Question 1: When are special interest subsidies not special interest subsidies? Answer: When the special interests hire consultants to do an economic impact study. Question 2: How often do economic impact studies show that the special interest subsidy will be good for the economy? Answer: Always. Economic impact studies have…
The Senate Finance Committee has approved Senate Bill 820, which would raise the amount of corporate handouts to large companies considering moving their headquarters to North Carolina. The committee voted Tuesday, Nov. 27, to raise the cap on the Job Development Investment…
Legislative leaders will boost tax-paid subsidies available in the $23.9 billion 2018-19 budget proposal to induce multibillion-dollar corporations to locate in the state. House Speaker Tim Moore, R-Cleveland, and Senate leader Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, announced a five-point grant and tax credit plan to reporters Thursday,…
Backroads, byways, boondoggles, and brouhahas is an occasional column — taken from news sources throughout North Carolina — highlighting how government spends our money and makes other questionable moves about which state residents may not be aware. Robeson County is where North Carolina ends. Interstate 95 cuts straight through…
I’ve enjoyed following the drama surrounding location of Amazon’s second headquarters and, make no mistake, drama it certainly has been. Amazon probably missed an opportunity by simply issuing a request for proposal rather than turning it into a reality TV series available exclusively on Prime. Tucson tried to give Jeff Bezos a cactus. Stonecrest, Georgia, offered to rename…
Roy Cordato on economic flaws tied to corporate subsidies; Kellyanne Conway on reaching out to job holders; Marcus Brandon on budget rule for charter schools; oversight group reacts to efficiency initiative; JLF's Terry Stoops on charter school obstacles…
North Carolinians have no need to look north, west, or south for advice on how to recruit businesses or promote economic growth.
Rather than panic every time an incentive deal gets made elsewhere, NC officials need to take some deep breaths and then refocus on what truly drives economic growth.
Rick Henderson on costs of film incentives; Beth Wood on auditing priorities for state agencies; Chris Conover on Medicaid expansion problems; Jacob Vigdor on an evidence-based teacher pay plan; George Leef on university crackdowns on free speech…
Terry Stoops on paying for master's degrees; Eric Holder & Pat McCrory on voter I.D. law; Amity Shlaes on Calvin Coolidge's scaling back of government; Joe Stewart & Matt Bales on N.C. Free Enterprise Foundation mission; Jon Sanders on film tax credits.
