Page 15 - ATA

A6 U.S. NEWS
Thursday 11 January 2018
Toyota-Mazda plant announced in Alabama Holiday decor to a
chalet? Capitol tree

By KIM CHANDLER eted project, which will be “Thank you for choosing ville and located just 14 heads to Montana
TOM KRISHER able to turn out 300,000 Alabama. “Thank you for miles (22 kilometers) from
Associated Press vehicles per year and will believing in the potential Toyota Motor Manufac- By AMY HANSON
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) produce the Toyota Co- of our people in the great turing of Alabama, which Associated Press
— Japanese automak- rolla compact car for North state of Alabama,” Ivey produces four-cylinder, V-6 HELENA, Mont. (AP) — The
ers Toyota and Mazda on America and a new small said. “Welcome to sweet and V-8 engines for several spruce tree destined to
Wednesday announced SUV from Mazda. Alabama home Alabama.” Toyota models. Production serve as the U.S. Capitol
plans to build a huge $1.6 Gov. Kay Ivey and compa- Akio Toyoda, president of is expected to begin by Christmas Tree was care-
billion joint-venture auto ny executives announced Toyota Motors, said the an- 2021. The decision to pick fully selected from a Mon-
plant in Alabama that will that the facility is coming nouncement is something Alabama is another exam- tana forest and hauled
eventually employ about to the Huntsville area in the of a homecoming for the ple of foreign-based auto- across the country in a
4,000 people. Several states state’s northern area not company. The site for the makers building U.S. facto- special truck to preserve its
had competed for the cov- far from the Tennessee line. new plant will be in Hunts- ries in the South.q freshness.
The 79-foot-tall (24-meter-
As companies give bonuses, pay gains still hazy tall) tree, which was lit up
last month during a cer-
emony with congressio-
By CHRIS RUGABER nal members, had its own
JOSH BOAK website and social media
AP Economics Writers presence.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Now, some Montana com-
American Airlines is hand- panies hope to keep its
ing out $1,000 bonuses to fame alive by trucking it
its employees. So are AT&T, back home so it can be
Bank of America and Na- used to help rebuild a his-
tionwide Insurance. The toric chalet in Glacier Na-
same for Comcast, JetBlue tional Park that was de-
Airways and US Bancorp. stroyed in a wildfire last
Such announcements , summer.
coming from dozens of Some critics questioned
companies, have followed the amount of fuel that
the passage of the Republi- would be burned to haul
can tax plan that President the tree back across the
Donald Trump signed into U.S. when Montana has
law last month. The plan plenty of trees, while oth-
slashed the corporate tax ers didn’t mind as long as
rate from 35 percent to 21 taxpayer money wasn’t in-
percent. volved.
The companies say the bo- A pair of American Airlines jets are parked on the airport apron at Miami International Airport in The effort is certainly more
nuses they’ve announced Miami. Dozens of companies have announced they are giving their employees bonuses, following sentimental than practi-
are a way to share some of the passage of the Republican tax plan that President Donald Trump signed into law in December. cal, but no public money
their bounty with their work- American Airlines is handing out $1,000 bonuses to its employees. is being spent and no one
ers. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee) can profit from the tree’s
The bonuses are one-time the lower corporate tax other words, better to get ers the $4,000 average use, said Bruce Ward with
payouts, not the perma- rates will lead to worker pay a direct cut than a spillover income gain that White Choose Outdoors, the
nent pay raises that Trump raises. He expects compa- from cuts to others.” House officials said would Denver-based nonprofit
and congressional Repub- nies over the next several Beyond the worker bo- flow eventually from lower that organized the effort
licans have said will even- years to use some of their nuses that have been an- corporate taxes. AT&T, the to bring the tree to Wash-
tually result from the cor- windfalls to invest in equip- nounced, typically for first company to announce ington. Ward got in on the
porate tax cuts. Over time, ment that would make $1,000, about a dozen bonuses, said it chose the idea after SmartLam, a
bonuses are far less valu- workers more productive banks have said they will $1,000 bonus instead. Montana wood products
able to employees than and lead to higher wages. raise their minimum wages. American Airlines, which company, contacted him
wage increases. Other economists re- A handful of mostly small also employs the commu- about doing something
So far, most companies main skeptical that work- companies, including nication union’s members, besides letting the cel-
haven’t said whether any ers stand to receive sharp Washington Federal Bank, similarly decided to be- ebrated tree end up as
permanent pay increases wage increases. They note have announced pay in- stow a $1,000 bonus. The mulch for the Capitol lawn.
are in the works. Economists that the corporate tax cut creases for most of their union said it appreciated A few phone calls and
caution that the corporate will overwhelmingly benefit workforces. the gesture but asserted in goodwill gestures later,
income tax cut’s effect on shareholders and compa- And a few, including Visa a statement that the bo- plans call for the tree to
average pay, if any, might ny owners. That sentiment is and Aflac , have said they nus “falls short of the per- come back in pieces. It
not become apparent for one reason stock market in- will raise their contributions manent wage increase was removed Tuesday
several years. dexes are setting new highs to their employees’ retire- that working families were morning, officials said.
“As a worker, it’s great to almost daily. ment plans. promised.” F.H. Stoltz Land & Lumber in
get a one-off bonus, but “The bulk of the corporate In addition, U.S. workers will “Businesses across Amer- Columbia Falls has agreed
that doesn’t guarantee tax cuts should accrue to begin receiving more take- ica have already started to process the wood, but
anything for the next year,” people who hold stock in home pay, likely by next to raise wages, and more vice president and general
said Stephen Stanley, chief companies,” said Ethan month, as lower tax rates than 100 companies have manager Chuck Roady
economist at Amherst Pier- Harris, chief economist at for individuals under the already given bonuses and noted that spruce is a soft-
pont. “You’d rather have Bank of America Merrill Republican plan kick in. other benefits to hundreds er wood and more suited
the raise, because next Lynch. The Communications Work- of thousands of workers as for door or window frames
year you’re working off the “Workers benefit much ers of America, a labor a result of these massive tax or fireplace mantles than
higher base.” more from a cut in taxes union, asked CEOs of large cuts,” Trump said Monday structural use in the new
Eventually, Stanley thinks on ordinary income. In corporations to give work- in Nashville. q park chalet.q