Most people in the area have at least heard about the industrial tax exemption program (ITEP) that has allowed unelected local officials to grant billions of dollars in tax exemptions to non-local and foreign companies. The most recent is the $2 billion+ worth of industrial property tax exemptions granted to Driftwood LNG.

This website published a short article about the issue – Resident Shares a Video of Her Feedback and Objections on Recent Tax Incentives for Industrial Projects.

Now a Louisiana non-profit, member-supported publisher has written an investigative report regarding the issue of ITEP and how the exemptions are granted throughout the state.

The organization counts among its board members representatives of Sasol, a petrochemical conglomerate headquartered in South Africa, and Westlake Group, Citgo, and Phillips 66, massive oil and gas corporations based out of Houston, Texas.

The other members of the Taxing Authority include Wilfred Bourne, the Calcasieu Parish School Board’s chief financial officer; Tammy Bufkin, the Calcasieu Parish Policy Jury director of finance; and Sharon Cutrera, chief financial officer for Calcasieu Parish Sheriff Tony Mancuso.

None of these members are elected officials, and yet their recommendations are used to steer lucrative tax incentives (public dollars) to private businesses.

The preceding is an excerpt from the article ITEP Playing Fields Remain Far From Level on The Bayou Brief website. Click or tap the article title to read the full article.