable. That being said, these Corporations should not go around posing as primary job creators to get further tax cuts. They clearly have no intention of reinvesting this money to benefit the lower classes. This is all for the primary goal to maximize profit and those of their shareholders. Economics 101. But no, no no, conservatives would have us cut all their taxes. Have at it. While they cut down more jobs and invest those tax cuts right back into the pockets of the executives.

a reply to: Southern Guardian

This is bigger than a left/right issue. Don’t get trapped in the paradigm.

a reply to: Southern Guardian

When's that wealth trickling down?

That's nothing more than a story told to keep the whole " hope and change" dream alive.....works damn well does it not.

These big corporations control the money in the world,which controls the polititians.what else is new,we were sold out the last time in 33,now probably next year a big crash,then the corporations will be only one with money,then they will own everything

The tax cuts haven't passed yet. If Republican voters would contact their reps, they could stop it.

a reply to: Southern Guardian

If Corporations like FedEx wish to invest in automation to maximize profit and productivity, have at it. In the end their goal is to the make profile like any business. It's inevitable, automation.

I think you meant profit instead of profile. Yah, what better way than removing humans from the loop. The problem with reducing human labor and taxes, that 'model' eventually has to fail.

Who is going to pay taxes to keep that 'model' flourishing if theres no work force?

They aren't thinking very far ahead. Maybe they don't care as long as they get their private island and lear jet.

a reply to: Southern Guardian

the fact that the general public is against automation because it takes away the jobs they want (despite that no one enjoys working) is really telling how it is really all a slave system...

if food, shelter and water, were free and in abundance as automation could easily make it, then very few (percentage wise) would want their jobs, they would cheer and celebrate automation,

but instead your invisible masters hold your needs, your food, water and shelter over your heads dangling as if on a string in front of your face as you walk the endless treadmill of the work-debt relationship damn near everyone in this world now knows soooo well.

our ancestors would be ashamed, all the freedom they fought for us to have, and now we confuse it with complacency, and apathy.

a reply to: Southern Guardian

From what I've heard, there's an inside joke behind the phrase "trickle down". Supposedly, it was to represent the wealthy eating all of the food, then urinating on the masses, and the masses would survive off of the urine.

As for the OP, this really shouldn't be a surprise. Even as they continue to invest in & implement automation, they still employ a lot of people. A quick google search says that UPS and FedEx employ 300,000 & 434,000 employees respectively (I didn't check for which the 2017 stats). So it's not like they're lying about being job creators. All corporations exist to make money, so it would makes sense that they'd want to decrease their tax bills while also decreasing their payrolls.

I can't speak for others, but there's a FedEx center out where I am that's aggressively hiring right now. And one of my brothers and I worked at a UPS for a few weeks probably a decade ago, and they had some automation even back then (plus they had a terrible time retaining employees since the work was brutal). I'm saying all of this to point out that it's not as bad or hypocritical as it may seem at first glance.

Repeat after me: Cut corporate tax rate, lower operating cost, hire more people to make more profit.

a reply to: NobodiesNormal

I'll never accept a civilization as being "advanced" as long as its existence depends on its citizens doing menial labor just to survive. I think automation will usher in a completely new form of civilization with limitless potential, though I have my doubts that the US will be at the center of it. There are simply too many people here who love the "work or die" mindset.

That would be like us visiting an "advanced" ET civilization, only to find out that 90% of them have to work the equivalent of 12 hours a day digging up rocks and milking cattle just to survive. But of course, their "elites" would be the only ones with access to most of the technology that makes them appear to be so advanced. We'd probably look at them as an oppressive oligarchy or kingdom.

originally posted by: enlightenedservant
a reply to: NobodiesNormal

I'll never accept a civilization as being "advanced" as long as its existence depends on its citizens doing menial labor just to survive. I think automation will usher in a completely new form of civilization with limitless potential, though I have my doubts that the US will be at the center of it. There are simply too many people here who love the "work or die" mindset.

That would be like us visiting an "advanced" ET civilization, only to find out that 90% of them have to work the equivalent of 12 hours a day digging up rocks and milking cattle just to survive. But of course, their "elites" would be the only ones with access to most of the technology that makes them appear to be so advanced. We'd probably look at them as an oppressive oligarchy or kingdom.

It'll come quicker than you think if these $15/hr for practically mindless labor people get their way.

One problem with automation is, as the technology advances, the working class will not be able to find enough jobs. This will result in them having less money, if any (in the most advanced case), to spend as consumers.

a reply to: Throes

Companies will continue adding automation whether they pay their workers a minimum wage or a great wage. They just use the "but the workers are asking for too much money" argument to justify paying low wages until they can fully implement automation & replace those workers. Even corporate subsidiaries in low wage countries implement automation, which obliterates the argument that they're doing it because of the workers' wage demands.

a reply to: Southern Guardian

What was income equality like during Obama's presidency?

originally posted by: enlightenedservant
a reply to: Throes

Companies will continue adding automation whether they pay their workers a minimum wage or a great wage. They just use the "but the workers are asking for too much money" argument to justify paying low wages until they can fully implement automation & replace those workers. Even corporate subsidiaries in low wage countries implement automation, which obliterates the argument that they're doing it because of the workers' wage demands.

It's all about the bottom line. Companies add automation where it's going to impact the most. If it's replacing higher wage workers then that's where it'll be added.

a reply to: MOMof3

What the public want's is of no interest to the politicians. Take health care and apply it to tax cuts, then it all makes sense.

originally posted by: seasonal
a reply to: MOMof3

What the public want's is of no interest to the politicians. Take health care and apply it to tax cuts, then it all makes sense.

Is this another "we have to pass the bill to see what's in it" bill?

What tax bill are we discussing?

a reply to: infolurker

Meet the new boss (es) same as the old boss (es).

Should we be surprised... no

If the profits are not growing there failing ... since u know it's not profit unless it's more than the last 3 months

That is the kind of thinking we have ... it's completely unsubstanable

Should be interesting to see the fall if I'm alive for it

Just remember and never forget they are not like us. They do not care if there workers are starving they do not care if the money maker is killing people the ritch and powerful only care about there money power and pleasures. Never trust a man with more money than he needs chances are he did some bad things to get that money

a reply to: infolurker

The one to be released Wednesday. More details. The only fact I know, we go from 7 brackets to 3. 12%, 25% , 35% . The 15% bracket is gone. Middle class increase of 10% .