My Encounter With A Cartoon Character.

Yesterday I posted a promo for our Kickstatrter Project on a ceramic Facebook page called Clay Office.

The post was an outtake from my previous post on this blog where I quote from Steve Woods and then adapted the same quote to our project. I commented that, unlike solar panels, Andersen Studio has established that we are competitive in a market flooded with foreign imports made in countries with low labor costs, fewer environmental regulations and lower corporate taxes, adding the the United States now has the highest corporate taxes in the world.

A  John Martin responded. John Martin's Facebook Page displays an imaginary person.  There is no information about where he is located.  While he has some photos of ceramic work on his page, it never actually says that he is the maker of those works. The ceramic work images are not immediately apparent  and so I commented that he did not show any connection to ceramics on his facebook page. I challenged John Martin's  statement of denial that the United States has the highest corporate tax rate in the world, but not his claim that a corporations could pay as little as zero tax. I suggested that if a United States corporation is paying zero taxes it is due to a special interest arrangement and not general law. By general law, the United States has the highest corporate tax rate in the world.

John Martin did not respond with protest to the claim that he had no connection to ceramics . Nor did John Martin provide verification of his denial that the United States has the highest corporate tax rate in the world. It is generally the case when someone is asked to verify something which they cannot verify, that they ignore the question, but why did John Martin also fail to respond to my comment that there is no connection to ceramics on his Facebook page. This should ordinarily provoke loud protest, unless that is all just for show because John Martin is not who he implies himself to be - or maybe that he is whom he implies himself to be- a cartoon character as depicted by his avatar.

I am familiar with a narrative that degrades KickStarter projects. I interpret this as a function of war between globalization and the micro economy. Maine State Inc's purported purpose is to macro manage the entire economy of Maine but its actions support only the "targeted sector" at the expense of all other sectors. The micro economy is all but dismissed by the master minds of Maine State Inc., except , of course when it comes to taxes. If one approaches the economy as a whole, necessarily needing all parts to be functioning, then one might embrace a new form of capitalization such as KickStarter, but instead there is a clear intent afoot to shame and degrade it .


As John Martin advanced the world view of the "Masters of the Universe" , he used  personal insults as his method:

John Martin Actually Mackenzie, the United states has some of the lowest corporate tax rates in the entire world. Some U.S. Corporate tax rates can be as low as 0%. Also, don't try to say that your business is competitive in a global market while at the same time using kickstarter to beg for money.

I pointed out to him that I had made no such claim- when I said that we are competitive in an American market (ceramics) flooded with foreign imports.

He insinuated that I was too stupid to get a grant or a tax break from the government:

John Martin Mackenzie, you should talk to a financial adviser. Your business is eligible for many Tax credits and deductions and maybe even a few business grants. Don't let your ignorance, anger and jealousy of companies that have lower tax rates than you prevent you from educating yourself about your own well deserved corporate tax deductions.

I said we are not "begging for money", we are offering rewards at a fair market price, which means that we are pursuing investment capital in such a way as to avoid going into debt, being that we have the resources and the know how to deliver on our end of the bargain - that's not in question.

And I explained to him that taking a government grant might benefit the receiver but it decreases the value of money held by every American citizen and that is not what we are about. Conversely, Kickstarter capitalization is sustainable economics.

Going into dept in this economy should be a last case scenario- not a first choice.

I left unsaid that I have  a history of relationships with the government sector which have led me to the conclusion that it is wasteful of my time to go there.

Mr Martin's  assumption is that I was jealous of the tax deductions being offered to the targeted sector- but my view is that the government should just get out of picking and choosing and costing the tax payer a pretty dime for all the extended bureaucracy needed to do so. The whole idea that the injustices can be made right by offering different sectors tax breaks is insanity. The way to make things fair is to abide by the general laws and the constitution of Maine. As the saying goes two wrongs do not make a right. I don't want a tax break. I want a fair playing field for all which would mean smaller government which will cost the taxpayer less- giving every one a tax break, by taking out the middle man- that middle man being Maine State Enterprises, who must be costing the taxpayer a goldmine or two.

One of the biggest tax breaks plans being offered by Maine State Inc to its targeted sector is in the Pine tree Zone legislation. The Pine Tree Zone Legislation was originally intended for low income high unemployment areas such as those 109 towns that Mr's Woods wants to nudge into relocating by taking way funding for roads and infrastructure. When the Pine tree Zone first came into being around 2004, there was protest against it because it was feared that it would be extended to the entire state, which was quietly done in 2010. All the more reason to not want tax breaks for other sectors of the economy. They eventually are prey to the greed of the preferred sectors. Mr Brooks wants to redistribute the taxpayer dollars slated for those insolvent towns to the urban cities. This is the way it goes.

UPDATE: As I was going to post the above, there was an update from John Martin- which simply accused me of being delusional- reinforcing my observation that Mr Martin is using insults as a methodology.

I in turn posted a link to this blog post. Mr Martin's responded refuting only one thing. Is image represents a legoman- not a cartoon character, to which I said the legoman speaks like a politician.

Then Will Sherry- an actual person who is really involved in ceramics posted the following:

Will Shirley new political-financial attitudes are required as we pass into a post-climate change mode. I did my part.

I couldn't have done it better. Will Sherry is one of a handful of contributors to Andersen Studio's r Kick Starter project.