Comments on: Can tax credits work?

By: John Malkin

John Malkin — Fri, 14 Jan 2005 16:32:47 +0000

I had to laugh this morning, when and advertisement on the radio for a government grant seminar which claimed the government spent over $300 Billion on grants last year. I would like to know their definition of grant. Maybe some space private companies should go to the seminar. Just joking…

By: Sam Dinkin

Sam Dinkin — Thu, 13 Jan 2005 13:41:38 +0000

A limited tax credit of $100M payable in 2015 might not score so high.

By: John Malkin

John Malkin — Tue, 11 Jan 2005 19:45:27 +0000

I would like to see a section in the tax form where people could allocate money on a voluntary basis, something like the election fund. These monies could go into funds for entrepreneurial companies and companies that find solutions for age old problems. The prizes and/or tax credits would be based on the size of the fund. This could include solving homelessness or curing diseases. It would allow individuals to have a more direct link to how their money is spent even if it’s a small portion.

It seems a successful space company would generate tax money and jobs which would surpass the amount of the tax credit in the long term.

By: Rich Pournelle

Rich Pournelle — Tue, 11 Jan 2005 18:38:59 +0000

Federal tax credits like the “Invest in Space Now” bill are a non-starter as they have been proposed. Every bill in Congress gets “scored” for its impact on the Federal Budget (deficit). That bill is always scored so high it will never go anywhere because they would have to make cuts in other areas of the budget to make room.

By: Sam Dinkin

Sam Dinkin — Mon, 10 Jan 2005 16:13:18 +0000

If you want more of something, subsidize it. Saying it is not going to do much means it’s not going to cost much either. Open contracts are not an either/or proposition.