Protesters Aim to Shame Apple over Tax Holiday Support
Apple (AAPL) has seen criticism on a number of fronts: labor policies at its outsourced factories, privacy, and even withholding information of significant events from investors -- you know, like CEO Steve Jobs needing a liver transplant.
Now you can add another: not paying enough federal taxes. A loose-knit and decentralized group calling itself US Uncut announced that members would target Apple stores tomorrow in what it calls "dance-in protests." Oh, and there's the music video, as well:
According to spokesperson Carl Gibson, US Uncut is actually focused on corporations that avoid "their fair share of taxes," helping to create the need for major federal, state, and local budget cuts. The group has targeted WinAmerica, a campaign funded by large corporations to promote the idea of a tax holiday that would allow companies to repatriate $1 trillion in profits they hold overseas to avoid federal taxes.
US Uncut picked Apple, which is listed as a supporter of WinAmerica, because it is high profile and "really conscious of their brand," said Gibson. "If we can put enough shame on Apple's brand by showing up at their stores, we can hopefully get Steve Jobs and the Apple team to leave the WinAmerica campaign."
The group lists plans to protest 16 different Apple locations tomorrow. Many Apple stores are in malls, making a legal protest on public property more difficult. According to Gibson, the individuals planning actions at specific stores plan to use a "really interactive creative form of protest -- involving the use of the apple computers at the genius bars and creative music and dance." The organization does have an action kit available for download, with PDF files for signs and leaflets, suggested chants and slogans, and flash mob action scenarios.
WinAmerica claims that if companies can bring money into the U.S., they could invest in new jobs. According to the U.S. Treasury Department, there was no evidence that a similar tax holiday in 2004 resulted in increased investment. The department also says that according to outside estimates, a group of 15 firms received half of all the benefits.
And given the amount of cash that many corporations, particularly high tech companies, already keep on hand, it becomes difficult to argue with a straight face that a lack of free capital keeps them from investing.
Currently, the list of high tech companies supporting the WinAmerica campaign include the following:
- Adobe
- Broadcom
- CA Technologies
- Cisco
- Consumer Electronics Association
- EMC
- Kodak
- Microsoft
- Oracle
- Qualcomm
- TechAmerica
Related
- Apple's Own Internal Malware: Blinders to Criticism
- Facts, Schmacts: Apple and Google Build Creepware, but Won't Fess Up
- Apple's Troubled Outsourced Manufacturing Plants
Erik Sherman is a widely published writer and editor who also does select ghosting and corporate work. The views expressed in this column belong to Sherman and do not represent the views of CBS Interactive. Follow him on Twitter at @ErikSherman or on Facebook.
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