Governor Ducey to withdraw AZ Nike plant incentives amid Betsy Ross-Colin Kaepernick controversy
Source: ABC-15
In a series of tweets early Tuesday, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey announced that he has ordered the Arizona Commerce Authority to withdraw all financial incentive dollars to encourage Nike to add a manufacturing plant in the Valley.
Ducey's decision stems from a Wall Street Journal report that said former NFL quarterback-turned-social justice activist Colin Kaepernick convinced Nike to pull its sneakers featuring an early American flag
commonly known as the Betsy Ross flag. Kaepernick reportedly found the shoe to be offensive.
"Nike has chosen not to release the Air Max 1 Quick Strike Fourth of July as it featured an old version of the American flag," Nike said in a statement to CNN Business following the WSJ report.
Nike has planned a massive shoe manufacturing plant in Goodyear,
with an initial investment of $184.5 million. The plant would create over 500 full-time jobs
Read more: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.abc15.com/sports/governor-ducey-to-withdraw-nike-az-plant-incentives-amid-betsy-ross-colin-kaepernick-controversy%3f_amp=true
= new reply since forum marked as read
I heard something on NPR about a special economic zone they perhaps would be in:
Arizona Opportunity Zones approved, poised for investment
By Jordan Rose and Dan Gauthier, Rose Law Group
Link: https://www.roselawgroup.com/arizona-opportunity-zones-approved-poised-for-investment/
(snips)
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Opportunity Zones provide three primary tax benefits to investors who invest in the Opportunity Zones through the use of an Opportunity Fund. If you own property in one of these area’s we can help to set up the framework for investment.
1. Tax on income for capital gains is temporarily deferred for capital gains reinvested in an Opportunity Fund.
2. Capital gains reinvested in an Opportunity Fund receive a stepped-up basis, which will effectively exclude up to 15 percent of the original gain from being taxed.
3. Capital gains from the sale or exchange of an investment in an Opportunity Fund are not taxed, so long as the investment is held for at least ten years.
Let's all call our favorite Rethugs and thank them for throwing more of our national tax burden onto everyday citizens.....
Sounds like a good idea on the surface, but we can bet this law will be abused as with anything related to big business and taxes.
This is also near Mexico, where Nike might have shoe components made and shipped to the facility (speculation on my part).
On Arizona news outlets, the City of Goodrich seems to still be very dedicated toward attracting this Nike plant, with the mayor speaking up strongly in favor.
KY............
Is that what Kaep said or something?
If so, as the person you're responding to points out ... that makes him wrong.
You did so good! Arizona don't need any stinkin jobs!
PS. We'd love to see Nike here in Illinois
and I don't think Kap can automatically assume everyone associates that flag with slavery. I certainly don't conflate it with the Confederate battle flag, which absolutely IS a symbol of enslavement and white supremacy. (And yes, I fully acknowledge that American history has taught a story, highly biased at best and overtly revisionist, white-centric in its full context). Of course, slavery was present from the beginning of early colonization and it was sadly enshrined in the constitution. Once one thinks about it it becomes more understandable to make the association with the 13 colony flag for that reason, yet to conflate it with the Confederate battle flag still seems a stretch to me--maybe a step too far. I just don't think a lot of Americans do so without some explanation and even then it seems unclear. Do we have information that Betsy Ross was a big proponent of slavery? Seems to me, for all their faults, the founding fathers were seeking to address freedom from British tyranny. While many of us looking back would wish that that had not ignored slavery and more to the point, overtly included freedom for all-- that evolution was sadly incremental in our history. Still, if that flag is a symbol of slavery, then what from that time period (including the constitution) would not be?
Regardless, Nike is seemingly trying to be responsive to these issues, yet hardly deserves kudos given their embrace of child workers for profit throughout the world. I'd like to see Kap address this with them.
And Arizona? Give me a break. Cut off your nose to spite your face if you wish, but why the hell were you offering tax breaks to begin with if Nike's selection/support of Kaepernick was such a big issue for you. 
Ross was merely one of several flag makers in Philadelphia (such as Rebecca Young, who is historically documented to have made the earlier Grand Union Flag of 1775–76, with the British Union Jack of the crosses of St. George and St. Andrew, in the upper corner canton and 13 alternating red and white stripes for the "United Colonies"
for the Continental Army, along with many other ships' colors, banners, and flags which were advertised in local newspapers.
But there is no irrefutable proof that it was Betsy Ross who sewed the 13 stars and stripes flag, named after her!
Response to Jose Garcia (Original post)
And this is what they're concerned with? Some fucking vanity shoes? Argh I hate these people. 
with the exception of a flag patch on uniforms. (Also, it didn't belong in advertising or on throwaways, like napkins).
Now it seem to be treated as disrespectful NOT to use the flag in every conceivable manner. 
Frankly, putting it on something that is going to get dirty when used still strikes me as a dumb idea.
