TOPIC: ARGUMENT237 - The following appeared as part of an article in a local Beauville newspaper.
"According to a government report, last year the city of Dillton reduced its corporate tax rate by 15 percent; at the same time, it began offering relocation grants and favorable rates on city utilities to any company that would relocate to Dillton. Within 18 months, two manufacturing companies moved to Dillton, where they employ a total of 300 people. Therefore, the fastest way for Beauville to stimulate economic development and hence reduce unemployment is to provide tax incentives and other financial inducements that encourage private companies to relocate here."
WORDS: 334
TIME: 00:30:00
DATE: 2009-3-7 12:13:18
This argument seems reasonable at first glance. Unfortunately, it rests on a series of groundless assumption and dubious evidence, and is therefore unpersuasive to draw the conclusion that the fastest way for Beauville to stimulate economic development and hence reduce unemployment is to provide tax incentives and other financial inducements that encourage private companies to relocate here.
To begin with, the assumption that two manufacturing companies moved to Dillton due to the decreased tax rate and favorable rates is unwarranted. The arguer fails to provide detailed information that what the true reason of the two companies moved to Dilliton. Do they really value the reduced rate? It is entirely possible that resources here are abundant for them to produce the products. Or perhaps the residents here received high quality education. Or maybe the places are large enough for them to build new plants. There are myriad of possibilities to explain the two companies' choice to relocate their company. Unless the arguer rules out these alternative explanations, I could hardly be swayed to accept the recommendation.
Additionally, even if the tax rate in Dillton reduced by 15 percent, however, the arguer fails to demonstrate that the tax rate in Beauville is higher than that in Dillton. Perhaps although the tax rate decreased in Dillton, it is still not lower than that in Beauville. If it is the case, we can know that the two companies removed to Dillton do not depend on the mere tax rate.
Finally, even if the tax rate plays an important role in the removing of the companies, yet the arguer cannot make sure that Beauville does the same thing can take the same effectiveness. The environment, resources are maybe different between them. So it remains questions if the Beauville take the same action and apprehension will be heaped on the future of Beauville.
In sum, the conclusion lacks credibility because the evidence lends little credible support to what the arguer maintains. To make it more convincing and sound, the arguer would have to provide valid evidence and rule out above-mentioned possibilities that may undermine the argument.