Good to know! I’ll check it out.

It’s a shame because they really ought to have a better transit connection to BWI, MARC, & Amtrak.

If I remember correctly, Ehrlich didn’t do shit to support this, O’Malley tried to get the red line started, but that sentient sack of shit Hogan tanked it.

I really hope Moore gets Maryland to build more alternatives to driving.

That would be amazing, but I’m not going to hold my breath.

As they should, however, “many” isn’t good enough.

Also correct. Didn’t I say they paid 17 million in taxes? 17 million is only 1.41% of the 1.2 billion that should’ve been paid when transferring a company to family. Why is that so hard to understand?

You’re right. He and his family control the organizations he “gave it away” to.

There are good rich people. However, the level of wealth billionaires have amassed is disgusting and disgraceful. No individual should control that much wealth, and I’m unaware of a billionaire who hasn’t caved to the pressures to hoard.

Billionaires should pay significantly more taxes than they currently do, and I’m fucking tired of the incredible power they wield over our elected officials and outrageous tax loopholes they continuously exploit. They’ve earned their fortunes on by often standing on the shoulders or necks of society - they owe the country and society that allowed this kind of unbridled capitalism to exist more than 1.4% of the taxes they should have paid.

You’ve swallowed the bullshit PR story, full bait and hook. This move saved him over a billion dollars in gift taxes if he were to transfer the company to his family traditionally. This was a genius way to ensure his family maintains control over the company and can discretely wield immense political power for generations to come.

The article doesn’t tell you that he gave 98% of the company away to a new 501(c)(4) called The Holdfast Collective and 2% (with the voting shares) to another new organization called The Patagonia Purpose Trust. He and his family own the later, meaning they still control Patagonia.

But why would he do that? Well, it’s the way you reduce a 1.2 Billion tax bill down to 17 Million, can still control the board of the company, and then use Patagonia profits to fund a 501(c)(4).

501(c)(4)s are not your typical charity - they’re allowed to donate to politicians, PACS, and even directly campaign. He effectively turned Patagonia profits into a new lobbying side hustle with zero transparency, and one can assume that he and his family will run it. No income tax, capital gains tax, or gift tax. (One has to make this assumption as there’s currently ZERO transparency about The Holdfast Collective.)

There are no good billionaires. Chouinard and his family are obviously not the worst - but they’re not going to save us. I’d still recommend their products, if you can afford them, but please understand that the media has been fleeced by Patagonia’s great PR, generally excellent environmental practices, and the everlasting hope that there’s actually some decent rich people out there.

>if they all did what he did then maybe we’ll survive the apocalypse

I hate to break it to you, even the good billionaires and their corporations won’t save us. They wouldn’t be billionaires if they were truly so selfless. All Chouinard did was find a way to avoid paying his fair share of taxes while getting a buttload of good press.

Corporations will not save the planet. There are no good billionaires.