In Romulus, Michigan, seven community members linked arms and refused to leave the street outside the Detroit Airport Marriott, blocking a bus they believed was carrying PulteGroup's board of directors. Minutes later, while the Romulus 7 were taken away in handcuffs, the PulteGroup board sat inside, still not held accountable for the $880M tax refund they
ostensibly received for job creation.
The money came to Pulte thanks to the Worker, Homeownership and Business Assistance Act of 2009. This Act was intended to create jobs and extend benefits to the unemployed. Instead, PulteGroup is spending the cash on debt buy-downs and land, while increasing the ranks of the unemployed by laying off employees.
"I believe Pulte's acceptance of $880 million taxpayer dollars is unethical and should be illegal. And if it takes me getting in their way of business as usual to make the Board of Directors do the right thing, then I'm willing to do that. We're calling on Pulte shareholders and our federal legislators to make Pulte do the right thing -- use the money to create jobs, or give it back," explained Rev. Charles Williams II, who was arrested by Romulus police.
About 200 more union members, community activists and other allies remained outside, holding signs demanding answers.
"Where are the jobs? Where is the money?" they chanted.
As states across the country grapple with deficits and contemplate tax cuts of their own, the Building Justice campaign has followed PulteGroup executives across the country to remind taxpaying Americans that money for job creation needs to come with accountability. In January of 2011, they
interrupted a conference of mortgage executives being led by Debra Still, Pulte Mortgage's director.
“We have shown up at virtually every public event attended by Pulte executives to ask one simple question,” said Saundra L. Williams, President, Metropolitan Detroit AFL-CIO. “Where did the money go that Pulte got from the federal government to create the jobs? There needs to be accountability here.”