In every city, there were some special jobs that were not profitable. At the same time, the city hall did not want to do them themselves, such as city janitors, regional service companies, or public welfare organizations.
In the past, these jobs were managed by the Social Services Bureau. Later, due to various reasons, they decided to contract these jobs to specialized companies.
Just like Saibin's public transportation, this was also one of the public services that the Social Services Bureau took over.
Because these businesses, such as city janitors, garbage disposal stations, and various welfare and nursing homes, were not profitable, they could not rely on janitors to make a lot of money. Therefore, the city hall would give them some financial subsidies, and at the same time, give them some preferential policies.
For example, a certain amount of tax relief was given to encourage large companies to take the initiative to take on more social responsibilities.
Did that mean that only public service companies that were not profitable would receive subsidies?
Actually, that was not the case. Everyone knew how profitable a city's transportation company was. How to determine whether a company met the criteria to receive subsidies depended entirely on its political value and significance.
If necessary, the Saibin city's government would first announce what to do. For example, they would hold a few hearings to listen to the opinions of industry experts and society. As long as everyone felt that there was no problem, the subsidies would be granted.
There was a line that could not be crossed, and that was to not let the people feel that it was unnecessary. In the words of the media, the Federation government was a good government that was efficient and honest. It would never waste the taxpayers' money.
The citizens might not know how to do other things, but they knew how to show that they were taxpayers and make a fuss about it.
However, Lynch's secondhand goods auction … It did not seem like a public welfare organization. At most, it was related to social services.
This made Filar's expression a little complicated. On one hand, he felt that Lynch was not easy to deal with. At the same time, he felt that he had become an idiot himself by calling others stupid all the time.
Once Lynch received subsidies, the salary he paid to Filar would not even be one-tenth of the subsidies. Even though the money had nothing to do with him, Filar still felt that he had suffered a loss.
He did not say anything and pretended not to know, but Lynch began to increase the bargaining chip.
"Mr. Consultant, you might not be aware of this, but before the end of this year, I will open interstellar trading companies all over the state. The headquarters will be in Saibin City."
"When the time comes, I will also build a new warehouse district and a specialized transportation company to stimulate the secondhand goods economy in the state."
"When that time comes, the Interstellar Trading Company's second-hand goods transactions will cover the entire state and even outside the state. The huge influence will surely provide Mr. Mayor with a prominent political achievement."
"People only need to spend less money to satisfy their pursuit of a high-quality life. At the same time, it can also greatly reduce some of the social problems that arise one after another."
"People always commit crimes because of poverty. Now, there is a way to make money without breaking the law. As long as the Federation government and the state government can find a way to revive the economy in a short period of time, we may be able to get out of this predicament more easily than other states. It will also be easier for us to become the focus of the nation."
"Also, I personally promise that before next year, the number of employees in my company will exceed 500. It will only be more, not less …"
As he spoke, Lynch took out his checkbook again. He held the pen, and the tip of the pen almost fell on the check. He raised his head and asked a question that was completely unrelated to the previous topic. "What is the maximum contribution limit for a single person in the state?"
In order to limit the hidden immoral transactions between capitalists and politicians through political donations, the Federation government had set up a maximum contribution limit. Every person had a donation limit every year. This was very good at curbing the capitalists' tendency to look for political spokespeople. However, it also made some things that could be seen through at a glance somewhat complicated and, in fact, useless.
Most companies would collectively donate to the politicians in their camp. It was a collective donation, including part-time workers who might only earn a hundred dollars a month. They would also donate to support the political parties with the upper limit. Everyone knew why this was so and why it was so.
In order to strengthen some information management, this law was later amended to require the recording of the name of every donor and the amount of donation. However, it still could not prevent the transfer of benefits. Donations could be over-reimbursed, and people were eager to donate. Moreover, they would feel that the upper limit was too low!
Felar immediately realized something. He moved his butt again and said in a low voice, "The state's regulation is that the amount of cash can't exceed 150 dollars …"
Lynch did not reply. He immediately wrote a line of numbers on the checkbook, tore off the check, and pushed it over.
This was a brand new transfer check. The figure of 75,000 dollars on it made Felar's breathing a little faster. He looked at the check and then looked at Lynch. Lynch put away his pen and revealed his usual sunny smile. "I think that since Mr. Mayor took charge of Saibin City, our city has made great progress. I very much support Mr. Mayor's political program and governing philosophy …"
He paused. "Which party does Mr. Mayor belong to?"
Felar almost covered his face and fled. He raised his hand and scratched his eyebrows. He braced himself and said, "The Federation Progressive Party …"
"Yes!
The Federation Progressive Party! "
Lynch raised his finger and pointed at Felar. "The Federation Progressive Party is a very good party. I know them, and I admire their performance. This is my donation to Mr. Mayor and the Federation Progressive Party. It's not illegal, right?"
Felar smiled bitterly and shook his head. It was definitely not illegal. As long as it did not exceed the upper limit, it would not be illegal. "But you still need a list, sir. These names and the money have to be registered!"
Lynch picked up the phone book at the corner of the table and put it back on the table with a bang. He looked directly at Felar, as if he was ordering him to do something. "There are more than 500 people here!"
The two of them looked at each other for a moment. Felar sighed and nodded. He understood what Lynch meant.
Of course, these things would not be done by him in the end. They had young people in their office who specialized in these dirty and tiring jobs. Those people knew how to extract 500 names from the phone book to make this donation look more complete.
He picked up the check and stuffed it into his pocket. Lynch continued to ask, "When will my subsidy be paid?"
Felar thought for a moment. "We need to study it. There are still at least five hearings. If it passes, the city hall will provide you with some financial or policy assistance in the form of policy support, such as tax exemption."
Lynch raised his eyebrows. "I thought tax exemption was only for small companies."
Compared to subsidies and things like that, tax exemption actually brought more objective benefits, but it was not completely absolute.
For a company that could only make a million dollars a year, if the Federation government could give him an additional 500,000 dollars as a subsidy, his income would exceed the tax exemption policy. The tax exemption would at most exempt him from more than 30% of all kinds of taxes, which was about 300,000 dollars. However, a 500,000 dollar subsidy would allow him to earn some money after paying the taxes.
However, for someone like Lynch who was ambitious and wanted to realize his ambitions, tax exemption was more valuable than subsidies. He was confident that within two or three years, he could achieve a net profit of millions, tens of millions, or even more.
He nodded with satisfaction and asked in a seemingly casual manner, "No one will give me a hard time, right?"
There was a hint of warning in this sentence. Felar shook his head and said, "No, they shouldn't!"
Lynch said, "Okay." Then he stood up. Felar followed closely behind him. Lynch reached out and held Felar's hand. He said with a smile, "Please let me tell Mr. Mayor that I admire him very much. I hope we can have dinner together when we have time …"
Felar did not have so many thoughts at this time. He nodded and left as soon as possible. He did not want to see someone like Lynch again.
Looking at Felar's back as he fled, Lynch could not help but laugh. Was it so easy to take his money?
No way, no one would really think so, right?